Complaints and recognition procedures
On this page
North Yorkshire Police
To make a complaint about North Yorkshire Police, a police officer or a member of police staff, you can do this online or by contacting the Complaints Team at the York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning.
- Make a complaint or compliment – online
- Call: 01423 642700 between 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 4.30pm on Friday
- Write to: Complaints Team
York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning
Harrogate Police Station
Beckwith Head Rd
Harrogate
HG3 1FR
The Complaints Team is independent to ensure fairness for both residents and the police.
The team will review and resolve complaints and dissatisfaction in an efficient, rigorous and fair way.
Where complaints cannot be resolved by the team, or should the complainant request it, the matter will be referred to North Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Department.
You can make a complaint if you:
- Experienced inappropriate behaviour from a police officer, staff member, contractor or volunteer.
- Witnessed a police officer, staff member, contractor or volunteer acting inappropriately.
- Have been adversely affected by the conduct of a police officer, staff member, contractor or volunteer.
- Are representing someone who is in one of the categories listed above, and you wish to make a complaint on their behalf.
You must have their written permission, this does not apply if you are the parent or guardian of a child aged 16 or under and wish to complain on their behalf.
How your complaint will be handled
- The Complaints Team will deal with your complaint in a reasonable and proportionate way, doing what is appropriate in the circumstances, taking into account the facts and the context in which the complaint has been raised, within the framework of legislation and guidance set out in the Statutory guidance on the police complaints system published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
- After managing your complaint, you will receive acknowledgement within three working days.
- If you feel your complaint is justified, but minor, you may be satisfied with an explanation or an apology. Where this is appropriate, the Complaints Team may be able to resolve your complaint in a less formal but nevertheless thorough way, by means of a local resolution. This can be fairly flexible, and is often the quickest and most effective way to resolve a complaint.
- For more serious complaints, the Complaints Team may ask North Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Department to carry out a formal investigation.
Depending upon the seriousness of the complaint a decision is then made whether the complaint should be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). You will be told how your complaint will be investigated and how a decision will be reached. We will ask you how you would like to be contacted and informed of progress and we will write to you to tell you the outcome and explain whether you can request a review or appeal.
If you require any adjustments to support you through the complaints system, please let us know. For example, if you have a visual impairment, you may require the police or other organisation to provide written responses in larger text.
Chief Constable
- If you would like to complain about, or compliment, the Chief Constable please contact the Mayor via their office by calling 01423 569 562 or email [email protected]
- As Mayor, it is their job to hold the Chief Constable to account regarding complaints.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
If you would like to complain about, or compliment, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, you can do this online or by contacting the Complaints and Recognition Team at the York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning.
- Make a complaint or compliment – online
- Email: [email protected]
- Call the Mayor’s Office: 01423 642700 between 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 4.30pm on Friday.
- Direct contact at your local fire station.
- Write to: Complaints and Recognition Team
York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning
Harrogate Police Station
Beckwith Head Rd
Harrogate
HG3 1FR - Details of the policy and procedures are available here:
Chief Fire Officer
- If you would like to complain about, or compliment, the Chief Fire Officer please contact the Mayor via their office by calling 01423 569 562 or email [email protected]
- As Mayor, it is their job to hold the Chief Fire Officer to account regarding complaints.
The Mayor
- If you would like to complain about, or compliment, the Mayor the first step is to raise it with them.
- If you are still not satisfied, you can make a complaint to the Police, Fire and Crime Panel. Someone can act on your behalf (perhaps a friend or relative) if you give your written permission for them to do so.
- The Police, Fire and Crime Panel are the group, made up of elected (cross-party) Councillors and independent appointees, who hold the Mayor to account.
- Contact details for the Chair of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel
- If the complaint is of alleged criminal conduct, then this will be immediately passed onto the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
- Complaints Reports are published when the Police, Fire and Crime Panel believes it is in the public interest to do so.
- The number of complaints against the Mayor, and their deputy, recorded by the Police, Fire and Crime Panel, are published on our Police, Fire and Crime Panel page.
Deputy Mayor
- If you would like to complain about, or compliment, the Deputy Mayor, the first step is to raise it with them.
- If you are still not satisfied, you can make a complaint to the Police, Fire and Crime Panel. Someone can act on your behalf (perhaps a friend or relative) if you give your written permission for them to do so.
- The Police, Fire and Crime Panel are the group, made up of elected (cross-party) Councillors and independent appointees, who hold the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to account.
- Contact details for the Chair of the Police and Crime Panel
- If the complaint is of alleged criminal conduct, then this will be immediately passed onto the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)
- Complaints Reports are published when the Police, Fire and Crime Panel believes it is in the public interest to do so.
- The number of complaints against the Mayor, and their deputy, recorded by the Police, Fire and Crime Panel, are published on our Police, Fire and Crime Panel page.
York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning – Chief Executive
- If you would like to complain about, or compliment, the Chief Executive please contact the Mayor.
York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning – staff
- To make a complain about, or compliment, the Mayo’s staff, contact the Chief Executive Officer who is the Mayor’s statutory Monitoring Officer.
- If a complaint is made directly to the York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning, the Chief Executive Officer will progress the complaint appropriately.