Complaints about the police
If you have a complaint about the police in Northern Ireland, you can contact the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. They provide an independent, impartial police complaints system for people in Northern Ireland.
Who complaints can be made against
The Police Ombudsman investigates complaints about:
- the Police Service of Northern Ireland
- Belfast Harbour Police
- Belfast International Airport Police
- Ministry of Defence Police in Northern Ireland
- certain UK Border Force staff
Types of complaints
The Police Ombudsman investigates complaints about how police officers and some police employees (such as custody and escort staff) do their jobs. You can complain about:
- police using excessive force
- quality of police investigations
- rude or offensive behaviour
- other inappropriate behaviour
How to complain
You must make your complaint within one year of the incident you are concerned about. You can complain:
- by telephone, 0300 123 2989
- by email to complaints@policeombudsman.org
- online
- by writing to the Police Ombudsman
- by appointment at the Police Ombudsman's office between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday
To make an appointment, contact:
In certain circumstances, the Police Ombudsman can decide to investigate a complaint about something that happened more than a year before it was reported. This happens when the Police Ombudsman believes the complaint is grave or exceptional.
Police Ombudsman
The Police Ombudsman investigates complaints about police conduct and makes recommendations on criminal, disciplinary and misconduct matters. They also:
- investigate matters of public interest and all grave and exceptional matters referred to them
- publish reports and makes policy recommendations aimed at improved policing within Northern Ireland
- provide statistical reports to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Department of Justice
What the Police Ombudsman does when you complain
When you contact the Police Ombudsman office they will:
- arrange to take details of your complaint
- decide how your complaint will be dealt with
- tell you the name of the person responsible for dealing with your complaint
- give you as much information as they can during the complaints process
Police Ombudsman's decisions
When your complaint has been investigated, the Police Ombudsman may decide to:
- recommend to the Director of Public Prosecutions (the DPP) that the police officer should be prosecuted
- recommend that the Chief Constable should bring disciplinary proceedings against the officer involved - if the Police Ombudsman and the Chief Constable disagree about whether the police officer should be brought before a misconduct hearing, the Police Ombudsman can insist that the Chief Constable does so
- recommend that disciplinary proceedings should be brought by the Policing Board if the officer you have complained about is an Assistant Chief Constable, a Deputy Chief Constable or the Chief Constable
- recommend compensation (even if the Police Ombudsman recommends compensation, your solicitor will still tell you about any other legal rights you may have)
- not uphold your complaint, for example, because there is not enough evidence to support it (you will be told the reasons for this decision)
Finding out the Police Ombudsman's decision
Once the investigation into your complaint is complete, you'll receive a letter explaining the Police Ombudsman's decision.
The Police Ombudsman’s decision is final. If there's new information that you could not reasonably have known when you complained, they might start a new investigation.