The Sussex Police and Crime Panel has a duty to receive and initially consider complaints against the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, and the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, where the Commissioner has chosen to appoint one.
Complaints can be submitted either by email or post. An officer of West Sussex County Council will contact you to acknowledge receipt of your complaint and inform you of how it is planned to take it forward.
By law, the Panel has no role in complaints about operational policing matters. If you have a complaint about a police officer or a member of police staff, the Sussex Police website complaints page explains how the matter can be taken forward.
Similarly, responsibility for complaints against the Chief Constable of Sussex Police lies with the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner. If you have a complaint against the Chief Constable, refer to the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner’s website.
Under the Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2020, the Commissioner has responsibility for carrying out reviews, where they are the relevant review body for low-level complaints against Sussex Police (known as ‘Schedule 3 Complaints – Otherwise by Investigation’ under the Police Reform Act 2002).
The Police and Crime Panel does not have the power to examine the decisions reached by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and/or their office in respect of such reviews, and is not the correct body of recourse to challenge such decisions made the PCC and/or their office. Such decisions can be subject to judicial review.
Further information about the complaint review process can be found under the section titled ‘reviews’ on the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner’s website.
In respect of complaints, the Chairman may have cause to write to the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, seeking their view on issues raised by complainants. Such correspondence will be published within the document below.
- Correspondence with the Commissioner in respect of complaint (PDF, 12KB)
- Suggested amendments to the OSPCC complaints web page, following Panel consideration of a complaint (PDF, 157KB)
To make a complaint, please contact us.