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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1979
THE REPORT ALSO RECOGNISES THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE POLICEMAN'S ROLE.
+A POLICE OFFICER, IT STATES, IN THE COURSE OF HIS DAILY DUTIES IS MORE DIRECTLY EXPOSED TO PUBLIC CRITICISM THAN ANY OTHER PUBLIC OFFICER. VERY OFTEN CRITICISM OF POLICE CONDUCT IS A LAW-BREAKER'S ONLY LINE OF DEFENCE.+
WITH REGARD TO COMPLAINTS OF NEGLECT OF DUTY OR FAILURE TO TAKE ACTION, THE REPORT POINTS OUT THAT POLICEMEN OFTEN HAVE TO EXERCISE THEIR JUDGMENT AND DISCRETION FOR EXAMPLE, IN DECIDING WHETHER TO INTERVENE IN A TRIVIAL, PERSONAL OR DOMESTIC DISPUTE.
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ALTHOUGH THE GROUP IS GENERALLY SATISFIED THAT POLICE OFFICERS EXERCISING THEIR DISCRETION IN THESE SITUATIONS USUALLY DO SO RESPONSIBLY, THE REPORT STRESSES THAT CAPO SHOULD ALWAYS BE STAFFED BY OFFICERS OF THE VERY HIGHEST CALIBRE.
IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, IT CONCLUDES, THE SUCCESS OF THE COMPLAINTS OFFICE MUST DEPEND ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC AND POLICE FORCE CONFIDENCE IN THE EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPARTIALITY OF ITS INVESTIGATIONS.
STATISTICS PROVIDED BY THE REPORT SHOW THAT OF 1,465 CASES INTO WHICH INVESTIGATIONS WERE COMPLETED DURING 1978, 15.7 PER CENT (OR 230 CASES), WERE SUBSTANTIATED OR PARTIALLY SUBSTANTIATED 63.89 PER CENT OF ALLEGATIONS WERE NOT SUBSTANTIATED, 15.56 PËR CENT WERE NOT PROVED, 0.89 PER CENT WERE MALICIOUS, AND 3.96 PER CENT WERE NOT PURSUABLE.
OF THE 230 COMPLAINTS WHICH WERE FOUND TO BE SUBSTANTIATED OR PARTIALLY SUBSTANTIATED, TWO RESULTED IN THE DISMISSAL OF POLICE OFFICERS, 16 LED TO CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS, AND 16 TO THE INSTITUTION OF FORMAL DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS.
WARNINGS WERE ISSUED IN 70 CASES, AND INSTRUCTIONS OR ADVICE WAS GIVEN TO THE OFFICER CONCERNED ON THE PROPER HANDLING OF
INCIDENTS IN A FURTHER 71 CASES.
FOUR CASES LED TO THE AMENDMENT OF POLICE PROCEDURES, AND INSTRUCTIONS ON PROPER POLICE PROCEDURE WERE ISSUED ON 13 OCCASIONS,
IN 38 CASES, IT WAS DECIDED THAT AFTER FULL CONSIDERATION OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES NO FURTHER ACTION WAS CALLED FOR,
THE REPORT COVERS A TOTAL OF 2,697 COMPLAINTS LODGED WITH CAPO, COMPRISING 2,264 RECEIVED IN 1978 AND 433 OUTSTANDING FROM 1977. IN ADDITION TO THE 1,465 CASES INVESTIGATED AND COMPLETED, 361 CASES WERE WITHDRAWN BY THE COMPLAINANTS, AND 131 COULD NOT BE PURSUED BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION.
ONE CASE ARISING IN 1977 (SINCE COMPLETED) AND 739 CASES ARISING IN 1978 WERE STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION AS AT JANUARY 1.
SINCE THEN, ALL BUT 22 CASES ARISING IN 1978 HAVE BEEN CLEARED.
/THE MAJORITY