Complaints data

Read our complaints data here.

We received nearly 5000 complaints in the year ended 30 June 2024.

Number of complaints

The most common complaints were over:

• an officer's attitude or language
• inadequate service (failure to investigate, failure to attend or respond, or lack of communication)
• use of force.

Resolutions

The Authority’s Resolutions Team assesses complaints. Cases that we consider to be minor may be referred to Police without further consideration by the Authority. The rest are assessed, and further information is sought from Police if required, before a decision is made about whether the complaint will be investigated.

The Resolutions Team facilitates actions by Police to resolve grievances where possible. Complaints managed via this process are ones that can be resolved quickly and effectively because facts are clearly understood and agreed and there is a reasonable prospect that the complaint can be resolved through conciliation.

The team writes to all complainants to report the outcome and the reasons for the Authority’s findings on their complaint. Senior staff from the team conduct reviews of cases where complainants are not satisfied with the outcome of their complaint.

In this period there were:

• 964 complaints (19%) where the Authority was satisfied with actions taken by Police to address the complainant’s grievance
• 3469 complaints (74%) where the Authority was satisfied no action was necessary.

Investigations and reports

Where the Authority decides an investigation into a complaint is warranted, we undertake the investigation ourselves or refer the matter to Police for investigation. These complaints are of the most serious type. They include allegations of corruption, use of force by Police officers, failures by Police to adequately investigate serious matters and matters where Police actions result in deaths or serious injuries.

In this period:

• 59 independent investigations were completed; 40 reports were published about these cases
• 179 reviews into investigations carried out by Police were completed; 109 summaries were published about of these reviews.

Thematic Reviews

When issues of significant public interest arise, the Authority may decide to conduct an investigation that addresses general themes or issues. Following the Review of the Policing of the Protest and Occupation at Parliament in 2022, the Authority investigated 21 complaints about specific incidents during the protest. In December 2023, we published a summary report on these findings.

In this reporting period the Authority also commenced a review into the policing of public protests, following the receipt of 168 complaints relating to the policing of the ‘Let Women Speak’ rally held in Albert Park in March 2023. The report on this review was published on 18 February 2025.

Read our latest Annual report (PDF 1.8 MB) for more detail.