DORSET’S police and crime commissioner has said public confidence in the police has “undoubtedly been shaken”.
It comes after data published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct revealed complaints made against Dorset Police saw a 30 per cent rise in one year.
However, Dorset PCC David Sidwick said officers doing wrong are being “rooted out and booted out” of the force.
The IOPC has logged 1,216 complaints against the county force in the last year – a rise of nearly 300 from 934.
Responding to the data, Mr Sidwick said there are a series of “robust” measures in place to deal with complaints against officers, as well as his independent scrutiny panel made up of members of the public.
He added: “It is not surprising that there has been an increase in complaints given the intense focus that has been on policing over the last year or so.
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“Public confidence has undoubtedly been shaken - but we are starting to see more and more of the ‘wrong’ people being rooted out and booted out of the police service – which is exactly as it should be.
“Having said that, local people have a good deal of confidence in Dorset Police, with almost seventy percent saying they have confidence in the force and think they do a good job.
“Dorset Police continue to seek out positive change and I know that the chief constable and her team want to keep on improving the service they provide, and I will continue to hold the force to account on your behalf as they move forward and make those changes.”
As reported, Dorset Police temporary deputy chief constable Rachel Farrell said she acknowledges that the force has been through a “challenging time” with “a number of public confidence challenges”.
But, she added, it is “vital that we do not lose sight of the trust and confidence our communities have in us”.
Incidents reported where the complainant felt the delivery of service or duty saw a rise from 527 in the last financial year to 822 this year.
However, of all the complaints, 92 per cent were resolved outside of an investigation.
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