Complaints about a Member of the MPA

If you wish to make a complaint against one or more of the MPA's 23 Member, then this page provides further information about the procedure.

What if I need help making my complaint about a Member of the MPA?

The MPA can provide this document, upon request, in a variety of other languages, in large print and in Braille. We are also happy to talk to you to provide further assistance and information on how to make your complaint.

For further details please contact:

Monitoring Officer
Metropolitan Police Authority
10 Dean Farrar Street
London
SW1H 0NY

Tel: 020 7202 0212
Mincom: 020 7202 0173
Fax: 020 7202 0246
Email: professionalstandards@mpa.gov.uk

What types of complaints about members are dealt with by the MPA?

• your complaint must be about conduct that occurred while the Member(s) complained about was in office. Conduct of an individual before they were appointed to the MPA, or after they have resigned or otherwise ceased to be a Member, cannot be considered.
• if your complaint concerns matters that occurred before 5 May 2002, when the MPA Code of Conduct came into effect, you should contact the Monitoring Officer before making your complaint to check whether it would be considered
• your complaint must be that the Member(s) has, or may have, breached the MPA’s Code of Conduct
• complaints about dissatisfaction with a decision or action of the MPA or one of its committees, a service provided by the MPA or the MPA’s procedures should be made using the MPA Complaints procedure.

You should speak to the Monitoring Officer if you are not clear if the complaint about a member(s) can be considered.

Summary of 'The local assessment of complaints about member conduct' process

There are seven stages in the Local Assessment process, although a complaint may not go through all of these stages. for more information please see the 'The local assessment of complaints about member conduct'.

Stage 1 - Making a complaint

A complaint must be made in writing to the MPA.

Stage 2 - Early informal resolution

If possible, the MPA will normally try to resolve a complaint informally.

Stage 3 - Initial assessment of the complaint

After it is received, and if it cannot be resolved informally, the complaint will be sent to a group of three members of the MPA’s Standards Committee (known as the Assessment Sub-Committee), who will meet to consider and decide what should be done about the complaint.

Stage 4 - Reviewing the decision

If the Assessment Sub-Committee decides that no action should be taken on the complaint, the complainant can write to the MPA and ask for a review of this decision. The request for review will be sent to the Review Sub-Committee, which is a different group of three members of the MPA’s Standards Committee. The Review Sub-Committee will decide whether action should or should not be taken on the original complaint.

Stage 5 - Action taken following the Assessment or Review Sub-committee meetings

If the Assessment Sub-Committee, or the Review Sub-Committee, decide that action should be taken on a complaint, there are a number of options available to them, including directing the MPA’s Monitoring Officer, or asking the Standards Board for England, to investigate the complaint and produce an investigation report. (The MPA’s Monitoring Officer is the Head of Corporate Secretariat and Monitoring Officer and has various legal duties to ensure that the MPA and its members comply with the law).

Stage 6 - Considering investigation reports at a committee meeting

If the MPA’s Monitoring Officer, or the Standards Board for England, do investigate a complaint, the investigation report will be considered by the MPA’s Standards Committee. The Standards Committee will decide whether the complaint should be considered further.

Stage 7 - Hearing the complaint

If the decision is that a complaint should be considered further, the complaint may be considered at a “hearing” that will be held either by the MPA’s Standards Committee, or a Hearings Sub-Committee. If the hearing concludes that the member complained about has breached the MPA’s Code of Conduct, it can take various actions against the member, including, for example, criticising them, requiring them to apologise or attend training, or suspending them.

Information and statistics

The full Standards Committee will monitor how effectively Members are complying with the MPA’s Code of Conduct, the type of complaints received, and how quickly these are dealt with. These statistics will be anonymous and will made public.

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback