By Gabriel Princewill-
Cleveland Police has recorded the highest rate of complaints per employee in England and Wales, as the number of complaints against police forces nationwide reached a record high of almost 109,000.
New figures from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) show Cleveland recorded 2,199 complaint cases in 2025/26, equivalent to 861 cases per 1,000 police employees — the highest rate among the forces listed in the national statistics. The statistics fr Cleveland POlic eis worrying, because only a few years ago, the force was put in special measures.
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The figures come as police forces across England and Wales face mounting scrutiny following a 15% annual increase in complaints, with the national total rising to 108,987 in the year to March 2026, according to the IOPC’s statistical report. The latest total represents a 61% increase compared with 2020/21, marking a significant rise in the number of complaints entering the police complaints system.
Cleveland’s complaint rate was higher than that of Greater Manchester, which recorded 740 complaint cases per 1,000 employees, and Avon and Somerset, which recorded 462.
The figures put Cleveland at the top of the table for complaint cases relative to workforce size.
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Greater Manchester logged 9,519 cases, while the Metropolitan Police recorded 13,920. Cleveland’s total was substantially lower, but its rate per employee was the highest nationally.
The distinction matters because raw totals can be influenced by the size of a police force. Comparing complaint cases against workforce numbers provides another way to assess the volume of complaints relative to the size of an organisation.
However, the figures do not establish that Cleveland officers are more likely to engage in misconduct, nor do they explain why the force has the highest rate.
Easier reporting may explain part of the increase
The IOPC has cautioned against interpreting the national rise as straightforward evidence that public dissatisfaction with policing has increased.
David Ford, the organisation’s director of oversight and casework, said the 15% annual increase was the largest year-on-year rise recorded by the watchdog.
He said improved complaint-recording practices, more consistent handling by police forces and easier ways for the public to raise concerns had contributed to the increase. Artificial intelligence is also making complaint systems more accessible to people who may previously have struggled to explain or submit their concerns.
The watchdog said some forces had improved their systems by centralising the receipt of complaints, ensuring more matters were formally recorded. It also acknowledged that some forces might now be recording matters as complaints when that may not be necessary.
These factors provide important context for Cleveland’s position in the national figures. The published data alone cannot determine how much of the force’s rate reflects public dissatisfaction, differences in recording practices or other local circumstances.
Across England and Wales, the majority of complaints related to the delivery of police duties and services, accounting for 55% of allegations. A further 22% concerned police powers, policies and procedures, while 11% involved allegations relating to individual behaviour by officers or staff.
Discriminatory behaviour accounted for 5,061 allegations, including 2,398 relating to race, 1,116 to disability and 728 to sex discrimination.
The figures highlight the breadth of concerns being raised, from the quality of service people receive to the use of police powers and allegations about individual conduct.
More people are challenging complaint outcomes
The increase was also reflected in requests for independent scrutiny of how complaints had been handled. The IOPC received 3,039 applications for complaint-handling reviews during 2025/26, a 25% increase on the previous year and the highest annual total under the current legislation. It completed 3,273 reviews, up almost two-thirds on 2024/25.
In 73% of completed reviews, the watchdog found that the force had handled the complaint appropriately. In the remaining 27%, it concluded that the handling or proposed outcome was not reasonable or proportionate.
Possible actions included requiring further work, recommending organisational learning, replacing a force’s findings or directing misconduct proceedings.The watchdog said the proportion of reviews finding complaints had been handled appropriately had improved from 60% in 2022/23 to 73% in 2025/26.
Questions for Cleveland Police
Cleveland’s position raises questions about the factors behind its comparatively high complaint rate and whether local recording practices, the nature of public concerns or other operational circumstances help explain the figures.
The national statistics establish that Cleveland recorded the highest number of complaint cases relative to its workforce. They do not, on their own, establish the reasons for that position. The ststistics for the force is particularly wirryng, because Cleveland police wa sput in special measures only a few years ago.
The IOPC said it continues to work with forces to improve complaint handling and ensure people have a meaningful route to raise concerns about policing.
With complaints at a record national level, the challenge for forces is not simply to reduce the numbers, but to ensure concerns are recorded accurately, investigated appropriately and used to improve the service the public receives.
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