Complaints

We would like to hear from you if:

• You were the person directly involved in an incident 
• You witnessed an incident
• You were adversely affected by an incident
• You are representing a person directly involved in an incident (as long as you have written consent)

Or if you have:

• An issue with our operational policing policies (where there is no issue of conduct)
• An issue with our organizational decisions
• A general policing standards complaint within the Force
• Operational management decisions (where there is no issue of conduct)   

Complain by post

If you prefer to contact us in writing about a complaint against an individual please include the following information together with your name and contact details:

• What happened
• When it happened
• Where it happened
• Who was involved
• What was said or done
• Whether there were witnesses and how they can be contacted
• Details of any damage or injury
  

If you prefer to contact us in writing regarding a general complaint, include the general issue which you would like to make the complaint about and send it together with your name and contact details.

Please send all complaints to:

Professional Standards Department
British Transport Police
25 Camden Road
London
NW1 9LN

Alternatively call 0207 830 8828 for more information.

Complaints about individuals

Handling your complaint

We take an open and honest approach to policing the railways and strive to maintain the highest professional standards.

All complaints are taken very seriously. Our Professional Standards department (PSD) investigates complaints thoroughly, efficiently and impartially.

Under the Police Reform Act 2002, if a member of the public complains about an individual in our Force, we must respond to complaints following strict guidelines.
 
PSD assigns each public complaint to an investigating officer, or in less serious cases, refers the matter to the local police operational area to deal with. In certain cases the matter is referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which may decide to investigate themselves.
 
Investigators will submit a report with recommendations to the head of investigations within PSD and a decision is made in light of these recommendations. In criminal cases PSD refers the case to the Crown Prosecution Service, or in Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal.
 
PSD is overseen by external organisations to ensure the highest standards are maintained. These are: British Transport Police Authority Professional Standards Committee, IPCC, Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary.

You can also register your complaint directly with IPCC, PIRC or the British Transport Police Authority.

General complaints

Handling your complaint

The chief constable and the British Transport Police Authority are responsible for dealing with complaints about the direction and control of the Force.
 
All complaints are recorded and sent to the chief officer or another individual acting on their behalf.

We will send the complainant a formal letter explaining the decision we make as a result of our investigation in to the issue raised.

We may invite you to a meeting so we can give you a full explanation of the decision.

We cannot pass sensitive information on to the complainant.

Timings for complaints

We will handle complaints within 28 days of receiving them. If we need to review one of our policies as a result of the complaint, then this may affect the time taken to reply.

We will keep you informed throughout the process and let you know of any developments in the investigation.

Information about complaints

Our performance is continually monitored by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). Four times a year, we give BTPA information about the complaints we receive to ensure our services are improved where necessary.