The IOPC: Role, Powers, and How It Works

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) replaced the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) on 8 January 2018. It is the body responsible for overseeing the police complaints system in England and Wales and for independently investigating the most serious matters involving police officers and staff.

The IOPC has four modes of investigation. A local investigation is handled by the force itself, with the IOPC setting the terms of reference. A supervised investigation is conducted by the force but overseen by the IOPC. A managed investigation is led by an IOPC investigator with the force providing support. An independent investigation is conducted entirely by IOPC investigators, who have the same powers as police officers for the purposes of the investigation, including the power to seize evidence and require officers to attend interviews.

Certain matters must be referred to the IOPC by the relevant force. These mandatory referrals include: any incident involving death or serious injury following contact with police; allegations of serious corruption; allegations of criminal offences by officers; and complaints about the conduct of chief officers. The IOPC can also call in any complaint or conduct matter for investigation on its own initiative, and any member of the public can refer a complaint directly to the IOPC if they are dissatisfied with how the force is handling it.

At the conclusion of an investigation, the IOPC may make recommendations to the force, including that misconduct proceedings should be brought against an officer, that an officer should be disciplined, or that the matter should be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration of criminal charges. The IOPC also publishes learning recommendations aimed at improving policing practice more broadly. Its statutory framework is set out in Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002, as amended by the Policing and Crime Act 2017.

Updated 9 November 2026: since 29 October 2026 the first condition for notifying the Director of Public Prosecutions of an investigation report is that the report indicates there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for a criminal offence against a person to whose conduct the investigation related, the decision-maker must have regard to the Code for Crown Prosecutors, and an accelerated procedure applies in special cases of criminal conduct where that evidential condition is met before the investigation is complete (Police Reform Act 2002, Schedule 3, paragraphs 20ZA, 23(2A) to (2D) and 24(2A) to (2D), inserted or substituted by Crime and Policing Act 2026, ss.197 and 198, commenced by SI 2026/960, reg 5(c); read as amended on 9 November 2026).