In the six-month period from January to June 2022 there were 51 complaints from the public about the conduct of police officers in Halton. The Police Services Board received a report on the complaints during its August meeting.
The number of complaints is consistent with experience from previous years.
More than half were dismissed with no action being taken.
The complaints were first filed with the Provincial Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD). It is that agency that rejected 30 of the 51 complaints as being “too late, frivolous, vexations or in bad faith.” The remaining 21 were thought to be significant enough to be referred back to the Halton Police Service for internal investigations.
Of the 21 reviewed locally, 12 were considered unsubstantiated or eventually withdrawn. Two resulted in “informal resolution.”
“Only a complaint in relation to conduct which is of a less serious nature may be the subject of informal resolution,” according to a police spokesperson. Examples could include anything from a discussion with the officer involved to an apology to the complainant.
Two of the parties involved in local complaint resolutions were not satisfied and ended up appealing the local decision back to the OIPRD.
Seven complaints remain under review locally.
