West Midlands Police is being encouraged to review how it investigates neighbourly disputes and road crashes, following an analysis of public complaints. Members of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) accountability and governance board discussed the force's complaint handling during a recent meeting.
Only 118 of over 4,000 complaints resulted in reviews
Figures presented to the board showed that in 2025/26, of the more than 4,000 complaints made against the force, only 118 resulted in a review from dissatisfied complainants. Of those reviews, just 15 led to the PCC's department making recommendations for improvements. While this indicates a generally good service from the Professional Standards Department, recurring themes emerged in the complaint reviews.
Ernie Hendricks, Complaints Reviews Manager, said in a report to the board: "Neighbourly disputes are a recurring theme found in complaint reviews. Complainants are often dissatisfied with the manner in which officers have dealt with their concerns." He noted that disagreements between two parties can continue over several years, with both sides making counter allegations and new officers becoming involved over time.
Poor decision-making and over-reliance on orders
Hendricks explained that the involvement of multiple officers can lead to poor decision-making when conflicting information is provided. He added: "In many cases, a disproportionate reliance is placed on the use of orders as a means of resolution, but the implications of acceptance are not always fully explained to those involved. This can result in further complaints, and the withdrawal of the order." These matters often develop into lengthy, complex complaints involving allegations against multiple officers spanning several years.
He recommended: "There would be some value in encouraging the West Midlands Police revisit its approach, particularly on consistency of decision making and early intervention."
Traffic collision investigations criticised
Hendricks also highlighted issues with the Traffic Investigation Unit's policy. He stated: "The Traffic Investigation Unit has a policy whereby, unless someone has suffered injury, they will not investigate collisions unless the victim is able to provide the registration number of the offending vehicle. However, complainants are not always in a position to obtain this information after a collision as they may well be distressed, or the driver has left the scene quickly."
He further noted that in cases where incidents occur in a car park and CCTV evidence is available, officers have declined to retrieve the footage, while the car park owner is unwilling to release it to anyone other than the police. "This leaves the complainant in a position where relevant evidence exists, but it is effectively inaccessible. There may be some benefit in having WMP review this approach," he added.
Improvements since special measures, but handover issues remain
Hendricks acknowledged that major improvements have been made to the force's investigation standards since it was placed in special measures in 2023. However, he noted that problems still remain during the "transition of investigations between officers when cases are handed over partway through."
