343 complaints were made to the public about Cambridgeshire Constabulary between 2020 and 2021, according to Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) figures.

The complaints, which covered 811 allegations, included sexual misconduct, corruption and discrimination. The most common cause of complaint, covering 281 allegations, was delivery of police services, including contact with the public.

The publication of these statistics follows a new system of recording complaints under recent regulations in the Policing and Crime Act, which came into force in February 2020.

Under this system, any expression of dissatisfaction from the public regarding policing is recorded as a complaint.

Cambridgeshire police services received two complaints regarding sexual conduct, including assault and harassment, as well as 35 regarding discriminatory behaviour and 18 relating to abuse of position.

In 2020/2021, 607 allegations were finalised, meaning the complainant was contacted regarding outcomes and planned actions by the police. 447 of these were resolved without investigation, and 160 were finalised after an investigation.

A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Constabulary stated: “We take all complaints from the public very seriously and have dedicated teams in place to record and deal with each incident with diligence and consideration.”

“The majority of complaints are able to be dealt with by officers and their supervisors on the front line, but those of a more serious nature are fully investigated by our Professional Standards Department.”

IOPC Director General Michael Lockwood commented on the value of widening the definition of a complaint: “An effective complaints system, and independent oversight of it, is a vital part of securing public confidence in policing.”

“Now, more than ever, the public need assurance that policing is listening to their concerns and taking action to put things right. They want to know that there are checks and balances to police powers and there is accountability and learning when things go wrong.”