The police watchdog put the rise in complaints down the artificial intelligence (AI).
Published 22nd Oct 2026, 06:00 BST
Cleveland Police had the most complaints per employee of any force in England and Wales over the last year, new figures from the watchdog have revealed.
This came amid a record number of complaints which topped 100,000 for the first time.
However, the Independent Office of Police Conduct warned that artificial intelligence (AI) has made it easier than ever for people to make complaints.
Director of oversight and casework David Ford said: “It’s important not to jump to a conclusion that these figures solely equate to increased dissatisfaction in policing.”
A total of 108,897 complaints were logged by the 43 police forces between April 2025 and March 2026, which is a 15 per cent increase on the year.
Cleveland Police had 2,199 complaints, however it is one of the smallest forces so this equated to almost nine for every 10 employees. Of these, the vast majority were resolved informally by the force.
The rate was higher than Greater Manchester, who had roughly seven complaints for every 10 employees, and a significantly greater proportion than the Metropolitan Police.
Of the Yorkshire forces, Humberside had the highest rate of complaints with five in every 10 employees. The rest of the constabularies were around the three to four mark.
Mr Ford added: “We know through our oversight work with police forces that many are now better at recording and handling complaints. That in part explains the increase.
“It’s also simpler than ever before to register a complaint, especially with the assistance if AI which is making the complaints system more accessible for those who may have previously found it challenging to raise their concerns.
“We’re helping police forces identify ways to improve their complaints handling process. We have seen various police forces adopt a range of changes, such as centralising the receipt of complaints they receive.
“This is resulting in more matters being formally recorded and reported to us through their submissions.”
Across all forces, of the 3,273 reviews it completed, the IOPC found complaints were handled appropriately in almost three-quarters of the cases.
Cleveland Police has had issues in recent years, and was in special measures from 2019 to 2023.
A HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services report from last year said the force had undergone significant restructuring with “progress in all areas”.
Chief Constable Mark Webster, who led the force out of special measures, said this put it “as one of the top-performing police forces" in the country.
The time period came before the recent tragedy when two officers were killed in the horror crash on the A66 in South Bank.
On 22 August, a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the dual carriageway hit a police car, with all seven people dying.
This included officers Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38. This has led to an increased focus on Middlesbrough in the national media.
Overall the force has made 50 arrests around this incident. It has confiscated shotguns, hand guns, machetes and ammunition, as well as £60,000 worth of drugs and more than £30,000 in cash.
Cleveland’s Supt Gerard Wraith, head of professional standards said: “All complaints made to the force are investigated thoroughly, with an open and transparent process in place to ensure that every complaint is handled in a timely and sensitive manner.
“Any behaviour by our officers and staff which falls below our expected standard will not be tolerated, and we welcome complaints so we can implement learning.”
A spokesperson for the police and crime commissioner added: “Complaints are an important source of feedback and scrutiny within policing.
“While comparisons between forces should be treated with caution due to differences in recording practices, we welcome an approach that encourages openness and transparency.
“An open and transparent complaints process is a vital part of maintaining public trust and confidence in policing.
“What is most important is that concerns are addressed fairly, lessons are learned and the public can have confidence that their voice is heard.”