When I have received a good service from the police or I am dissatisfied, who can I raise this with and how do I do it?

Cambridgeshire police will always aim to provide a high quality service and a quick and effective solution to anti-social behaviour or crime issues you are experiencing. There may be times when this doesn't happen or you wish to comment on the service you have received (including when you want to give positive feedback as to the action taken). You can do this in a number of ways.

You can raise issues with your Neighbourhood Policing Team:

• in person at a community meeting.
• by speaking to an officer when they are out on the beat.
• calling in to see them or ringing on 0345 456 456 4 or
• e-mailing them via ecops or via My Neighbourhood or making a complaint.

Your policing team will agree with you how they will put right your concern or deal with your complaint and keep you informed of progress.

Who else could I speak to?

If you do not wish to speak to your Neighbourhood Policing Team or remain dissatisfied with the response you have received, you can contact Cambridgeshire Constabulary's Professional Standards Department.

You can raise issues with the Professional Standards Department:

• by calling 0345 456 456 4
• e-mailing them at psd.complaints@cambs.pnn.police.uk
• writing to Professional Standards Department, Cambridgeshire Constabulary HQ, Hinchingbrooke Park, Huntingdon, PE29 6NP

No matter which route you choose someone should get back to you within 24 hours and tell you what will happen next.

You can also approach Cambridgeshire Police Authority. A Police Authority is a local independent body made up of local councillors and independently appointed people from the community. They are responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account for providing an efficient and effective police service. Different authorities may have different procedures for dealing with your issue, but you can contact Cambridgeshire's Police Authority by calling 0345 456 456 4.

If your concern is about anti-social behaviour, you can also contact your local council. Each council will have a team who work with your local Neighbourhood Policing Team to deal with anti-social behaviour. They will also have a complaints procedure if you are not happy. You can find details of your local council in the My Neighbourhood section of this website. You can also speak to your local Anti-Social Behaviour Coordinator or team about how to handle you query or concern. Further information is available via the Directgov website.

But what if I am still unhappy with the way things have been handled or my complaint is very serious?

Some issues may not be able to be resolved by Cambridgeshire Constabulary or Police Authority or you may not feel that we are responding sufficiently to the issues you have raised - these situations may require different action.

If such situations arise and your complaint relates to the conduct of a person serving with the police you can complain directly to the Independent Police Complaints Authority (IPCC). You can also appeal to the IPCC if you think your complaint was not investigated properly or resolved in the correct manner by your local Police or Police Authority. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is a body which has oversight of the police complaints system.

If your complaint relates to other issues such as the overall way your area is policed and you do not feel that it has been properly resolved, you can write to Cambridgeshire's Chief Constable Julie Spence or Cambridgeshire Police Authority - this includes issues of anti-social behaviour. The service may bring this to the attention of the IPCC. The IPCC may review a small number of cases to ensure that forces and authorities are handling complaints fairly and effectively.

Write to us at:

Cambridgeshire Constabulary Headquarters
Hinchingbrooke Park
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE29 6NP

For issues of anti-social behaviour, you can also contact your local councilor who can raise issues on your behalf or the Local Government Ombudsman who looks at complaints about councils and some other authorities. Further information is available at www.direct.gov.uk