Police Complaints Authority (United Kingdom)
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The Police Complaints Authority was formerly an independent body in the United Kingdom with the power to investigate public complaints against the Police in England and Wales as well as related matters of public concern. However, the authority no longer exists as it was replaced in April 2004 by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
The IPCC was itself predated by the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. This agency was set up in 2000 to investigate complaints against the Royal Ulster Constabulary and its successor the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). It has its own teams of civilian investigators and is completely independent of the Police. In addition to the PSNI it also covers Belfast & Larne Harbour Police, the Airport Police and the MoD Police (not the same as the Royal Military Police). Unlike the IPCC the Ombudsman's office can call itself in to investigate an incident without waiting for a referral.
