ESSEX POLICE has been told it must improve the way it handles complaints.

A report found Essex Police does not keep those who complain about the force updated in the way that it should.

The force has a small team which assesses all complaints and contacts every complainant within 48 hours.

When forces record public complaints, the Police Reform Act 2002 and Police Regulations 2012 requires them to provide the complainant with a copy of the complaint record.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission's statutory guidance also states complainants should receive an explanation of the possible ways the complaint may be dealt with.

The report found that only half of complaint files on Essex Police records showed compliance with all the legal requirements.

Once a public complaint investigation has begun, forces also have a statutory duty to keep the complainant informed of its progress.

Forces should give the first update within 28 calendar days of the start of the investigation.

They must give further updates at least every 28 days after this.

The report found that only seven of the 24 complaint cases recorded regular updates to complainants, and that only five of these were found to be sufficiently informative.

Updates should contain enough information to make them meaningful, including, for example, details about the stage reached in the investigation, what has been done, what remains to be done and any significant evidence obtained.

In a report from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, Essex Police achieved a rating of good.

Police legitimacy is one of the all-force inspections carried out by the inspectorate as part of their annual reports.

The inspections into police legitimacy focussed on three main areas, how the force serve with fairness and respect, how the force behave lawfully and how the force treat their workforces with fairness and respect.

In this year’s report, one force, Kent Police, has been graded as outstanding.

A total of 35 forces including Essex Police were rated as good, with six forces as requiring improvement and no forces as inadequate.