More than £400k paid out by Cleveland Police in damages in past five years
Last updated 1st May 2025
Cleveland Police has settled 77 compensation claims over the past five years while paying out £421,000 in damages, figures show.
It said it ensured it reflected on lessons learned when mistakes had been made and took action when appropriate to make improvements.
Broadly, more claims are being settled by the force year-on-year, although the level of damages paid out dropped markedly between 2019/20 and 2021/22 from a peak of £138,438 to just £20,100.
However it rose sharply again in 2022/23 to £136,006, followed by another fall last year – 2023/24 – to £88,665.
The fluctuations in damages mirror the number of settled claims – only eight in 2021/22, followed by 24 in 2022/23 and 19 in the 2023/24 period.
The figures were gathered by law firm Public Interest Lawyers, which said compensation claims against the police could be made by the public, but also staff where their employer was liable.
It said car crashes were a common reason for a complaint leading to a claim, but wrongful arrest, assault and forced entries into properties belonging to a person were other examples.
Another reason for a claim can be sexual misconduct, a category which Public Interest Lawyers said had now become the main source of complaints about forces in England and Wales to the Independent Office of Police Conduct, the police watchdog.
In February 2022 former Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner introduced a new complaints model with a resolution team employed by the PCC’s office now dealing with the initial stages of a complaint, rather than the force itself, which was previously the case.
The aim was to be independent of the force, resolve disputes more quickly and improve satisfaction.
Complaints from the public are logged and responded to within 24 hours, while detailed responses were, in 2023/24, being provided on average in 13 working days, less than the national average.
A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said there was a “robust complaints procedure in place”.
She said: “Each complaint is dealt with on a case-by-case basis and is given serious consideration based on the individual circumstances.
Where a claim is received, this may result in compensation being paid in appropriate cases.
“In respect of complaints and claims, we ensure we reflect on any learnings and, where appropriate, take action to improve the service we provide.”