THE IOPC SERIES
‘THE IOPC IS ANYTHING BUT INDEPENDENT’
After he was attacked by a minor during a routine interview, PC Gareth Evers endured an 11-year battle to clear his name, restore his mental health and return to frontline duties
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) defines itself in the following way: “(We) set the standards by which the police should handle complaints. We use learning from our work to influence changes in policing.”
In contrast, PC Gareth Evers’ definition of the IOPC is anything but complimentary. “It is absolutely disgusting to call them independent. They would do anything to make us look guilty, and that may result in prison time.”
Gareth found himself embroiled in the same case as Sergeant Clayton Robinson (POLICE, October, p.17). In May 2011, he was one of two Charing Cross police officers who found a minor missing from a care home. They had brought him to the safety of the police station, where Robinson was the on-duty custody sergeant, to wait for an appropriate adult from the care home to take his custody. While waiting in one of the front-office
interview rooms, it was reported that “the minor became difficult to manage and ripped up evidence bags, threw a first aid kit around the room”, and assaulted Gareth’s colleague. Gareth recalls he was assaulted, and bitten by the minor, when he was trying to physically restrain him compelling him to put the minor under arrest. Subsequently, a
understood and took positively. I washed cars for about five months and that’s when it started affecting me, as I wasn’t doing the job for which I took the oath. Until then, I was doing very proactive policing and overnight everything changed. “My line managers realised this and were very supportive. They found me an office-based role which supported the team I worked on. “But it started affecting me very negatively. There was no stimulation at work any longer. It’s incredibly demotivating for a hardworking cop.” A major aspect of the convoluted case was the lack of updates from the IOPC. “I was left in the dark,” said Gareth.
“There were no updates on the status of the case from the IOPC. Weeks turned into months, and months into years, and the only update was that there was no update. Limbo affects your mindset. “One day, out of frustration I made a phone call to the IOPC to know the status of the case. They did not help me with it but made sure to complain to my force and recommended my welfare was examined. This prompted an Occupational Health referral which I did not need and instead made the issue worse.
PC Gareth
Evers in full gear at PFEW HQ
complaint was filed with the Met that the minor was assaulted on the floor of the police station. The Met transferred the complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (now IOPC) setting off a long-drawn out battle, which Gareth describes as a “kick in the teeth”. “When I first heard about the complaint,
I didn’t think much about it as I had done nothing wrong and there was nothing to worry about. Then it got serious with the IOPC joining in,” he said. “I was taken off my usual duties to put me out of the evidence chain, which I
“It is absolutely disgusting to call them independent. They would do anything to make us look guilty, and that may result in prison time.”
“The entire time when I was awake, I was thinking about the case. I had become withdrawn and stopped socialising, even with my wife and children. Eventually, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and over time medication was increased and I was put into counselling.” Gareth says that the IOPC’s investigation
wasn’t fair. “There were glaring holes in the
statements and much of the evidence was not considered,” he said. “I don’t
know what I would have done without the Federation’s assistance. Within five minutes of the complaint being filed, I was assisted by the Fed rep to consult the solicitors; it was fantastic. The Feds and their team of legal experts accompanied me to misconduct hearings. “There is no way I could have done any of it myself. For all those who question paying the subs, I want to say that all my subs money couldn’t have covered the support I got from the Federation.” On 7 February this
year, after a process of mediation, the IOPC
settled a PFEW-supported claim by paying monetary compensation and tendered a letter of apology to Gareth. “The IOPC sent me a draft of the letter
and I suggested it should really read like an apology. I have never heard back from them. I have zero faith that I will - but it would be nice if they acknowledged they were wrong.”
Gareth is now back at work after his experience, having left the Met for another force.
33 | POLICE | DECEMBER 2022
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