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Making complaints about police

Introduction

This guide was published in March 2026 and was put together in collaboration with Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS). SWRC is very grateful for their expertise and support.

For survivors of gender-based violence, we know the decision to report to the police can be a very difficult one. It is important to know that you have rights within this process. If you decide to report, you should expect to be treated with dignity, empathy and respect.

If you feel that your experience of reporting did not meet these standards or if you are unhappy with the quality of the service you received from the police, you may want to consider making a complaint.

We know it can be intimidating to complain about the police. You may have concerns about the process or fear being retraumatised.

However, you may feel that having your voice heard in this way is important to you as a survivor.

If you are thinking about making a complaint and would like more information about what is involved and the possible outcomes, this guide may be helpful for you.

This guide outlines:

what you can complain to Police Scotland about
how to make a complaint
what happens after you have made a complaint
what to do if you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint
what to do if you want to report a criminal complaint about a police officer
when you may be able to claim compensation or take legal action against the police.

You must have been directly or indirectly affected by police action or have witnessed it to make a complaint. If you need support to make a complaint, you can provide consent for someone else to act on your behalf. This could be, for example, a solicitor, MSP, friend or parent. Many advocacy services can also help you to complain including the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre (SWRC). If after reading this guide, you have questions or you would like to find out how the SWRC advocacy team can support you, you are welcome to contact us on our helpline or contact form.

Navigating the guide

Below you can find the contents of this guide. Just click on the section you would like to read, and the relevant page will open in our website. To read the entire guide from beginning to end, start with the first section and keep clicking ‘next section’ on each page. You will also find the full contents at the top of each page for simple navigation.

Accessibility

We aim to make our service as accessible as possible. Contact us on our helpline or by using our contact form to find out how we can support you if:

You need support in another language
You have a disability or difficulty with written or verbal communication
Your first language is British Sign Language
You need other specific support and adjustments.

You can find more information about accessibility as well as the contact form and helpline opening times and telephone number on this site.