Assessment of conduct
When an allegation that an officer may have breached the standards of professional behaviour comes to light, the Appropriate Authority will make an assessment of its severity. This assessment determines the seriousness of the alleged breach and therefore the course of proceedings that should be followed.
The severity assessment and whether to commence formal disciplinary proceedings can either be triggered by an internal allegation about an officer’s conduct; following an investigation into a death or serious injury following contact with the police; or from a public complaint2.