Part 2: Police Complaints, Discipline and Inspection Chapter 1: Police Complaints Section 17: Initiation of investigations by IPCC
Under the existing arrangements in Schedule 3 to the 2002 Act, the IPCC cannot consider a matter until that matter has been recorded and referred to them by the police. The IPCC can require a force to record a matter and to refer it them but they cannot make a decision about the form of investigation (if one is necessary) until the referral has taken place.
	Subsection (3) amends Schedule 3 to the 2002 Act, so that where a complaint comes to the attention of the IPCC, it may treat that complaint as referred and consider the form of investigation – and commence an investigation – without the need for a referral.
	The IPCC is required to notify the complainant of its decision as well as the appropriate authority and, unless it would prejudice an existing or possible future investigation, the person complained against. In such cases the appropriate authority is required to record the matter. Subsections (4) to (10) make similar provision for the IPCC to consider conduct and DSI matters without the need for referral.
	Taken with changes made by Schedule 5 that allow the IPCC to change the form of any investigation once it has commenced, these provisions will allow the IPCC to investigate any matter that has come to its attention without the need for a referral.