Cuts to front line policing may lead to a poorer service, but will citizens be able to navigate the convoluted police complaints systems to do anything about it?

As part of the coalition government’s spending review the police budget will drop from £9.7 billion in 2010/11 to £8.5 billion in 2014/15. This comes at a time when public confidence in the police is at an all time low. Jane Tinkler untangles the police system’s maze of redress systems and suggests that the cuts provide an opportunity to streamline the complaints architecture, and could ultimately improve police accountability and restore public trust