Our service charter

IBAC always acts impartially and with respect.

When you make a complaint we are:

  • independent, fair and cost-free
  • focused on exposing and preventing public sector corruption and police misconduct
  • sensitive and responsive to your circumstances and needs.
  • IBAC focuses on serious and systemic corruption in the public sector and police misconduct.

    Public sector corruption

    This covers suspected corruption by people providing public services or duties; including state and local government public officers and employees, and people who try to corrupt them. It includes:

    • taking or offering bribes
    • dishonestly using influence
    • fraud, theft or embezzlement (misuse of funds)
    • misusing information or material acquired at work
    • not acting in the public interest
    • acting for personal benefit
    • conspiring or attempting to engage in the above corrupt activities.

     

    Victoria Police misconduct

    This includes:

    • unauthorised access, use and disclosure of information held by Victoria Police
    • drink driving or traffic offences
    • using, selling or dealing drugs
    • theft
    • accepting bribes
    • not declaring or managing conflicts of interest
    • not declaring associations incompatible with a police role, or doing things that may lead to a reasonable perception that the obligations or reputation of a Victoria Police employee are not being upheld
    • unauthorised secondary employment
    • misuse of police resources
    • stalking, family violence, assault, sexual misconduct and sexual assault
    • discrimination or prejudice based on race, religion, disability, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or other characteristics
    • breaches of human rights
    • excessive use of force
    • duty failure – such as failure to take appropriate action, follow Victoria Police policies, provide adequate care, or report misconduct or corruption
    • distributing offensive material
    • misrepresentation on log books, time sheets or registers.

     

    What we investigate

    Find out more about what we investigate.

    What we don't investigate

    This includes:

    • service issues – for example administrative errors or slow response times 
    • minor duty failures or service issues by Victoria Police – for example officers not wearing appropriate uniform
    • traffic or court decisions
    • things we think another person or body is better placed to investigate.
       
  • When you make a complaint, we will:

    • assess it as quickly as possible (see below for how long this usually takes)
    • confirm with you whether your complaint qualifies for Public Interest Disclosure protections 
    • check if it involves human rights breaches
    • tell you about the outcome where permitted – we may also tell the organisation(s) involved so they can improve their systems to prevent misconduct and corruption
    • tell you if we decide not to proceed with your complaint and let you know about other options 
    • deal with you and your complaint respectfully and professionally
    • provide tailored support if you need it – for example, material in a variety of accessible formats and languages, or a translation service
    • offer to put you in touch with other support agencies.
  • IBAC will:

    • acknowledge receipt of your complaint within five business days
    • deal with most standard complaints within 45 days, and more complex complaints within 90 days
    • aim to complete standard investigations within nine months, and complex investigations within 18 months.
  • To make the complaint process simpler, you can: 

    • check if we’re able to investigate your complaint first
    • provide your contact details so we can follow up with you if needed (unless you want to remain anonymous)
    • summarise your complaint, including specific dates, events and names of those involved and give a short explanation of the allegations
    • provide specific supporting information (ask ‘how this is relevant?’ when deciding what to include in your complaint or what documents and other materials you show us)
    • let us know the outcome you want
    • treat us with the same respect we give you.
  • We monitor our performance against defined standards. Contact us with any feedback on how we can do better.

    Our annual reports detail our performance. These are tabled in the Victorian Parliament and at the Parliamentary Integrity and Oversight Committee.