The number of public complaints against police officers reached a six-year low in 2014.

A total of 23 external complaints against officers from the Bermuda Police Service was received by the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) last year, according to documents provided to The Royal Gazette under the Public Access to Information Act (Pati).

That figure is the lowest since 2008, when 22 complaints were made by the public against officers.

In 2009, 42 complaints were made against policemen and women in the service, while the number of complaints spiked in 2010 when 53 complaints were lodged.

Of the 23 complaints received last year, one was withdrawn, one was found to have no evidence of misconduct, two were informally resolved, four were mutually resolved and seven remain open.

Another eight were dealt with under Section 12(2) of the Police Complaints Authority Act 1998 which provides: “The authority may decide not to take any further action on a complaint if, in the course of the investigation of the complaint by the authority or the Police, or as a result of the Commissioner’s report on a police investigation, it appears to the authority that, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, any further action is unnecessary or inappropriate.”

A spokesman for the Bermuda Police Service said: “Public confidence is at the core of the service the Bermuda Police provides and we take very seriously any complaints that fall short of the public’s expectations.

“Any complaint received is given to the independent body the Police Complaints Authority and an investigation into that complaint is undertaken.

“We are pleased that a transparent process is in place and members of the public recognise they have a voice and advocacy.”

Of 370 complaints between 2005 and the end of 2014, two have resulted in a disciplinary hearing, while 38 were withdrawn by the complainant.

The complaints reported vary from assault, unprofessional behaviour, unlawful arrest and even stalking.

However, the vast majority of the complaints in the past ten years have been dealt with under Section 12(2) of the Police Complaints Authority Act 1998.

So far this year 17 complaints have been made to the PCA, of which 16 remain open.