Compensation claims against the PSNI have led to payouts of almost £6 million over the last five years, figures show.
The force has seen 2,352 claims lodged against it since 2019 by people who feel they have been wrongly treated or that police have abused their position.
The data was obtained by the Public Interest Lawyers firm through a Freedom of Information request.
It shows that in 2019/2020, 456 claims were lodged against PSNI, of which 245 were settle - the second-highest number of claims over the past five years.
A year later, this number decreased to 377 claims, with 89 of them settled.
Meanwhile, the PSNI has experienced a huge rise in claims over the past year, with a total of 781.
Over the past five years, the force has paid out a total of £5,904,746.32.
Public Interest Lawyers also secured data on all 43 police forces across the UK.
They found that in the year ending March 2023, 1300 police officers and staff across all forces were referred to formal misconduct proceedings as a result of cases such as complaints, conduct matters and recordable conduct matters.
During this time, a total of 51,605 police complaints involving 42,854 identifiable UK police officers were finalised.
These complaints involved 120,243 allegations.
Solicitor Lucy Parker of Birmingham-based JF Law, said: “The number of claims made against police forces in the UK shines a light on a crucial issue and highlights the importance of holding institutions accountable.
“Potential reasons to claim may include wrongful arrest, assault, malicious prosecution, or negligence however, it’s crucial to remember that each case is unique.
“Reasons such as property damage and forced entry by police, without lawful justification, are serious matters and can constitute a significant breach of an individual’s rights.”
The PSNI has been approached for comment.
