12. Determination of a complaint refers to the progress of a complaint through all administrative non-judicial proceedings, culminating with any recommendation made to a criminal prosecuting authority or police service. This Opinion does not apply to the holding of any judicial or fact-finding tribunal in connection with criminal or disciplinary proceedings against a police officer that may arise as a consequence of a complaint. 3. Delivery of policing services: general principles 13. There is broad international agreement on the administration of the police and the delivery of policing services.213 14. Several factors contribute to the position of the police as a high profile and respected public institution: ff delivery of core public services; ff high frequency of interactions with the public; ff intensive crime prevention, public safety and criminal investigation information campaigns and appeals for public support and assistance; ff network of local police stations/premises; and ff maintenance of close connections with local communities. 15. In the interest of independent, impartial and effective delivery of policing services, and to protect against political interference, the police are granted a wide degree of discretion in the performance of their duties. 16. For the purpose of performing their duties, the law provides the police with coercive powers and the police may use reasonable force when lawfully exercising their powers. 17. As society has become more complex in recent decades, and as scientific and technological knowledge have advanced, the special powers available to the police for the purpose of performing their duties, and their capacity to intrude in people’s lives and interfere with individual human rights, have increased. 213. See, for example, Council of Europe, European Code of Police Ethics; Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture, ’The CPT Standards, Chapter IX. Combating Impunity; United Nations, Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials; Council of Europe Joint Informal Group on Police and Human Rights, Policing in a Democratic Society; Is your police service a human rights champion?; Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Guidebook on Democratic Policing; United Nations International Police Task Force, Commissioner’s Guidance for Democratic Policing in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Effective investigation of ill-treatment – Guidelines ► Page 86