Filing an Internal Affairs complaint

FILING AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMPLAINT – PLEASE READ

Every law enforcement agency must accept reports of officer misconduct from any person at any time.

Every law enforcement agency must have a policy consistent with the Attorney General’s Internal Affairs Policy and Procedures, which provides that all citizen complaints involving police misconduct are readily accepted and fully and promptly investigated.

A member of the public who feels that he/she has witnessed or been the victim of police misconduct has the right to file an internal-affairs complaint against the officer(s)-in-question.

Law Enforcement has a duty to fairly, objectively and thoroughly investigate all internal-affairs complaints.

All persons filing internal-affairs complaints have the right to courteous, professional and fair treatment.

A member of the public has the right to lodge a complaint regardless of the hour or day of the week. The complainant can lodge their complaint in numerous ways:

A member of the public has the right to make his/her complaint anonymously. He/she does not have to be an American citizen to do so and cannot be required to produce identification or be accompanied by a citizen before a complaint will be accepted. The police cannot report a person to federal immigration officials in retaliation for the filing of an internal-affairs complaint.

A juvenile has the right to file an internal-affairs complaint, with or without the presence of a parent or guardian.

A complainant has the right to be kept informed of the status of their complaint as well as the outcome of his/her complaint at the conclusion of the police investigation.