At the Auburn Police Department, we encourage the filing of legitimate complaints against the agency or its employees as a means by which they can be held accountable for their actions to the public. The Department also seeks to hold members of the public responsible for filing false and malicious allegations against police personnel.
The Auburn Police Department will not hesitate to impose disciplinary actions on employees who violate the law or standards of professional law enforcement conduct, to remove from employment those employees who prove to be unfit for the profession of law enforcement, or to dismiss unjustified allegations against innocent employees. All complaints are maintained and tracked within the police department.
Complaints are Closed In One of Four Different Ways:
Sustained - The complaint was found to be true.
Not Sustained - The complaint was not found to be true.
Unfounded – There was not enough information to prove or disprove the complaint.
Exonerated - The officer did commit the act that he was accused of, however, his actions were justified by the situation.
Other cases are listed as No Action Taken. This means that the case has not been closed due to the fact that the complainant has not followed through with the complaint.
Filing Your Complaint
Complaints will be accepted from any source, whether made in person, by telephone, by mail, by e-mail or anonymously. Individuals are encouraged to submit their complaints in person in order to obtain a complete and accurate report as soon as possible of the incident.
Complaints will be accepted from juveniles and persons under arrest in police custody so long as the complaint contains sufficient information to warrant an investigation. Under extenuating circumstances in which the complainant cannot file the report in person, agency personnel may visit the individual at his or her home, place of business or hospital in order to complete the report.
Internal Affairs Investigation
Complaints alleging major violations or actions of a serious nature will be handled by the Criminal Investigations Division. Major violations include, but are not limited to, the following: brutality or any allegation of unnecessary or excessive use of force; Civil Rights (Title VII) violations (use of abusive or insulting language or conduct degrading a person's race, religion, life style, sex, national origin, or any other act or omission which could be the basis for loss of rank, termination or prosecution in any court of law); criminal violation ( a violation of a Federal, State, County or Municipal statue or ordinance defining unlawful behavior or acts); any other reason deemed necessary by the Chief of Police. Complaints concerning attitude, language, response to calls, handling of calls, harassment, demeanor and minor rule infractions will be investigated by the employee's supervisor.
Investigative Standards
All internal affairs investigations will be completed within thirty (30) days of initiation unless extenuating circumstances exist. The investigator assigned the complaint will acknowledge receipt of that complaint by communicating directly with the complainant either by correspondence, telephone, or in person. If the investigation extends beyond thirty (30) days, the investigator will inform the complainant of the cases progress. When the case is closed the investigator will notify the complainant in writing and inform them that appropriate administrative action has been taken.
Conclusion of Fact
Each investigator, whether internal affairs investigator or immediate supervisor, shall consider all relevant documents, testimony, and evidence in order to determine what actually happened. At the end of the report, the investigator shall state a conclusion of fact for each allegation of misconduct.
Web disclaimer: This information is provided for personal use only as general information. While attempts are made to maintain the accuracy of this information, it should not be relied upon for any purpose without confirmation in writing by Auburn Police Department. The Auburn Police Department is not liable to users of this data for any loss or damages arising from the reporting, use of modification of the data. The Auburn Police Department may update or modify the data at any time without notice and makes no commitment to update the information contained herein.
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