Commendation or Complaint Procedures
How to officially commend or complain about a police employee
As a means of maintaining both police performance and police/community relations, the Port St. Lucie Police Department:
- Encourages citizens' recommendations for improvements in our policing;
- Welcomes the commendations of police personnel who admirably perform their duties; and
- Responds to complaints and/or questions about the Department's performance or the actions of its members and employees.
The following explains how you can assist the Port St. Lucie Police Department and, if a complaint is involved, how to file that complaint and what to do if you are not satisfied with the outcome.
HOW AND WHERE TO GIVE COMMENDATION, REGISTER A COMPLAINT, OR ASK A QUESTION
If you wish to commend a police officer, or if you feel that a police officer has acted improperly, you may register your commendation or complaint in three ways:
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Telephone the Port St. Lucie Police Dept. at 772-871-5000 any time, or the Internal Affairs Section Office at 772-871-5106, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM.
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Come in person to the Port St. Lucie Police Dept., Police Administration Bldg. C, 121 SW Port St. Lucie Boulevard; or, the Western Regional Police Building, 2950 SW Rosser Blvd., 34953; and present your commendation or complaint to a Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Bureau Chief, or Internal Affairs Investigator.
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Communicate by writing directly to the Chief of Police, Port St. Lucie Police Dept., 121-C SW Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie, FL 34984.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR COMMENDATION
Commendations received for any Port St. Lucie Police Department personnel are forwarded to the involved member(s) via the Chief of Police. Your comments and commendation are presented to the involved member(s) by their immediate supervisors during a shift briefing and then permanently recorded in the member's personal file. Your commendation may also generate considerations for other departmental/community awards or recognition.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR COMPLAINT
INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS
Every complaint, regardless of its nature is assigned for review and possible investigation. Whenever possible, complaints of minor breaches of policy are assigned to the supervisor of the accused department member.
Complaints of a more serious nature will be investigated by, or under the direction of, members of the Port St. Lucie Police Department's Internal Affairs Section. Statements, videotaping, and photographs may be taken, and a thorough, impartial, and confidential investigation is conducted. The completed investigative report includes a summary of events, a narrative report, a finding of facts as determined by sworn statements of those involved, and evidence, if any. The report must not reflect any personal opinion, but rather present an unbiased picture of factual circumstances.
After the investigation has been completed, it may be reviewed by command staff personnel or Complaint Review Board at the discretion of the Chief of Police. The reviewing parties will then make a recommendation to the Chief of Police on any further investigative or disciplinary action. This recommendation is then reviewed for consideration by the Chief of Police who ultimately makes a final decision regarding further investigative actions or administration of disciplinary sanctions.
At the conclusion of the investigation and review, you will be notified of the final outcome of your complaint in writing. If necessary, a departmental staff member will personally visit you.
If the investigative process exceeds 30 business days, you will be notified of the reason for the delay. You may inquire about the progress of your complaint at any time.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS SECTION
The function of the Internal Affairs Section is to protect the integrity of the Police Department and its personnel, both sworn and non-sworn.
A professional relationship between officers and citizens, fostered by confidence and trust is essential to effective law enforcement. Police officers must feel free to exercise their best judgment and act in a sensible, lawful, impartial manner without fear of reprisal. At the same time, officers must respect the rights of all individuals.
More serious complaints generally fall under the following categories: Excessive force, Unlawful arrest, Missing property or money, Improper or Ulawful conduct. These complaints are thoroughly investigated.
DISPOSITIONS
Unfounded - The allegation was demonstrably false or there is no credible evidence to support the complaint;
Exonerat�ed - The incident occurred but the individual's actions were lawful and proper;
Not Sustained - Investigation failed to disclose sufficient evidence to prove or disprove the allegation;
Sustained - The allegation is supported by sufficient evidence.
DISCIPLINARY ACTION
There are four types of disciplinary action which can be recommended when an allegation is sustained: 1) Written Reprimand - A memorandum containing a statement of charges and reason for reprimand to the employee with copies to Internal Affairs and the employee's permanent personnel file. 2) Suspension - All suspensions must be recorded by memorandum and prepared for approval by the Chief of Police. (Note: Suspension in excess of 3 days requires the approval of the City Manager.) 3) Demotion - In lieu of dismissal, when an employee is not performing satisfactorily. 4) Dismissal - The Chief of Police must make a recommendation of dismissal to the City Manager who upon concurrence can dismiss an employee.
Non-disciplinary action in the form of a Supervisory Conference or Written Warning may also be recommended. A Supervisory Conference is administered by a su�pervisor in the chain of command of the employee and is supported by completion of the appropriate conference documentation. The employee may also be required to receive additional training if deemed appropriate.
This system of complaint and disciplinary procedures not only subjects employees to corrective action when they conduct themselves inappropriately, but also protects them from unwarranted reproach when they perform their duties properly.
MORAL CHARACTER VIOLATIONS
All sustained complaints of moral character violations must be reported to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). FDLE reviews the case file to determine if probable cause exists to file action against the officer's law enforcement certificate.
In addition to action taken by the agency, FDLE can reprimand, suspend for up to two years, place on probation for up to two years, order counseling, order remedial training, issue a letter of guidance, accept agency discipline or revoke the officer's law enforcement certificate.
PUBLIC RECORD
All investigations of complaints are confidential while active and become a matter of public record upon final determination by the Chief of Police of action to be taken. Information that is exempt from public disclosure is excised prior to release.
WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU'RE NOT SATISFIED
If you are not satisfied with the disposition of your complaint, you can call the Internal Affairs Section at 772-871-5106 and ask for a more detailed explanation. Any complainant retains the right to seek other legal avenues of satisfaction at their discretion. Cooperation with the Police Department in its investigation of your complaint insures prompt consideration and proper handling of our mutual concerns.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
While the Port St. Lucie Police Department does accept and respond to persons who file complaints, complaints must be made in good faith. Should the Police Department discover that the person or persons making the complaint or acting as a witness made statements which he/she knew or believed to be false, the Department could institute criminal action against that person. In addition, if the charges are found to be false, unfounded, or exonerated, the accused employee has the right to pursue civil recourse against the complainant.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT ?
The standards of the Port St. Lucie Police Department are among the highest in the nation and our officers among the best trained. Our community and the level of police service that we all benefit from can best prosper by your support of these standards -- by commendation, recommendation, question, or complaint.