Professional Standards Unit

The Richmond Police Department Professional Standards Unit works closely with the Administration of the Police Department in developing policies and procedures, and to review current policies and procedures, updating them as needed. The Professional Standards Unit (PSU) is also charged with the investigation of citizen complaints and internal complaints of alleged employee misconduct, concluding them in a timely and expedient manner.

The Professional Standards Unit is comprised of a Sergeant or Lieutenant who works directly for the Chief of Police. All complaints made to the PSU are screened by the Chief of Police or one of the Deputy Chiefs, and are assigned for investigation to either the PSU or the direct supervisor of the employee in which the complaint was initiated against, based on the severity of the complaint. Upon conclusion of the investigation, the findings are reviewed by the Chief of Police.

Every Officer of the Richmond Police Department swears to support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of Indiana, and to uphold the laws of Indiana and the rules and regulations of the Board of Public Works. As such, Officers take this oath to protect the rights of all citizens, established by the Constitution of the United States, seriously. This right is also extended to those persons who we take into custody for violations of the law.

The Richmond Police Department provides policing service to the residents and visitors to Richmond, Indiana. Policing is a difficult and complex occupation in today's society, and we realize that mistakes can be made. Each year police officers and police employees from the Richmond Police Department have thousands of contacts with people. In some cases, individuals may question why an incident was handled in a particular way. Or they may wish to acknowledge the employees involved. In other situations, they may disagree with the actions of the police employee.

If you feel that a Richmond Police employee has acted unprofessionally, either in action, conduct, or demeanor, towards you or others, we encourage you to report that officer to a Police Supervisor. Please see “A Guide to the Complaint Process” which will explain the Complaint process in more detail.

If you wish to commend a Richmond Police employee for the service they have provided to you, we also encourage you to talk to that officer’s Supervisor or to file a Commendation

A Guide to the Complaint Process

What Constitutes a Complaint
The Richmond Police Department considers a complaint to be:

1. An allegation from any source of circumstance(s) of specific act or omission by a police department employee which, if later proven to be true, would be misconduct and normally subject the employee to counseling, sanction, or discipline, or

2. A citizen’s expression of dissatisfaction with an agency policy, procedure, philosophy, service level or legal standard of the agency.

These complaints can come from any internal or external source, and commonly come from:

1. The aggrieved person,

2. A third party with specific knowledge of the incident,

3. An anonymous source,

4. A governmental entity or other governmental employee,

5. The news media,

6. Agency or agency employee, or

7. Notice of civil claim.

Our department, however, does not consider a disagreement over the elements of a traffic citation or parking ticket to be a complaint. This type of complaint is adjudicated by the proper Court. You should also realize that current criminal or traffic charges pending are not affected by this investigation.

We, as a law enforcement body, routinely check the police records of the people with whom we have contact, including people who file complaints. This is a routine investigative technique in any police matter; the police records of the police employees involved are also checked. We want to advise you of this to ensure that should you have an outstanding warrant, we would encourage you to deal with this with the issuing court before filing a complaint. If a police officer has contact with you and is aware of the warrant, the officer is legally compelled to bring you in front of the court which often means that you will be arrested.

If you are an undocumented resident, we will not report you to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. It is not our job, as City police, to detect or apprehend people who may be in this country or working illegally. We want to hear from all community members.

In addition, the Professional Standards Unit and the Administration of the Richmond Police Department take complaints seriously. As such, if you knowingly or willingly file a complaint on an officer which you know to be false, you can be arrested under Indiana Code 35-44-2-2 and charged with a misdemeanor offense.

Filing the Complaint
Complaints on a police employee can be filed by either the alleged victim of an incident, or a witness to an incident. Anonymous complaints are accepted by the Department, and may be investigated should an inquiry show that there is sufficient information to investigate the complaint and that the information is valid.

Complaints must be filed within 30 days of the date of the alleged incident from which the complaint arises. The only exceptions shall be unusual circumstances after review of the information by the Chief of Police.

Complaints may be made in the following procedures:

Go to the Richmond Police Department, located at 50 North 5^th Street, Richmond, Indiana 47374. You should ask to speak to an on-duty supervisor or a supervisor from the Professional Standards Unit. He or she will take your complaint and place it on an official form, or you may ask for the official form and complete it at your leisure. You will also be given a brochure that will outline the complaint procedure.

Call the Richmond Police Department at (765)983-7247 and request to speak to an on-duty supervisor or supervisor from the Professional Standards Unit. They will complete the official form based on the information you provide to them.

Compose and send a letter to either the Chief of Police or the Professional Standards Unit at 50 North 5^th Street, Richmond, Indiana 47374. They will complete the official form based on the information you provide to them.

Compose and fax a letter to either the Chief of Police or the Professional Standards Unit at 765-983-7432. They will complete the official form based on the information you provide to them.

Email the Richmond Police Department Professional Standards Unit supervisor at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . They will complete the official form based on the information you provide to them.

To assist us in resolving your complaint, be sure to attempt to include the following information. Anonymous complaints are accepted, however, complaints are usually resolved in a more timely manner with sufficient information.

Your name, address, and telephone number

The name and badge number of the Police employee

The date, time, and location of the incident or contact

The name, addresses, and telephone numbers of any witnesses to the contact or incident

Specifics of the incident or contact, including your actions and words as well as the words and actions of the Police employee

Your suggested resolution to the complaint, or what you would like to see happen as a result of the complaint being sustained against the Police employee

You will receive notification usually within 5 working days via United States Postal Service certified mail of the initiation of the complaint, the name of the investigating supervisor, and the request to provide a taped statement in regards to the complaint. If the complaint is of a very serious nature, it may be referred to outside agencies.

The Interview

A supervisor will address the complaint with you. If may be possible that the supervisor will be able to explain the employee's actions to your satisfaction. If, after this discussion, you are satisfied, then no further action will be taken. However, if the complaint is not resolved at that time, you will be asked to provide an audio-taped statement to the supervisor of the events that occured. This interview generally takes place at the Richmond Police Department; however, an alterative location is acceptable. You may have a third party present for support, although they will not be allowed to actively participate in the interview.

The Investigation

After the interview, all witnesses to the incident as well as the police employee will be interviewed by the supervisor. You may also be asked for more information in regards to the incident. It is the goal of the Department to have all complaints investigated within 60 days, if at all possible.

The Review

Upon completion, all documents, evidence and findings will be forwarded to the Chief Office for review and a recommendation classification. The Chief of Police will review the case and make the final disposition on all complaints. A copy of the complaint will be forwarded to the Citizen’s Review Committee, who will meet in a private executive session and review the investigation to ensure that it was conducted in compliance with Department policies. After the private executive session, a public forum and rebuttal will be held in which you may attend. Please note that the Citizen’s Review Committee cannot conduct investigations into the incident or alter dispositions. They are there to make sure Department policies were followed.

The Disposition

The results of the completed investigation will be classified for disposition into one of five (5) categories below:

SUSTAINED – Your complaint has been supported. The Police employee(s) involved acted improperly and may be subjected to discipline.

UNFOUNDED – The investigation found no basis to your complaint.

EXONERATED – The Police employee(s) involved acted properly and will not be subject to discipline.

NOT SUSTAINED – The was not enough evidence to either prove or refute your complaint.

MISCONDUCT NOT BASED ON ORIGINAL COMPLAINT – Misconduct discovered during the investigation that was not related to the original complaint.

You will be informed of the result of the investigation via United States Postal Service mail.

If Your Complaint is Sustained

If the disposition on the complaint is “Sustained”, the following actions may be taken by the Chief of Police: extra training or counseling for the employee(s) and/or disciplinary measures which may include a verbal or written reprimand, suspension, demotion, or termination. In addition, if the complaint is criminal in nature, it will be forwarded to the appropriate jurisdiction. The Chief of Police is the final authority concerning disciplinary actions, pending review by the Police Merit Commission.

If the employee faces disciplinary measures, the employee(s) can request a hearing with the Police Merit Commission, and you will be asked to testify.

Also note that while you will be informed of the outcome of your complaint, it is our policy not to discuss specific personnel action taken in sustained cases.

Your Rights After the Investigation

You will be notified of the disposition of your complaint. If you are dissatisfied with the finding, you may make an appointment with the Chief of Police to discuss the case.

Commitment

Anyone who makes a complaint against a member of the Richmond Police Department shall be treated with courtesy and respect. Not withstanding the fact that a complaint was made, no member of the department shall fail to provide professional service at all times to the complainant.