COMPLIMENTS

Thank you for taking the time to visit our Compliments Page.  We believe compliments are a great way for our community to share their positives interactions with the Terre Haute Police Department.  Please email all compliments to [email protected] and we will respond as soon as we can.  Thank you for your support and allowing us to serve this great community.

COMPLAINTS

As a citizen, you are encouraged to contact the police department if you have a complaint about the actions of a police officer or non-sworn employee.  It is the policy of the Terre Haute Police Department to have an internal investigation process to record, register, and control all complaints and investigations of alleged or suspected misconduct within the agency.  The goal of the internal affairs function is to ensure that the integrity of the agency is maintained through the internal system whereby objectivity, fairness, and justice are ensured by an impartial investigation and review.  Any supervisor can answer questions about the actions of officers, and initiate a complaint against an officer.  The    following provides a summary of the steps in the complaint process:

1. Any citizen or employee may request a complaint form from any on-duty supervisor. This may be accomplished by calling the department at (812) 244-2266 or requesting to speak with a supervisor through direct contact with a police officer in the field.  If a supervisor is not immediately available, the officer in the field or desk officer shall take a contact number and inform the complainant that a supervisor will contact them as soon as possible.  

2. A downloadable version of the complaint form is also available on the department’s website by clicking HERE, however, the complaint must be submitted directly to a supervisor once complete for verification.  

3. The complaint shall set forth the exact rules, regulations, etc., the accused is alleged to have violated and the nature of the supporting fact. In general terms, complainants should explain what happened, when, where, and list any potential witnesses or corroborating evidence.  Although we encourage citizens to report police misconduct, complaints must be made in good faith.  False or highly exaggerated complaints serve no purpose for either the citizen or the officer and only thwart our complaint taking process.  Anyone who willfully makes a false accusation may be subject to prosecution under Indiana Code.   It must also be noted that any complaint will not affect current criminal charges against a complainant. 

4. The supervisor taking the complaint shall return the completed complaint form to the appropriate Division Captain. The Division Captain will forward the Complaint Form to the Chief of Police prior to the end of their tour of duty.  If the complaint is serious in nature and requires immediate attention, the Chief of Police shall be immediately contacted.  A copy of the complaint shall be provided for the complainant as a receipt.  

5. Upon receipt of the complaint, The Chief of Police will review the complaint and determine if the complaint warrants an inquiry, informal investigation or formal investigation. The Chief of Police shall assign the appropriate investigator, and the investigation shall be completed within fourteen (14) days in the case of informal complaints and thirty (30) days in the case of formal investigations. In cases where extenuating circumstances exist, the time limit for the conclusion of the investigation may be extended by the Chief of Police.  

6. Complaints that allege a criminal act will be forwarded to the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office for referral to an outside agency. 

7. An employee who is the subject of a complaint shall not intentionally take any action, whatsoever against the complainant in retaliation for filing the complaint. Any employee who retaliates against another as the result of the filing of such complaint shall be subject to disciplinary action up to an including dismissal from the department.  This does not prohibit the affected employee from filing a civil suit or taking other lawful action against the complainant in any case where the complainant is determined to be intentionally false and malicious.  

8. Upon completion of their investigation, the supervisor who completed the investigation will document and forward to the Chief of Police all reports, memoranda, and verbal statements along with the results of the investigation. The Supervisor shall also include notification of any discipline that may have been administered as a result of said findings. 

9. After the investigation is completed, the supervisor conducting the investigation shall make every attempt to explain to the complainant their findings.