2008 Officer Complaints

The Water Patrol investigated seven complaints against officers in 2008 compared to three in 2007. This is a 133% increase of citizen’s complaints in 2008 compared to 2007.  Five of the complaints were on different officers and two were on the same officer in 2008. There is one officer from 2008 that also had a citizen’s complaint filed against him in 2007.

May 12, 2008- This complaint was from a business owner stating one of our officers had made statements to other law enforcement which was having a negative effect on his business. The allegations were investigated and there was no evidence to support the complaint. UNFOUNDED

June 5, 2008- A citizen filed a complaint against one of our officers reference a dispute over homeowner restrictions. The complainant advised when they made contact with the officer, he was every rude. The complaint was investigated by the Water Patrol, but is considered a private issue. There was insufficient evidence to prove or disprove the accusations made by the complainant. NOT SUSTAINED

July 19, 2008-A complaint was received from a boater disagreeing with the reason he was stopped and how the officer handled the situation. The complaint was assigned to a district supervisor to investigate. Based on the complaint letter and the findings from the investigation, the officer followed policy and procedures during the boat stop. The allegations were false or not factual. UNFOUNDED

July 27, 2008- Received a complaint from a boater complaining about the officer’s attitude and the reason for being stopped.  In speaking with the complainant he admitted he was being uncooperative with the officer. The complaint was investigated by the District Commander. The officer was justified in the stop and followed department policy and procedures. EXONERATED

August 30, 2008- Received complaint that officer was aggressive during an arrest. This was investigated and the accusations were found to be false. This incident was tape recorded and proved to be valuable information in proving the officer followed policy and procedures while the complainant refused to cooperate with the officer’s request. Only necessary force was use to get compliance. This incident occurred, but actions were lawful and proper. EXONERATED

September 7, 2008- A complaint was filed against one of the officers for being unprofessional during a stop. The officer was accused of making an inappropriate comment or assumption based on his observation. The complaint was investigated and there was sufficient evidence to support the complaint.  The issue was addressed with the officer and the situation was resolved with the complainant. SUSTAINED

October 1, 2008- This complaint was in regards to an officer making a vehicle stop. The complainant questioned why the officer made the stop and our authority to stop vehicles. This complaint was investigated and found the officer followed policy and procedures for making a vehicle stop. This incident did occur, but the actions were lawful and proper. EXONERATED

From the seven complaints in 2008, two were Unfounded, three were Exonerated, one was Not Sustained, and one was Sustained. The appropriate action was taken involving the officer on the one sustained complaint. Based on the extremely high number of contacts our officers make during the year, I consider the number of complaints to be very low and minor incidents involving our officers. Based on the complaints from 2007 and 2008 I don’t see any repeating pattern with officers or the need for additional training.

Field Services Commander