Overview

A citizen complaint is defined as the action taken by a citizen to bring to the attention of the department any police action or inaction that the citizen considers to be contrary to law, proper procedure, good order, or in some manner prejudicial to the citizen, the Police Department, or to the community as a whole. C.A.L.E.A. 52.1.1

It is the policy of the Springfield Township Police Department that all allegations of employee misconduct be appropriately investigated and promptly adjudicated. Additionally, Springfield Township Police Department will ensure that integrity is maintained through an internal system where objectivity, fairness, and justice are assured by intensive and impartial investigation and review to clear the innocent, establish guilt of wrongdoers, and facilitate fair, suitable, and consistent disciplinary action. C.A.L.E.A. 52.1.1

How to File Your Complaint

The complainant may complete the Citizen Complaint Form or register your complaint in writing at our police station located at 1130 Compton Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231, or by telephone at 513-729-1300. The complainant will need to provide the date, time, and location of the incident, the officers involved and the complete details of the complaint. A complaint may be filed anonymously, however if you would like to receive a response, your name, address, and telephone number should be provided.

Complaint Status Notification

The Springfield Township Police Department shall keep complainants informed concerning the status of a complaint against the department or any of its employees by:

• Providing the complainant with a copy of the Citizen's Complaint Form as a receipt of the complaint
• Providing periodic status reports to the complainant by the investigator. Status reports will be documented on the investigator's report
• Notification of the results upon conclusion of any investigation is given by the investigator to the complainant in writing by use of the Conclusion of Fact letter

Ohio Revised Code 2921.15

Making false allegation of peace officer misconduct.

• As used in this section, peace officer has the same meaning as in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.
• No person shall knowingly file a complaint against a peace officer that alleges that the peace officer engaged in misconduct in the performance of the officer's duties if the person knows that the allegation is false.
• Whoever violates division (B) of this section is guilty of making a false allegation of peace officer misconduct, misdemeanor of the first degree.