This agency is committed to providing law enforcement services that are fair, effective and impartially applied. Toward that end, officers are held to the highest standards of official conduct and are expected to respect the rights of all citizens. Adherence to these standards, motivated by a moral and professional obligation to perform their job to the best of their ability, is the ultimate objective of this agency. The effectiveness of a law enforcement agency is dependent upon public approval and acceptance of police authority. The department must be responsive to the community by providing formal procedures for the processing of complaints from the public regarding agency and individual employee performance.
The purpose of the Professional Standards Division is to oversee and improve the quality of police services. Citizen confidence in the integrity of the police department increases through the establishment of meaningful and effective complaint procedures. This confidence engenders community support for the police department. Improving the relationship between the police and the citizens they serve facilitates cooperation vital to the department’s ability to achieve its goals. An effective disciplinary framework also permits police officials to monitor employee compliance with departmental policies and procedures. Adherence to established policies and procedures assists officers in meeting department objectives while a monitoring system permits managers to identify problem areas requiring increased training or direction. Finally, our policy will ensure fairness and due process protection to citizens and officers alike.
The discipline process shall be used to identify and correct unclear or inappropriate agency procedures. In addition, it will highlight organizational conditions that may contribute to any misconduct, such as poor recruitment and selection procedures or inadequate training and supervision of officers.