Police Compliments & Complaints
The Farmers Branch Police Department is dedicated to providing the highest quality police services to residents of and visitors to Farmers Branch. Compliments and complaints are important to the Police Department, and we appreciate them.
Process Guidelines
- Complaints can be made at any time
- The public can file a complaint in person at any time of the day or night by contacting an on-duty supervisor. Every complaint of misconduct will be reviewed by the employee's supervisor for a preliminary investigation
- Generally, complaints of a routine nature will be assigned to the employee's supervisor or commander. More serious or complex matters will be investigated by the Internal Affairs Supervisor
- To help ensure that evidence is still available and recollections of the incident are fresh, complaints should be made within a reasonable time after the alleged misconduct occurred
- Anyone can submit a complaint
- Normally, the person most directly affected by the alleged conduct should be the person to complain. For example, a complaint of rudeness to a driver must be made by the driver, not by a passenger in the vehicle. Exceptions would include a parent filing a complaint for a minor child or similar situations. Under certain circumstances, third-party complaints will be accepted
- Complaints should be concise and specific
Description of Conduct
Describe the conduct of the employee that was found to be improper:
- Provide the specific words or phrases used
- Describe the employee's tone of voice
- Cite particular acts or behaviors
Identify Employee
Identify the employee as much as possible by providing as much of the following as possible:
- Employee's name, badge number and patrol vehicle license number. Farmers Branch Police Department employees are required by policy to properly identify themselves upon request
- Date, time and location of the incident
- If available, include the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all witnesses
Misconduct Complaints
- The focus of Farmers Branch Police Department complaint procedures is on alleged misconduct by an employee which encompasses violations of laws or department rules and regulations
- A disagreement regarding a policy or law, or with the application of a policy or law, is not considered a complaint and will normally be referred to the supervisor most directly involved with the policy or law in question for response
- We do not investigate anonymous complaints, as directed by State law
- Texas State law requires complaints against an officer to be in writing and signed by the complainant. The department encourages individuals with allegations of misconduct by the Farmers Branch Police Department employees to identify themselves and submit to an interview
Disposition of the Investigation
The Farmers Branch Police Department uses the following terminology when resolving complaints:
- Sustained: the allegation is supported by sufficient evidence
- Not substantiated: Insufficient facts exist to either prove or disprove the allegation(s) made
- Unfounded: The facts substantiate that the allegation(s) are false
- Exonerated: The incident complained of did occur, but was lawful and proper
Disciplinary Action
If the investigation indicates that an employee has committed an offense, under the Farmers Branch Police Department Rules and Regulations, we will take disciplinary action commensurate with the severity of the offense. Mitigating circumstances may be considered. After a final disposition is reached by management, we will take appropriate action. Disciplinary action may involve remedial training, suspension or termination.
The Farmers Branch Police Department's Policy on Compliments & Complaints
It is the policy of the department to respond to compliments or complaints received from the public.
Compliments
Complimentary letters are handled in the following manner:
- Reviewed by the employee's first-line supervisor
- Forwarded to the employee
- Placed in the employee's personnel file
Complaints
Complaint letters follow a very specific complaint procedure with the following goals:
- Ensures that fair and proper action is taken when an employee is accused of misconduct
- Protects employees from unwarranted or false accusations
- Helps identify and correct deficiencies in policies, procedures and/or training
The Farmers Branch Police Department's Policy on Racial Profiling Complaints
It is the policy of the department to respond to all complaints of racial profiling.
- Racial Profiling is defined as a law enforcement-initiated action based on an individual's race, ethnicity or national origin, rather than on the individual's behavior or on information identifying the individual as having engaged in criminal activity.
- The public can file a racial profiling complaint in person at any time of the day or night by contacting an on-duty supervisor. The complaint process will be the same as previously listed in the complaint process section.
Making a Complaint Will Not Affect Actions or Charges Against the Complainant.
Employees are prohibited from retaliating against a resident for reporting truthful information in lodging a complaint against them. Any charges or legal issues, present or future, must be decided by the appropriate court. The complaint investigations focus on the conduct of the employee, not charges against a resident. Therefore, any charges against a resident are a separate issue, and they are resolved in court.
The Farmers Branch Police Department's Responsibilities
The department recognizes its responsibility to maintain public confidence and trust, and the need to ensure integrity and accountability of the agency and of each employee.
The Public's Responsibilities
As the Farmers Branch Police Department recognizes the rights of all citizens, the public should recognize that Police Department employees must be able to exercise their best judgment in taking necessary and reasonable action in the performance of their duties without fear of reprisal.
You may use the online form to submit compliments or complaints.