The goal of the Office of Professional Standards is to ensure that all complaints or allegations against the Fall River Police Department or any of its employees are investigated in a thorough, fair, and impartial manner. The rights of all citizens and employees of the Fall River Police Department shall be protected and confidentiality shall be maintained at the highest standards. We will ensure transparent, safe, and accountable law enforcement services to the community.

The Office of Professional Standards is also responsible for Media Relations and has the responsibility to prepare and distribute news releases as directed by the Chief of Police. The Office of Professional Standards also works with the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) on matters such as certification of police officers.

It is the policy of the Fall River Police Department to accept and investigate all complaints of misconduct or wrongdoing against the Department or Department employees, regardless of the source of such complaint, by conducting a regulated, thorough and impartial examination of all available factual information.

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Procedure:

A standard complaint form shall be used to record all complaints of misconduct, mistreatment or unethical practices against Department personnel, whether registered by a citizen, initiated from within the Department or forwarded by another governmental agency. The Citizen Complaint form shall be located at the Fall River Police Department.

Any person requesting to make a complaint against an employee of the Department shall, upon request, be given a copy of the Citizen Complaint Form. A complainant may write a separate narrative and attach it to the complaint form.

Every person making a complaint against a Department employee shall receive a letter from the Office of Professional Standards to serve as a receipt verifying that such complaint has been received.

At the conclusion of any administrative investigation, a full written report shall be prepared for submission to the Chief of Police.

The Chief of Police will determine one of the below findings based on all of the information presented to him/her.

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• Sustained

• Not Sustained [Inconclusive]

• Unfounded

• Exonerated

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Every person who has filed a complaint against an employee shall be notified promptly as to the final results of the investigation by a form letter in the mail.

For further information please contact the Fall River Police Department.