Internal Affairs Division - Compliments and Complaints
The Internal Affairs Division is committed to conducting fair, unbiased, and expedient investigations into allegations of misconduct on the part of officers and civilian employees of the police department. Citizens and employees can feel confident that matters of concern will be addressed in the appropriate manner.
How do I submit a compliment?
- Prepare a brief description of the employee’s performance and mail it to the employee’s district commander.
- Find list of Districts.
- If you do not know where the employee is assigned, you may forward your letter to the Office of the Chief.
- A copy of the complimentary letter will be placed in the employee’s personnel file.
- You will be notified via a letter from the Office of the Chief that the Department has received your compliment.
Compliment/complaint Process Brochure
- Compliment/complaint process brochure (English)
- Compliment/complaint process brochure (Spanish)
Compliment Form (in english) Compliment Form (in spanish)
How do I file a complaint?
- You can file a complaint either in person, through the mail, over the telephone, via fax, or via email.
- In person complaints can be made at any of the six district stations or at Police Headquarters.
- Complaints can also be sent to the Internal Affairs Division at 100 Edison Park Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, or via email to IAD.MCP@montgomerycountymd.gov.
- It is preferable, but not required, to submit a completed Complaint Form (see link below). In addition to being available online, complaint forms are also available at any district station or at Police Headquarters.
- Complaints can also be made to the Internal Affairs Division via the telephone at 240-773-6000, or sent via fax to 240-773-6016.
- Additionally, complaints can also be received and forwarded to the Internal Affairs Division by any department employee.
- Complainants may remain anonymous, however, the Internal Affairs Division encourages complainants to provide their name and telephone number and/or email address in order to allow us the opportunity to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged violation(s).
- Once a complaint has been received, the complainant will be notified by the Department and informed of who will be investigating the complaint. If a name and number or email address is provided by the complainant, they will be personally contacted by the investigator.
- Note: Please be advised that submitting a complaint to the Internal Affairs Division will not have any effect on criminal or civil charges that have been placed against a person by the police. Only the courts and the State’s Attorney’s Office can resolve those matters.
Compliment/Complaint Process Brochure
- Compliment/complaint process brochure (English)
- Compliment/complaint process brochure (Spanish)
Frequently Asked Questions
All cases are reviewed by the Director of the Internal Affairs Division. Once reviewed by the Director, a complaint will be classified as either a formal complaint or an intake/inquiry.
Once a formal complaint has been investigated and reviewed, it is given one of five classifications. The classification given is known as the finding(s):
- Unfounded: Based on the facts of the investigation, the act (s) did not occur.
- Exonerated: Actions of the involved officer (s) were justified, lawful and proper.
- Insufficient evidence: There was not enough evidence to prove or disprove the allegation (s).
- Sustained : Sufficient evidence to prove the allegations of misconduct.
- Policy Failure: Omissions or insufficient/ineffective policy to address the allegation (s). If this is the finding, recommendations will be made to create and/or adjust policy.
- Intake/Inquiry: Investigation of a minor rule violation that, if sustained, would not result in discipline. The director of the Internal Affairs Division may determine that a complaint is appropriately handled by being classified as an Intake/Inquiry.
- Formal Complaint: Investigation into allegations of administrative misconduct by employees of the department that, if true, would or could result in disciplinary action.
No. Under Maryland law, a complaint against a police officer alleging the use of excessive force must be signed and sworn to under penalty of perjury and received by the Department within 366 days of incident.
All complaint investigations, whether intake/inquiry or formal, are reviewed by the deputy director of IAD as well as the director of IAD. If a complaint is classified as sustained or if the Director of IAD and the officer’s Commander/Director disagree as to how the complaint is to be classified, the cases are reviewed by the Internal Investigative Review Panel, to include the four Assistant Chiefs, the Director of IAD, and the Commander/Director of the involved employee (s).
The complainant is notified in writing with the results of the investigation.
No. Initiating an internal affairs complaint will not make your charges go away. Only the courts and the State’s Attorneys Office can resolve any charges placed against you by the police.
If the investigation fails to sustain any misconduct, you will receive a letter from the Director of the Internal Affairs Division advising you of the outcome. If misconduct is established, a disciplinary recommendation will be offered to the employee. If the employee accepts that recommendation the matter will be concluded. Should the employee decline the offer, the matter will follow established procedures. In the case of a civilian employee, a grievance process is implemented. In those cases involving police officers, an administrative hearing will be convened and testimony will be taken under oath. As a complainant you may be called to testify. In all cases, the complainant will be notified of the investigative results.
Under Maryland State Law,you will be informed of any disciplinary action taken at the conclusion of the investigation / appeals/grievance process.
