When a complaint is sent for investigation, it is assigned to one of OPC’s staff investigators.  The investigator interviews the complainant, subject officer, and any witnesses the complainant identifies, in addition to attempting to locate and interview any other police or non-police witnesses who may be able to provide relevant information.  The investigator also collects and reviews other evidence, including MPD documents, hospital records, materials from other sources, the scene of the incident, and any other relevant information.  When the investigation is complete, the investigator drafts an investigative report, which, along with all the evidence gathered in the investigation, is reviewed by a supervisor.  The executive director then reviews the report of the findings of the investigation, and determines if the complaint should be dismissed, which requires the concurrence of one PCB member, or referred to a complaint examiner for review and a decision on the merits of the complaint. 

A flow chart depicting the complaint process is included in Graphic A.  In addition, OPC’s three principal methods of resolving complaints – dismissal, mediation, and complaint examination – are discussed in more detail below: 

• Graphic A: OPC Complaint Process* 
• Dismissal
• Mediation
• Complaint Examination

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