Citizen Compliment / Complaint

The San Leandro Police Department is committed to providing high quality police service to our community. In order to be responsive to community needs, it is important to receive citizen input.

We encourage recommendations from the public on ways to improve our services. We welcome commendations for personnel who perform their duties exceptionally well and inquiries or complaints about questionable performance, actions, policies and procedures.

Your constructive comments regarding our quality of work will help us maintain our high standards as a police agency. Whether you live, work or play in San Leandro, our goal is to provide a safe environment for you and provide the highest level of police service we can.

A Citizen's Inquiry is any contact with a citizen in reference to an issue of concern which does not require a formal investigation. The Citizen's Inquiry process seeks to resolve the issue at an informal level, to the satisfaction of the citizen, through discussion, explanation or clarification. Citizen's Inquiries are generally handled by an on-duty supervisor. A Citizen's Inquiry that is not resolved can become a formal Citizen's Complaint.

There are times when the actions of an employee may appear to be inappropriate, but are procedurally and legally correct. This happens sometimes with issues of search and seizure, or self-incrimination warnings (Miranda Admonitions). We invite you to ask these types of questions, and we will seek to respond quickly to your inquiry. Usually, this can be done by the supervisor or watch commander.

A Citizen's Complaint is a formal documentation involving a complaint against personnel or against Department policy or procedure which was not resolved through the Citizen Inquiry process or due to the serious nature of the allegation(s). All Citizen's Complaints are forwarded to the Professional Standards and Training Unit for review. When appropriate, the Professional Standards and Training Unit will then assign the complaint to an investigator for follow-up. The investigation will usually include a review of all applicable reports, policies and procedures, examination of any evidence or medical records and interviews with all parties involved.

Any person who witnessed an incident, who feels the Police Department treated him or her in an adverse manner, or has direct or well founded knowledge of inappropriate actions by any police employee, may make a complaint.

Complaints may take a day and up to months to complete depending on the complexity of it. Generally, an investigation is completed within 60 calendar days. Our goal as an agency is to conduct thorough yet timely investigations to bring resolution to the incident. We strive to be as responsive as we can to our community.

During the investigation, the complainant along with all witnesses, will be interviewed in detail concerning the incident. Once an investigation is concluded, a disposition will be determined. If an employee contests a finding, complainants may be asked to testify in a Civil Service Hearing or before an Arbitrator. If the investigation leads to the filing of a criminal complaint and the matter goes to trial, you may be required to testify in court.

There are several ways to file a citizen complaint:

1. Call San Leandro Police Department's Professional Standards and Training Unit during business hours at 510-577-3280
2. In person at the Police Department
3. Contact the on duty Watch Commander at 510-577-2740
4. Print and fill out the attached Citizen Comment Form (PDF). Once completed, send to:
   San Leandro Police Department
   901 E 14th Street
   San Leandro, CA 94577