Internal Affairs Complaint Investigations - News Release

NEWS RELEASE
City of Takoma Park Police Department
● 7500 Maple Avenue ● Takoma Park, Md 20912

For more information contact:
Public Information Officer (PIO)
Catherine Plevy, 301/891.7142 or 240/338.2901

February 3, 2012 (5:25 p.m.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMPLAINT INVESTIGATIONS

Chief Ricucci of the Takoma Park Police Department announces that, in keeping with the Police Department’s policy directives that require investigations of all complaints against the department or its employees, and that annual statistical summaries of such investigations by the internal affairs function be made available to the public, the following is the Takoma Park Police Department’s Summary of Complaints for calendar year (CY) 2011.

Twenty-one formal complaints were recorded and all 21 were subjected to internal affairs investigations. Thirteen complaints were submitted by citizens and the other eight were generated internally by employees, the Chief of Police or the Command Staff. There were no complaints referred anonymously. Subjects of the complaints included a total of 12 sworn officers, some of whom were involved in more than one complaint. Two civilian employees were the subjects of four complaints (three against one employee and one against the other employee).

Two of the 21 CY2011 formal complaint investigations remained in a pending status at years-end, i.e., a disposition had not been made; eleven were completed with determinations that the complaints were unfounded; and eight resulted in findings of improper conduct and disciplinary measures warranted. The disciplinary measures taken included: (a) one termination from duty; (b) a 1-day suspension from duty; (c) three written reprimands; (d) three verbal counselings; and (e) one implementation of a work action plan.

Residents are reminded that the process for making a complaint against a police employee is detailed on the City Police Web Page (which is currently under construction) and in flyers available to the public in the Police Department lobby.