The Complaint Process

When you make a complaint, the dispatch centre will ask for your full name and address, and a phone number where you can be reached (home, work, and or cell.) It is important to provide accurate information so the investigating officer can best assist you. All of your personal information is kept strictly confidential. You will also be asked for basic information about the situation you wish to report such as where it is occurring and any other pertinent details.

After the dispatch centre collects the required information, a Peace Officer is assigned to begin investigating the matter. The officer may need to contact you for more detailed information such as the names of parties involved (if known), the date(s) and time(s) the occurrence happened, a specific address or the location where it occurred, what you saw or heard, and the outcome you are hoping to achieve. At this stage, it is helpful to provide as much detail as you can to the officer to describe the matter you are reporting.

Once initiated, your complaint, along with all the information provided, is recorded in a file which remains open until the matter is concluded. Any action taken will take into consideration the outcome you are hoping to achieve in conjunction with the discretion of the investigating officer.

During the course of an investigation, you may be required to provide a written statement of what you observed and you may need to testify in court as a witness. If you are not willing to provide a statement or testify in court, the officer will likely not be able to lay a charge and the only course of action may be to give the offender(s) a warning.

At the conclusion of an investigation, the Peace Officer will inform you of any action(s) taken and the final outcome. Steps that may be taken to resolve the complaint include:

• Educate the offender(s)
• Provide an opportunity for compliance
• Request compliance and set a time frame to resolve the matter
• Issue a warning
• Issue a ticket with a voluntary fine amount
• Issue a summons requiring appearance in court (the accused may still have the option to comply before going to court)