The Jonesboro Police Department believes the public has a right to expect efficient, fair and impartial law enforcement from officers.  Occasionally, citizens may have an interaction with an officer that lowers the esteem of the entire department in their eyes.  For such occurrences, we have a mechanism in place for citizens to file complaints.

An officer complaint may be lodged any time day or night by either telephoning the supervisor on duty at (870) 935-5562 and voicing the complaint or by downloading a complaint form and bringing it in person or sending it to the Jonesboro Police Department at 410 West Washington.  Click here to download a Citizen Complaint Form.

Complaints are handled in one of two ways: Complaints of a less severe nature may be handled by the officer's supervisor through a counseling session or other means.  More serious complaints are reviewed by the Chief of Police and investigated by the department's Office of Professional Standards.

The Office of Professional Standards is located with the Administrative Services division.  Each complaint is thoroughly investigated and will be completed in a timely manner.  At the conclusion of an investigation, one of the following dispositions must be given:

• Unfounded - The act complained of did not occur
• Exonerated - The act occurred, but was justified, lawful and proper
• Not Sustained - Insufficient evidence available to prove or disprove the allegation
• Sustained - The act did occur and constitutes misconduct

 

During 2009, the internal affairs unit handled a total of sixty-seven complaints, sixty-two of which were minor complaints or internal disciplinary actions of a minor nature. These numbers reflect a slight decrease in externally generated complaints, as well as a slight increase in internally generated issues, lending to the expectation that the department is engaging in a more vigorous campaign of self discipline, resulting in fewer complaints from external sources. Many of the minor complaints from external sources were determined to be unfounded and many of those determinations can be credited to the extensive implementation and use of digital video and the ability to readily review minor complaints of alleged rudeness, etc. by officers during citizen contact.

The Jonesboro Police Department is committed to providing service in the most professional manner possible and we make every effort to assure that the confidence placed in us by the citizens is guarded against actions that will demean or lessen that trust. This summary and information is being made available as a part of our ongoing effort to maintain a professional department and continue to protect the confidence placed in us by the citizens we serve.