NEWS & NOTES

OFFICIALS & STAFF

RECYCLING

POLICE DEPARTMENT

BYRNES MILL
PARK

PHOTOS OF OUR CITY

LOCATION OF OUR CITY

NO MORE
TRASH

CLEAN STREAMS

Police Department Policy and Responsibilities
Certain responsibilities and authority have been granted to the City of Byrnes Mill Police Department by the state of Missouri and the citizens of Byrnes Mill. The Police Department recognizes its responsibility to maintain the public confidence and trust, and the need to ensure integrity and accountability both by the agency and by each employee. As we recognize the rights of all citizens, citizens should recognize that Police Department employees must be free to exercise their best judgement in taking necessary and reasonable action in the performance of their duties without fear of reprisal. Specific complaint procedures have been adopted by the City of Byrnes Mill to ensure that fair and proper action is taken when an employee is accused of misconduct. This also protects employees from unwarranted or false accusations. Additionally, this system provides a means of identifying and correcting deficiencies in policies, procedures, or training.

• Who may make a complaint?
  Any citizen or employee may make a complaint. Normally, the person most directly affected by the alleged conduct should be the person to complain. An example of this is: A complaint of rudeness to driver should be made by the driver, not a passenger in the vehicle. Exceptions to this would include a parent filing a complaint for a minor child or other similar situations.
• In what form should complaints be made?
  Complaints must be made by submitting an official complaint form. This form may be obtained from City Hall or may be downloaded (in ".pdf" format) and printed from the City of Byrnes Mill official web site, www.byrnesmill.org. Complaints should concisely and specifically describe the conduct of the employee they feel was improper. Rather than say the employee was rude, explain how the employee was rude by providing the specific words or phrases used, describing the employees tone of voice, or citing particular acts of rudeness. Identify the employee as much as possible. This can be accomplished by providing the employee's name, badge number, patrol vehicle number, and the date, time, and location of the incident. Officers are required by policy to properly identify themselves upon request. If available, include the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all witnesses. The complaint form contains an affirmation to the truth of the information provided and a precautionary statement regarding false allegations. This statement is not intended to prevent persons from lodging legitimate, factual complaints, but is intended to forewarn persons making false or malicious statements that employees, like all persons, have legal recourse for such action, and that action cannot be regulated by the City of Byrnes Mill. Complaints should be made within a reasonable time after the alleged misconduct occurred to help ensure evidence is still available and recollections of the incident are fresh.
• How should complaints be submitted?
  Complaints may be hand delivered or mailed to City Hall. In either case, please enclose the complaint in an envelope and address it to the following:
  City of Byrnes Mill
  Professional Standards
  127 Osage Executive Circle
  Byrnes Mill, MO 63051

• What can be the subject of a complaint?
  The focus of complaint procedures is on alleged misconduct by an employee. This encompasses violations of laws or Police Department rules and regulations. A disagreement with a policy or law, or the application of a policy or law, is not considered a "complaint" and should be brought directly to the Board of Aldermen for consideration.
• How does making a complaint affect present or future charges against me?
  Any charges or legal issues must be decided by the appropriate court. The investigation of a complaint will focus on the conduct of the employee, not the charges against them. Therefore, any charges against the employee are a separate issue which they will have to resolve in court. Employees are prohibited from retaliating against a complainant for reporting truthful information in lodging a complaint against them.
• The Investigative Process
  Every complaint of misconduct by an employee will be investigated. Upon receipt of a complaint, the City Administrator will send a letter to the complainant acknowledging receipt of the complaint and the assigned complaint number. Every member of the Board of Aldermen and the Mayor will receive a copy of the complaint for their review. The City Administrator will conduct or direct an investigation that will include contacting the complainant, the accused employee, and witnesses; examine physical evidence; review reports and records; and thoroughly document the facts surrounding the incident. The investigator's report and recommended action will be submitted to the Board of Aldermen for consideration. Disciplinary action will be initiated when deemed appropriate, and the City Administrator will write a letter to the person who signed the complaint summarizing the results of the investigation.
• Withdrawing a Complaint
  A person may voluntarily withdraw a complaint at any time by signing a Complaint Withdrawal form. The form is available at City Hall and right here on the website. The City may, however, elect to continue the investigation if circumstances warrant.
• Questions?
  Questions or comments about the complaint process should be directed to: City of Byrnes Mill
  Board of Aldermen
  127 Osage Executive Circle
  Byrnes Mill, MO 63051
  
  

  HOME

  
  
  Byrnes Mill City Hall
  127 Osage Executive Circle
  Byrnes Mill, MO 63051
  Phone: (636) 677-7727
  Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - 9:00 to 4:30
  Wednesday - 9:00 to 7:00
  

  Copyright (c) City of Byrnes Mill 2007