The Lincoln Police Department is proud of the men and women who have dedicated their careers to law enforcement. We are committed to setting the standard for providing excellent service and maintaining the professionalism of the department. In order to ensure that we continue to provide excellent service, we must carefully implement policies and procedures, properly train and supervise our employees, and hold our organization accountable for its actions and those of its employees.
As your Chief of Police, I encourage you to contact the department with any questions or concerns you may have regarding our policies, procedures, employees, or any other situations you feel need to be addressed. Our first line supervisors are responsible for addressing any concerns regarding the actions of their employees. Should this situation arise, please contact the department and ask to speak with the Watch Commander. The Watch Commander on duty will contact you as soon as possible. Most issues that are addressed by the Watch Commander are resolved satisfactorily.
If you feel that your questions or concerns have not been addressed to your satisfaction, or, if you would prefer not to discuss the matter with the Watch Commander, you may submit these issues to me in writing. The matter will then be investigated as quickly and as professionally as possible. The outcome of the investigation could result in: updating or changing our policies and procedures, counseling or disciplining the involved employee(s), or determining that there was no wrong doing in the matter. In any case, you will be notified with the outcome of the investigation, however, the state law precludes us from providing any information on specific action taken against employees.
California Penal Code Section 832.5 (a) states:
“Each department or agency in this State which employs peace officers shall establish a procedure to investigate citizens' complaints against the personnel of such departments or agencies, and shall make a written description of the procedure available to the public.”
Penal Code Section 148.6 (b) states that any law enforcement agency who accepts a concern of misconduct against a peace officer shall require the complainant read and sign the following statement:
“You have the right to make a complaint against a police officer for any improper police conduct. California law requires this agency to have a procedure to investigate citizen's complaints. You have a right to a written description of this procedure. This agency may find after investigation that there is not enough evidence to warrant action on your complaint; even if that is the case, you have the right to make the complaint and have it investigated if you believe an officer behaved improperly. Citizen complaints must be retained by the this agency for at least five years. It is against the law to make a complaint you know to be false. If you make a complaint against an officer knowing that it is false, you can be prosecuted on a misdemeanor charge."
Should you desire to file a formal complaint against an employee, you may access the form here or come to the Lincoln Police Department, day or night.
Matt Alves, Chief of Police