Collingswood Police Department - File a Complaint
Internal Affairs
The Collingswood Police Department is committed to ensuring the integrity of the Department and its employees by investigating all allegations of employee misconduct from any source, outside or inside the Department including third-party and anonymous complaints. The Internal Affairs Unit reports directly to the Chief of Police and is charged with administering the investigative and disciplinary processes for the Collingswood Police Department. The primary mission of the Internal Affairs Unit is to assure that the members of the Collingswood Police meet the highest standards of integrity and ethical performance.
To help maintain integrity, our Department has gone to great lengths to insure accessibility to our Internal Affairs Unit by as many means possible, to include telephone, fax, mail, email, and walk-in access.
Phone: 856-854-1901 x223
Fax: 856-854-1867
Email: flee@collingswood.com
PD Complaint/Commendation form here.
The Collingswood Department is dedicated to providing the best possible police service to the citizens it serves. Officers are carefully selected and receive the best possible training to help them perform their duties in a fair, honest, impartial, and professional manner. Your assistance helps the Collingswood Police maintain the integrity of the organization. If you feel strongly about the conduct of an officer, positively or negatively, please let us know.
The Four A’s of Internal Affairs:
1. ANYONE – Any individual must be permitted to file an Internal Affairs complaint. It can be a victim, a friend of the victim, a parent, a juvenile (with or without parents), an illegal alien (we are not permitted to ask about immigration status) or it can be anonymous. ANYONE means ANYONE.
2. ANY WAY – An Internal Affairs complaint can be filed in ANY WAY. It could be filed by phone, by letter, written on a napkin, in person… Whatever is best for the person filing. We cannot make someone show up in person or swear the statement to initiate the complaint process.
3. ANY TIME – A complaint must be taken regardless of the hour or day of the week. At no time should a complaint be told to return later, even if the IA officer is unavailable. ANY law enforcement officer or civilian employee must take a complaint.
4. ANYTHING – As long as a complaint has sufficient factual information, the complaint must be investigated. It is predicated upon the victim’s view of the situation.
LAW ENFORCEMENT MUST AVOID ANY LANGUAGE THAT IS DESIGNED TO DISSUADE SOMEBODY FROM FILING A COMPLAINT
What to Expect During an Internal Affairs Investigation:
1. Your complaint will be sent to a superior officer or a specially trained internal affairs investigator who will conduct a thorough and objective investigation.
2. You might be asked to help in the investigation by giving a detailed statement about what happened or providing other important information.
3. All complaints against law enforcement officers are thoroughly investigated. You will be advised in writing of the outcome.
4. If our investigation shows that a crime might have been committed, the County Prosecutor will be notified. You may be asked to testify in court.
5. If our investigation results in an officer being charged with a violation of department rules or regulations, you may be asked to testify in a departmental hearing.
6. If our investigation shows that the complaint is unfounded or that the officer acted properly, the matter will be closed.
7. All disciplinary hearings shall be closed to the public unless the defendant officer requests an open hearing.
N.J.S. 2C:28-3 Unsworn Falsification to Authorities states, ” A person commits a crime of the fourth degree if he makes a written false statement which he does not believe to be true, on or pursuant to a form bearing notice, authorized by law, to the affect that false statements made therein are punishable.” Those who provide false information to members of the Internal Affairs Unit will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Outcomes of Investigation:
-Not Sustained – The investigation failed to produce a preponderance of evidence to either prove or disprove the allegation;
-Exonerated – The allegation in fact did occur but the actions of the employee were legal, justified, proper and in conformance with the law and department policy and procedure;
-Unfounded – The allegation concerned an act by a department employee which did not occur; or
-Sustained – The investigation produced a preponderance of evidence to prove the allegation of an act which was determined to be misconduct