GlossaryStaffing, accountability, and public reporting
Citizen complaint
A citizen complaint is a complaint made by a member of the public about police conduct or service under an agency's complaint process.
A citizen complaint is a complaint made by a member of the public about police conduct or service under an agency's complaint process. The customary term does not establish that only U.S. citizens may complain. A complaint records a concern or allegation; it is different from a sustained finding, disciplinary action, or criminal conviction.
How to read the entry
Philadelphia's complaint guidance describes complaints received by civilian oversight and forwarded to police internal affairs for review. Other jurisdictions arrange intake and investigation differently, so the office receiving a complaint may not make the final decision.
A complaint can contain several allegations and involve more than one employee. A report should distinguish complaints, allegations, people, investigations, and findings. Those totals need not be equal.
Example
Hypothetical example: One resident submits a complaint about two officers, raising three policy concerns. An annual report counts one complaint, three allegations, and two involved employees.
All three totals can be accurate because they count different units. A summary saying “three proven misconduct cases” would be wrong: the example describes allegations at intake, not completed findings.
Common confusion
A complaint disposition describes the review's outcome under local definitions. The terms used for insufficient evidence, conduct within policy, or substantiated allegations may differ across agencies.
An increase in complaints does not by itself show an increase in misconduct. Access to complaint channels, public awareness, recording practice, and conduct can all affect the number received.
Local scope
Read the complaint policy for eligible subjects, intake methods, investigation responsibility, findings, and review or appeal arrangements. For statistics, identify whether the report uses received dates or closed dates. A complaint opened this year can be resolved in a later reporting period.