Police Complaint Process

The primary purpose of the Citizen Police Review Board is to act as a fact-finding body in cases involving unresolved citizen complaints against employees of the Winston-Salem Police Department. If you need to bring a complaint against a police department employee, be sure to note the date and time of day of the incident and include as much specific information as possible about the incident. When possible, identify the police department employee by name and include the names and addresses of any witnesses to the incident.

Process


The complaint process is as follows:

  1. You may file a police complaint with the police officer's supervisor or with the Human Relations/D.E.I. Department, the City Clerk's Office, or the Police Department's Internal Affairs Section for the Police Chief's review and decision.
  2. If you are not satisfied with the decision of the Police Chief, you may appeal her decision to the Citizen Police Review Board by filing a notice with the City Clerk's Office.
  3. If the Citizen Police Review Board decides to hold a hearing, you will be notified of this decision in writing stating the time, date, and place of the hearing.
  4. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Citizen Police Review Board will consider all the information received and prepare a report on its findings. This report will be presented to the City Manager for his actions. The City Manager will advise you in writing of his resolution of your complaint. This is the final step in the administrative process to resolve a citizen complaint.