Integrity of the Owatonna Police Department The primary responsibility of Professional Standards is to ensure the integrity of the department and to monitor the relationship between the community and the department, striving to create mutual trust. As an organization, we try very hard to provide quality customer service to all of our citizens. Policing is a very difficult and complex job in today's society; we realize that mistakes can be made and that the actions of our personnel may fall short of expectations. Professional Standards serves as a method of internal accountability by receiving, processing and investigating complaints concerning police conduct. These complaints may allege violations of criminal law, department policy or officer performance and may originate from outside sources or from within the agency. The Owatonna Police Department makes every effort to act with professionalism and integrity in everything we do. However, in the event a complaint against an officer is received, an internal affairs investigation is initiated in an attempt to determine whether the act of misconduct occurred and disciplinary or corrective action is necessary or if the officer acted in a justified, lawful or proper manner. If criminal wrongdoing is alleged, the Owatonna Police Department often requests an outside law enforcement agency complete the criminal investigation. In 2013, there were seventeen internal investigations conducted involving thirty-three employees. These investigations resulted in nine disciplinary actions—including six oral reprimands and three written reprimands. Disciplinary actions can include oral and written reprimands, suspensions, demotions or terminations. Seven of the investigations exonerated the officer(s), meaning that after a fair preponderance of the evidence, the act or acts complained of did not occur; the agency member named in the complaint was not involved in the alleged misconduct; or the acts that provided for the complaint occurred; however, the investigation revealed the act(s) were justified, lawful or proper. One investigation was halted when the employee voluntarily resigned from the department.
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2013 ANNUAL REPORT
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