ADMINISTRATION DIVISION PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS The primary responsibility of Professional Standards is to ensure the integrity of the Owatonna Police Department and monitor the relationship between the community and the department, striving to create mutual trust. 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 2012, there were 20 internal investigations conducted involving twenty-one employees. These investigations resulted in twelve disciplinary actions, including six oral reprimands, four written reprimands, one one-day suspension from duty and one three-day suspension from duty. Disciplinary actions can include oral and written reprimands, suspensions, demotions or terminations. Five 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; or 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 withdrew from the department. And finally, in two of the investigations, the complainants voluntarily withdrew their formal complaints against the officers. In 2012, there was one allegation of criminal activity brought against an employee of the Owatonna Police Department; the investigation was conducted by the Mankato Department of Public Safety and in March of 2013 resulted in a conviction for disorderly conduct.
OWATONNA POLICE DEPARTMENT 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
