Complaint Policy and Procedures

Complaint Policy:

The members of the Lawrence Township Police Department are committed to providing law enforcement services that are fair, effective and impartially applied. It is in the best interest of everyone that your complaint about the inappropriate performance of an individual officer is resolved both fairly and promptly. The Lawrence Township Police Department has formal procedures for investigating your complaint. These procedures ensure fairness and protect the rights of both citizens and police officers.

•  The Internal Affairs function is governed by State of New Jersey law, specifically N.J.S.A. 40A:14-181.
•  The Attorney General of the State of New Jersey has issued guidelines for police departments to follow in matters of internal police investigations.
•  Because of the nature of administrative personnel investigations, the Internal Affairs process takes time.
•  All Internal Affairs matters are kept confidential.

Registering a Complaint:

A complaint may be filed by any individual, including anonymous complaints. Anonymous complaints are accepted with the understanding that a follow-up investigation is more difficult when the complainant is unknown. Complaints may be registered at the police department, via phone, by the mail or e-mail, or by completing a complaint form. Complainants are asked to complete a complaint form, which includes a statement of the facts known to the person at that time. Complaint forms may be found at the Lawrence Township Police Department or downloaded here or (Arabic, Chinese, Haitian, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese). Additional information can be found here Citizen Complaint Information Sheet or (Arabic, Chinese, Haitian, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese). A complaint form can be left at the police station or mailed in to the Chief of Police’s office.

A complaint form can be left at the police station or mailed in to the Chief of Police’s office.

•  Your complaint will be sent to a superior officer or a specially trained internal affairs officer who will conduct a thorough and objective investigation.
•  You may be asked to help in the investigation by giving a detailed statement about what happened or providing other important information.
•  All complaints against police officers are thoroughly investigated. You will be advised in writing of the outcome of the investigation.
•  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.
•  If our investigation results in an officer being charged with a violation of department rules, you may be asked to testify in a departmental hearing.
•  If our investigation shows that the complaint is unfounded or that the officer acted properly, the matter will be closed.
•  Disciplinary hearings are closed to the public unless the defendant officer requests an open hearing.

You may call the Internal Affairs Unit at 609.896.1111 with any additional information or any questions about the case.

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