Frequently Asked Questions

A complaint is an allegation by a member of the public in which the complainant is dissatisfied with a department member's actions or the Lafayette Police Department (LPD) itself. The allegation must involve violations of law or of the LPD policies and procedures. A complaint involves an administrative process where discipline may be imposed by the LPD. This must not be confused with criminal charges, which are filed by the Prosecuting Attorney's office or a civil suit, which is brought against the City of Lafayette for damages.

A personnel complaint may be made by anyone. If the complainant is under the age of 18, then the complainant must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when coming to the Internal Affairs Unit.

A complaint may be made by telephone, by mail, by email or in person. The department is interested in learning of your concerns about police misconduct or a need for improvement in our delivery of services. Once a complaint is received, it is documented for historical purposes.

Regardless of where the complaint is initiated, the Internal Affairs Unit (IA), as a part of the Administrative Services Division, is always responsible for the investigation. Typically, the investigator will retrieve police reports, medical records, photographs, and other physical evidence if available. The investigator may also interview the complainant, witnesses and the subject officer. All complaints are reviewed by the Captain of Administrative Services who oversees the entire complaint process and reports the results to the Chief's Office.

The allegations must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence. This means that, considering all the evidence, it must be more likely than not that the misconduct occurred. If the allegations are proven, the case will be sustained and discipline may be imposed on the subject officer.

Complainants will receive periodic written notice of the status of their case and once the case is completed, the investigator will notify the complainant of the finding in the case. State law prohibits Internal Affairs (IA) from revealing details of the investigation to the complainant; however the complainants may call the IA or the Captain of Administrative Services at 765-807-1200 with questions about their case.