File a Compliment or Complaint for an Officer or Department Employee
It is our goal to serve our community to the best of our ability. We always welcome and appreciate opportunities to hear about how we are doing.
To file a formal compliment, or to thank an officer regarding their actions or performance, there are two ways to do so.
1. Call the police department at 815-459-2151 ext. 2 and ask to speak with the officer or department employee’s supervisor to verbally communicate your interaction with the officer and your compliment.
2. Write a letter to the officer or department employee’s sergeant, divisional chief, or the Chief of Police:
Lakewood Police Department
C/O Chief of Police
2500 Lake Avenue
Village of Lakewood, Illinois 60014
Commendation letters will be forwarded to the officer or department employee and a copy of the letter placed in the employee’s permanent personnel file.
File a Personnel Complaint regarding an Officer or Department Employee
A personnel complaint is an allegation of misconduct or improper job performance that, if accurate and proven to be true, would represent misconduct under the police department’s policies and procedures. For example, this may include, but is not limited to use of unnecessary or excessive force; unlawful arrests; unlawful searches and seizures; theft or destruction of property; first amendment violations; dishonesty; violation of local, state, or federal laws and police regulations; failure to provide identification; failure to provide a service or allegations that bias toward the complainant/suspect was evidenced through language or behavior demonstrating a bias based factors such as race, ethnicity, immigrant status, socio economic status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification.
A person upset solely based on being the recipient of a citation or being the subject of an arrest without misconduct on the behalf of an employee does not rise to the level of a complaint and is encouraged to speak with an attorney or discuss the matter during court.
Complaints may be filed in person by coming to the police department (2500 Lake Avenue), and filing out a complaint form that will be provided to you. Anonymous complaints, or complaints from citizens who wish his/her name to be held in confidence will be accepted.
Anyone may file a personnel complaint at any time to the police department as the police department is open and operations 24/7. It does not have to wait until regular business hours.
Complaints will be accepted by any on-duty supervisor. If the complainant is against supervisory personnel, the complaint will be referred to the Chief of Police. If a citizen requests to make a complaint to a non-supervisory staff member, that citizen will be directed to a supervisor, and the member receiving the complaint shall immediately notify the on-duty supervisor of the complaint.
The supervisor will listen to your complaint to see what, if any, laws, policies, or procedures may have been violated. Upon making such a determination, a complaint report will be generated. The supervisor may ask if you would assist in the complaint documentation with a written narrative in the complainant reporting form. An investigation will be conducted into all complaints; therefore, it is imperative that enough information be provided to thoroughly investigate a complaint.
An officer accused of wrongdoing will be told about the complaint as per their rights under the Uniform Peace Officer’s Disciplinary Act, 50 ILCS 725. The act states that “no officer shall be subjected to interrogation without first being informed in writing of the nature of the investigation. The information shall be sufficient as to reasonably apprise the officer of the nature of the investigation.” Officers under investigation are not required to be informed of the name, rank and unit or command of the officer in charge of the investigation. Anyone filing a complaint against a sworn officer is no longer required to sign an affidavit or any other legal documentation in support of the complaint.
Non-sworn employees are entitled to receive a notice of rights and allegations as set forth in the provisions of 65 ILCS 5/10-1-18. The statue states that “Except as hereinafter provided in this Section, no officer or employee in the classified civil service of any municipality who is appointed under the rules and after examination, may be removed or discharged, or suspended for a period of more than 30 days, except for cause upon written charges and after an opportunity to be heard in his own defense.
The department strives to complete any internal investigation in a timely manner. We will complete a thorough investigation of the compliant. As such, the nature of the complaint itself and its overall complexity will be key factors into the time required to complete the investigation. The department will make reasonable efforts to keep the complainant advised of the progress of the investigation. Once the investigation has concluded, the complainant will be notified.
The outcome of the investigation dictates the resulting actions taken with the employee or employees. If the employee’s actions were criminal, the information will be forwarded to the State’s Attorney’s Office. If the actions were improper but not criminal, the employee will be disciplined according to the department’s policies and procedures. This procedure will not only subject employees to corrective action when improper conduct is determined, but will also serve to exonerate personnel from unwarranted charges or criticisms when their actions were proper.
The complainant and the accused employee or employees are notified of the results of the investigation and the disposition of the case. Because of privacy laws, you will be advised of the outcome of the case but not the specific facts of the investigation. The Lakewood Police Department cannot release to you any type of disciplinary action taken. It is possible that parts of the complaint may be sustained and other parts not sustained.
PLEASE NOTE: Any Complaint, having been found, in total or in part, to contain false information, shall be presented to the appropriate State's Attorney for a determination of prosecution.