1. Think about using Local Resolution

If your complaint is minor, think about using Local Resolution. With Local Resolution, you go to the police station involved and work directly with them to deal with your complaint.

The chief of police assigns an officer at every police station to handle minor complaints. That officer will work with you to deal with your complaint.

Here are a few examples of issues that are suitable for Local Resolution:

• the police used profane language
• the police didn’t treat or protect you fairly and equally
• the police damaged your personal property
• the police didn’t do their job

For a complete list of issues suitable for Location Resolution, see the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) booklet.

Matters that are resolved through Local Resolution aren’t considered official complaints.

Resolving the complaint

The officer may use a variety of methods to resolve your complaint. For example, the officer might:

• talk to you in person
• help you communicate with the officers involved
• arrange for you to meet with the officers involved
• arrange for a person who was not involved in the dispute to join the meeting to help resolve the complaint

The police must resolve your issue within 30 days. If they’re not able to resolve your issue within 30 days, the police can ask the OIPRD for more time. If they’re still not able to resolve it, the police must forward your complaint to the OIPRD. The OIPRD will deal with your matter as an official complaint.

If your complaint is resolved through Local Resolution, you will not need to complete any more steps.