Submit Police Complaint - Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner

Your Contact Details

Please provide contact details so we may reach you. Your email address and phone numbers will help us contact you directly.
When you see the star symbol * the information is required so your complaint can be processed.

Title

First Name*

Last Name*

Mailing Address

City/Town

Province

Postal Code

Contact Phone Number*

Alternate Phone Number

Email Address*

Date of Birth*

If you would like to, please let us know how you wish to be addressed (she/her, they/them, he/him):

If you have a disability, accommodations are available. Please indicate how we may accommodate your needs

OPTIONAL: Demographic (Background) Information

Answering questions about your gender and ethnicity or cultural background is your choice. It will not affect any service we provide or decision we make if you choose not to answer the questions.

We find the information very helpful in delivering our services. We collect information about people submitting complaints and review it to ensure that we are meeting the needs of groups and individuals who may not be well-represented in the complaints process. This personal information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with police departments or police boards.

We are required to report to the public on the information collected, but it is grouped together so no individual person can be identified. This includes statistical demographics such as age, gender, and ethnicity (following section 177(2)(e)(i) of the BC Police Act (2010)). These reports will not contain any information that could identify you. If you have questions about how we collect demographic information, please contact us at info@opcc.bc.ca

Gender

Please identify your gender

Ethnicity

Please note, the examples and descriptions below are not a complete list of all ethnic backgrounds. Select all boxes showing which you think best describe your ethnicity.

Black - African, Afro-Caribbean, African Canadian ancestry

Indigenous – First Nations, Inuit, Inuk, Métis ancestry

Latino – Latin American or Hispanic ancestry

Asian – Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, other Southeast Asian ancestry

Middle Eastern – Arab, Afghani, Turkish, Kurdish, Persian, West Asian ancestry

South Asian – Indian Subcontinent ancestry, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Indo-Caribbean ancestry

White –European ancestry

Another ethnic group—please identify

Complaint Information

When did the incident happen?*

What time did it occur?

Hours

Minutes

AM/PM

Where did the incident happen?

Name of the police department involved, if known. Choose from this menu*

Complaints regarding RCMP members should be sent to the Civilian Review and Complaints Commissioner (CRCC) for the RCMP. They are an independent agency that reviews complaints made by the public about the on-duty conduct of RCMP members.

To make a complaint with the CRCC you can visit their site at www.crcc-ccetp.gc.ca

Name or badge number of the officer(s), if known

Police file number, if known

Were there any witnesses? If so, please list their names and contact information

Describe your injuries (if any)

If you received treatment for your injuries, please indicate when and where you received it:

Choose the type of complaint you are filing

Police Complaints

Is your complaint about the conduct (behaviour, words, or actions) of a police officer?

If yes, this is a Police Complaint. Every Police Complaint is processed and reviewed by the OPCC to decide if it will go for investigation. You will receive a letter outlining the OPCC’s decision. If your complaint goes for investigation, you will have certain rights.

Your rights under the BC Police Act include:

participating in a Complaint Resolution process or Mediation.
being kept informed of the progress of your complaint investigation.
receiving a final report.
providing input on what discipline or correction you feel the officer should receive.
requesting a review of the decision if you are not satisfied with the results.

Service or Policy Complaints

Is your complaint about the services or policies of a police department?

If yes, this is a Service or Policy Complaint. These complaints are reviewed by the police board of the municipal police department. The Police Complaint Commissioner may make recommendations to a Police Board or the Director of Police Services as a result of a Service or Policy Complaint.

Service or Policy complaints can include concerns about a police department's:

policies (rules and standards that guide how police deliver their service).
training in particular areas.
services (how effective or efficient the police respond to requests for assistance).

Choose the type of complaint you are filing

Police Complaint

Service or Policy

Unknown

Complaint Description

Describe in detail what specifically caused you to make a complaint. Use the space below and attach more pages if needed. Consider describing:

what the officer(s) said, did, or did not do.
what you think the officer(s) should have done or said.
any injury or damage as a result of what the officer(s) did or did not do.
evidence of the incident(s) you have, such as photos, audio, video, medical records.
the police department’s policy that you may have a concern about.

If this happened to someone else and you are a witness to the incident, include the name and contact information of the person this happened to (if known).

Complaint Details

Complaint Resolution

There may be an opportunity for you to work with the police department and resolve the complaint together through an alternative dispute resolution process called Complaint Resolution. Complaint Resolution is different from a Formal Investigation. The main goal is to give you a chance to share your views and hear the officer’s views about the incident. You do not have to meet the officer to participate in Complaint Resolution. If the process is successful, a formal resolution agreement between you and the officer is prepared, which is kept confidential.

Are you interested in participating in Complaint Resolution?*

Yes

My Statement

I certify that this information is true to the best of my knowledge. I understand:

that this complaint may be investigated by the Professional Standards Unit of the department I am complaining about, and will be monitored by the OPCC.
this complaint will be given to the Chief Constable of the department I am complaining about, by someone from their Professional Standards Unit or Police Board.
a Professional Standards Investigator or an OPCC Investigative Analyst may contact me for more information and may request my participation in the investigation, including providing a an additional statement.

Please write first and last name here*

Date Signed*

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy

The personal information that you have provided on this Complaint Form is collected by the OPCC under the Police Act and in accordance with the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA). The information will be used to investigate your complaint.

If you have any questions about privacy protection, please contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC at (250) 387-5629, info@oipc.bc.ca or visit, https://www.oipc.bc.ca

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Your Contact Details

OPTIONAL: Demographic (Background) Information

Complaint Information

Choose the type of complaint you are filing

Police Complaints

Service or Policy Complaints

Complaint Description

Complaint Resolution

My Statement