Introduction

The Office of Police Oversight (OPO) Complaint Division accepts community feedback about interactions with the Austin Police Department. If anyone has had or has witnessed an interaction with the Austin Police Department (APD) and wants to provide feedback, they can file a complaint or offer a compliment online, over the phone, in person, or by mail. Community members do not have to provide their contact information and can remain anonymous throughout the feedback process. 

 

How to Submit a Complaint

When people have concerns or complaints about potential police misconduct, those concerns may be heard and investigated. There are several ways you can submit a complaint: mail, an online form, telephone, and in-person at our office.

Mail: Download, print and fill out this form, then mail it to: Office of Police Oversight, P.O. Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767

Online: Complaints can be filed online here. Required information includes a description of the interaction, date and time, location, and your contact information. Optional information includes officer name(s) and witness(es).

Telephone: Call the Office of Police Oversight at (512) 972-2676. We'd be happy to speak with you. If you need an interpreter, just tell us the language you prefer. Complaint intake hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In-person: You can complete the form in person at the Office of Police Oversight at 1520 Rutherford Lane, Austin TX 78754. We are in Building 1, on the 2nd floor, Suite 211. Visitor parking is in front of the main entrance. If you need an interpreter, just tell us the language you prefer. Complaint intake hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What Happens During Complaint Intake?

Complaints submitted by one of the methods listed above are reviewed and processed further by an administrative specialist. The administrative specialist may contact the complainant to obtain more details about a complaint if the reporting document does not have all the information needed for a thorough independent review. The administrative specialist will recontact a complainant if he or she leaves a voice message complaint in the OPO voice message system.

What Happens During Preliminary Review?

OPO conducts a preliminary review of all external complaints. After receiving a complaint, OPO reviews it for potential policy violations. City Ordinance 2-15-3, mandates APD to provide the Office of Police Oversight direct and unfettered access to all APD databases, including use of force data, body-worn and dash camera video, radio traffic recordings, computer-assisted dispatch (CAD), and the records management system utilized by APD (Versadex). Additionally, OPO may review other information sources like Telemetric, APD’s in-car GPS software for identifying APD vehicle operating history. 

How Does OPO Determine a Policy Violation?

OPO has access to all APD General Orders and Policies. During the preliminary review of the complaint, OPO will review the conduct and actions of the APD officer’s interaction with a community member to see if their conduct and actions follow APD General Orders and policies. OPO’s review of a complaint against an APD police officer is an administrative policy review for policy violations only and are not criminal investigations. At the conclusion of the preliminary review a compliant specialist will recontact the complainant to determine how they would like to proceed in processing their complaint. A complaint can be processed as a community concern, a supervisor referral, or a formal investigation. 

What is a Community Concern?

A community concern is an external complaint that does not rise to the level of a policy violation. The complaint is sent to Internal Affairs (IA) to document their concern or make the police department aware of the incident. Once sent to IA, the OPO closes the complaint. A complaint is also forwarded as a community concern when there is insufficient information provided to identify the officer or confirm the incident involves an APD officer.

What is a Supervisor Referral?

Supervisor referrals are external complaints that may involve a minor policy violation or do not rise to the level of a policy violation. The complainant may be helped by speaking to the supervisor of the officer they are complaining about. OPO conducts a preliminary review of the complainant’s complaint and contacts the complainant to verify that they would like to speak with the officer’s supervisor.  The supervisor has one calendar week to contact and speak with the complainant after they receive the complaint form from APD's Internal Affairs. OPO will continue to monitor the supervisor referral until the complainant is contacted by the APD supervisor. 

What is a Formal Investigation? 

External formal complaints originate from complaints received from community members. The OPO conducts a preliminary review and investigation of all formal complaints. OPO will conduct a detailed interview with the complainant and potential witnesses, and the complainant must sign an affidavit attesting that the information they provided to OPO is true and correct. The Office of Police Oversight complaint staff can serve as the notary for all formal complaints filed with OPO. OPO will then prepare a Notice of Formal Complaint (NFC) memorandum and submit it with the affidavit to APD’s Internal Affairs Division requesting they initiate a formal investigation of the complainant’s allegations. The State of Texas, Local Government Code Chapter 143, requires an affidavit statement to question a police officer.

Once Internal Affairs initiates an investigation, OPO participates in the process from beginning to end. OPO's independently review evidence, including information from APD databases like body-worn camera footage and information submitted by complainants, witnesses, or subject officers. OPO participates in interviews with complainants, witnesses, and subject officers by working with Internal Affairs investigators to draft and ask questions. Throughout the process, OPO's Complaints Division staff regularly communicate with the Internal Affairs investigator assigned to the case to be notified about interviews or evidence collected during the internal affairs investigation. At the end of the process, OPO reviews the final investigative findings and either concur with APD’s findings or make an independent recommendation to the Chief of Police or executive command staff as to the classification of the policy violation.

How to Submit an Anonymous Complaint

Community members may anonymously submit concerns about their interactions with Austin Police Department officers online using this form, or by phone at (512) 972-2676. You do not have to provide any contact information. 


The city may be limited in what it can do with complaint information if the complainant does not verify their statement under oath as The State of Texas, Local Government Code Chapter 143, requires a sworn statement for APD’s Internal Affairs Division to question a police officer. 

What Happens During Preliminary Review?

OPO conducts a preliminary review of all external complaints. After receiving a complaint, OPO reviews it for potential policy violations. City Ordinance 2-15-3, mandates APD to provide the Office of Police Oversight direct and unfettered access to all APD databases, including use of force data, body-worn and dash camera video, radio traffic recordings, computer-assisted dispatch (CAD), and the records management system utilized by APD (Versadex). Additionally, OPO may review other information sources like Telemetric, APD’s in-car GPS software for identifying APD vehicle operating history. 

How Does OPO Determine a Policy Violation?

OPO has access to all APD General Orders and Policies. During the preliminary review of the complaint, OPO will review the conduct and actions of the APD officer’s interaction with a community member to see if their conduct and actions are following APD General Orders and policies. OPO’s review of a complaint against an APD police officer is an administrative policy review for policy violations only and is not a criminal investigation. Following the preliminary review a Complaint Specialist will contact the Complainant to determine how they would like to proceed in processing their complaint.

How Can I Anonymously Swear to a Statement? 

You may submit a complaint and remain anonymous by visiting the Office of Police Oversight. OPO will conduct a detailed interview with the complainant, but the complainant’s identity will remain anonymous. When a formal complaint investigation is requested or warranted, OPO staff will serve as the affiant on the affidavit, attesting to the fact the complaint was received anonymously, and the complainant requested a formal investigation. The City of Austin may be limited in what it can do with anonymous concerns.

Why Does an Investigation Require an Affidavit? 

The State of Texas, Local Government Code Chapter 143, requires a sworn statement before APD’s Internal Affairs Division investigators may question a police officer concerning an external officer complaint.