The Richland Hills Police Department is dedicated to providing quality, community oriented policing based on ethical decision making. Each year, the employees of the police department make hundreds of contacts with people who live, work and travel through the city. In some cases, these individuals may question why an incident was handled in a particular way or they may disagree with the actions of an employee, or they may wish to acknowledge the employees involved for quality performance.

We believe the public is entitled to efficient, fair, and impartial service, and we take your concerns seriously. We investigate all allegations of employee misconduct, respond to inquiries about employee actions or department policy, and document all commendations received from the public. With that in mind, we provide the following information regarding how this process works.

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Each year the department receives numerous employee commendations from the general public. When you receive service from our department that you believe is worthy of a commendation, we would like to hear about it. You may call or come by the department in person during regular business hours; or, if unable to do so, you may contact the on-duty supervisor to report your commendation. Please include all the information you can remember such as the employee’s name, and the date, time and circumstances of the outstanding service. The employee will be notified of your commendation as will the supervisor. A copy of your commendation will also be placed in the employee’s file and forwarded to the Chief of Police and the City Manager’s office.

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The Richland Hills Police Department values the feedback it receives from the community and is dedicated to providing the best police service possible. Employees are carefully selected, held to the highest standards, and provided with the best training available. Information provided by you will help us maintain our standards.

A person wishing to file a complaint or ask a question about a procedure or policy should contact the police department during normal business hours, by phone or in person, or if unable to do so, may contact any on-duty supervisor to file the complaint. All complaints or questions will be handled promptly.

Any person who believes that they have been subjected to racial profiling by an officer of the Richland Hills Police Department should immediately file a complaint with the on-duty supervisor. Racial profiling is defined as: any law enforcement-initiated action based on an individual’s race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than on the individual’s behavior or on information identifying the individual as having engaged in criminal activity.

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Texas law provides that a complaint regarding a peace officer must be in writing and signed by the complainant in order to be considered. Therefore, you will be asked to reduce your complaint to writing. The written complaint should include the time, date, location and details of the incident alleged. The complaint must also identify or describe the officer(s) involved, and state the address and/or phone number where you can be reached.

All complaints received will be acknowledged in writing and provide you with the name and telephone number of the supervisor conducting the investigation. All complaints are thoroughly investigated and normally completed within thirty (30) days. If not, you will be notified. The assigned supervisor will interview the employee(s) involved and any witnesses. The investigator may need to contact you for additional details or clarification of details already provided. If it becomes necessary for you to contact the investigator, you may contact them directly at the number provided in the notification letter.

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You will be notified in writing of the conclusion and disposition of the investigation. Findings will carry one of the following classifications:

Sustained – the employee acted improperly.

Not Sustained – the complaint can be neither proved nor disproved.

Unfounded – the available evidence does not support the complaint.

Exonerated – the employee’s actions were proper.

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When the investigation reveals that the charges are true and should be sustained, the Department may take one of the following actions, depending on the nature of the violation and the employee’s history with the Department:

• Structured Counseling
• Oral or Written Reprimand
• Decision Making Leave
• Training or Retraining
• Reduction in Rate of Pay
• Suspension
• Termination

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The men and women of the Richland Hills Police Department take pride in providing quality, community-oriented policing to the public they serve. Each employee has proudly taken the International Association of Chief’s of Police Oath of Honor and carries a special coin symbolizing his/her commitment to ethical policing. Your comments about their performance enable us to uphold this commitment.

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