Share complaints, commendations about Fort Worth police officers with new online process
The city of Fort Worth recently introduced a new online process for the public to share their comments, suggestions, commendations or concerns about Fort Worth police officers.
In February 2020, the Fort Worth City Council created the Office of the Police Oversight Monitor to provide accountability of the Police Department. The office is separate from the Police Department.
Receiving online comments will help the office provide recommendations to the city manager and police chief.
Since launching the online platform, the office has mainly received complaints about unprofessional conduct.
What is the purpose of the online form?
Kim Neal was appointed as the Director of Police Oversight in March 2020. When she first started, citizens could only fill out a pdf complaint form. The new online form is easier for people to use, and for the office to track.
“One of the things we heard from the community was that they wanted another venue to be able to file complaints if they didn’t feel comfortable directly with Fort Worth PD,” Neal said. “Our plan has always been to work with our IT department to create something that was more user-friendly that citizens could interface with and be able to not only receive a copy of their form as soon as they submit it but also something that will go into our system where we could track.”
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Neal says tracking the online complaints will allow the office to identify policing trends in Fort Worth neighborhoods. The department is currently working on a database that will collect the data and find patterns in police interactions, such as use of force incidents. They can find out where exactly these incidents happen and who they happen to, then share it with the public.
“If we can track demographics, if we can track neighborhoods that the encounters are happening in, the types of allegations that are being alleged against officers,” Neal said. “Then hopefully, we can at some point in time in the future, gather all that information and see if there’s any trends or patterns in that information, and share it with the communities, city and the police department.”
They will then work to improve FWPD policies and procedures.
“Ultimately, our goal is to enhance community police relationships through some problem solving techniques,” Neal said.
Who can file a complaint?
Any member of the public can file a complaint. You do not need to be a Fort Worth resident or a U.S. citizen to file a complaint.
The office’s goal is to bring up community interests with the Police Department, Neal says, acting as a liaison when people feel uncomfortable directly complaining to the police.
“It gives citizens a voice, where some citizens have not felt as though they had a voice before, maybe because either they have not filed a complaint before, they didn’t know they could file a complaint, they didn’t know where to file a complaint or maybe they have had past dealings with the police department in their complaint process and maybe they weren’t satisfied by it,” Neal said. “We do collaborate with the police as well as collaborate with the community, but we are really here to represent the community members’ voice when it comes to complaints or accommodations against the police department.”
Can you file an anonymous complaint?
Yes. But only if you have first-hand knowledge of the incident, meaning it was an incident that you witnessed or were directly involved in.
“The only thing that we ask, if they do file anonymously, that they try to complete as many fields in the form as they possibly can,” Neal said.
Her office will not be able to contact you with follow-up information if you choose to leave out your email and phone number. But you can still call the office for a status update with the form number you were emailed after you submitted it.
What’s the difference between a formal and informal complaint?
You can submit the form as either a formal complaint or an informal complaint.
If you choose to submit an informal complaint, your complaint will still be reviewed by the Office of the Police Oversight Monitor, and based on the findings, additional action may be taken, such as further review and/or investigation by the Fort Worth Police Department.
If you submit a formal complaint, OPOM will email you a copy of the form. You will need to print the form, have it notarized, and returned by mail or in person to the OPOM within 90 days. A formal complaint will be treated as an official record under Texas law. Once a formal complaint is received, it will be investigated by FWPD.
Where to file a complaint to OPOM
OPOM office accepts complaints about the Fort Worth Police Department through the following methods:
- Online: www.fortworthtexas.gov/opom
- E-mail: Download the Citizen Complaint Form pdf, then send it to PoliceOversight@fortworthtexas.gov.
Printed Copies: Printed copies of the complaint form are also provided at the office and your local police division, community center and library.
- In-person: Drop the form off in-person at 200 Texas St., 3rd floor, Fort Worth. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Office staff can also arrange a meeting elsewhere to help you fill out the form.
- By Mail: Print and fill out the form, then mail to: Office of the Police Oversight Monitor, 200 Texas St., 3rd floor, Fort Worth, Texas 76102.
- By Phone: If you’re unable to fill out the form using the above ways, the office can fill out the form for you over the phone at (817) 392-6535.
How to file the complaint or commendation
It is important that complaints be filed as soon as possible after an incident, according to the office. Texas law says that any disciplinary action against an officer must be issued within 180 days of the incident.
The more detailed information you can provide, the better it will assist OPOM and FWPD in the complaint investigation process. You’ll provide information about the incident, the officer, witnesses and yourself.
To use the new online citizen response form, you’ll:
- Choose English or Spanish from the right drop-down menu.
Select commendation or complaint.
Fill out the incident details. All items marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
Provide information about the officer involved. If you don’t know the officer’s name or badge number, provide a description of the officer and the incident date, time, location and circumstance.
Input information about witnesses at the scene. This step is not required.
Provide information about yourself. You can choose to be anonymous. To submit the form anonymously, only enter your ZIP code, age range, gender and race/ethnicity.
Attach any pertinent documents, photos and videos.
Check whether you’d like to submit a formal complaint.
Check the box acknowledging that the information you provided is true and factual.
Once completed, press “Electronically Sign and Submit” and the form will be sent electronically to the Office of the Police Oversight Monitor.
What happens after a complaint is filed
The office monitors and reviews Fort Worth Police Department investigations.
“One of the things we did hear from the community when we first started was that when they file a complaint with PD that sometimes they didn’t hear directly back from PD on whether they received their complaint or what the status of their complaint was,” Neal said. “So we did talk with PD about that, and they have definitely stepped up to the plate and they provide written communications to complainants on the receipt of their complaint. But we also, on our side, we also acknowledge receipt of their complaint.”
There’s a six-step process after a complaint form is received by the office.
- The Office of the Police Oversight Monitor receives your complaint.
- OPOM acknowledges receipt of your complaint.
- OPOM reviews the complaint and follows up about any missing information. OPOM forwards your complaint to Fort Worth Police Department Internal Affairs for investigation. The FWPD complaint investigation can take up to 90 days.
- During that time, OPOM monitors the FWPD investigation.
- OPOM reviews the completed FWPD Internal Affairs investigation to ensure that it was diligent and unbiased. And it provides recommendations about the investigation and the officer involved to the FWPD.
- OPOM notifies you once the review is completed.
If you have a question or would like assistance filling out the form, call (817) 392-6535 or email the office.
