Compliments:

If you want to recognize an officer or employee for excellent service, you can:

• Complete the Compliment Form for electronic submission to the Grinnell Police Department.
• Call (641) 236-2670 and ask to speak with a supervisor.

For written communication, we can be reached at:

Grinnell Police Department
ATTN: Chief of Police
1020 Spring Street
Grinnell, Iowa 50112

Complaints:

If you have a concern about our delivery of police service or would like to file a complaint about the conduct of a member of the department, you can start the process of resolving the concern in any of the following manners:

• Complete the Complaint Form for electronic submission to the Internal Affairs administrator.
• Speak with an on-duty police department member and let them know you want to make a complaint. They will provide you with a complaint form for completion, or if you are unwilling or unable to complete the form, they will complete it for you and summarize your complaint.
• Call the Internal Affairs administrator at (641) 236-2670 ext. 3212. If you leave a message, please provide the date, time, type of incident, and any other important information. A supervisor will call you back as soon as possible and gather any additional information to follow up on the complaint.

If the concern is minor and can be resolved to your satisfaction without a formal process, the assigned supervisor will gather any necessary information and make the concern known to the involved member's supervisor as appropriate.

If the concern cannot be resolved through informal inquiry, involves alleged conduct of a serious or criminal nature, or other extenuating circumstances are present, a formal administrative investigation will be conducted. When an administrative investigation is conducted to determine the facts and circumstances of an allegation, all necessary evidence and witness statements will be gathered.

When the investigation is complete, the information learned will be presented to the Internal Affairs Administrator and Chief of Police for evaluation. There are four possible findings from the evaluation, which are:

• Sustained - When the investigation discloses sufficient evidence to establish that the act occurred and constituted misconduct.
• Not Sustained - When the investigation discloses insufficient evidence to sustain the complaint or fully exonerate the member.
• Exonerated - When the investigation discloses that the alleged act occurred but that the act was justified, lawful, and proper.
• Unfounded - When the investigation discloses that the alleged acts did not occur or did not involve department members. Complaints determined to be frivolous will fall within the unfounded classification.

When the evaluation is complete, you will be informed of the findings and any additional details that would be valuable in understanding why the particular outcome was determined. This will typically be a letter, but other communication methods may be used as appropriate. Our goal is to have findings from administrative investigations available within 30 days of the initial complaint, but this may take longer, depending on the complexity of the investigation or other circumstances. If an investigation will take longer than 30 days, we will keep you informed of the progress until it is resolved.

Please keep in mind that while complaints may be filed anonymously, having contact information for the complainant and witnesses provides the investigator with a means of asking follow-up and clarifying questions while permitting the investigator to provide investigation updates.

Below is a list of other agencies authorized to investigate police department actions:

Iowa Civil Rights Commission
400 East 14th St, 1st Floor
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Phone 515-281-4121

State of Iowa Office of the Ombudsman
1112 E Grand Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Phone 515-281-3592

Federal Bureau of Investigation
4401 Westown Pkwy 
West Des Moines, Iowa 50266
Phone 515-223-4278

There are answers to common questions on our website's frequently asked questions section.