OFFICE OF CONSTABLE CLINT C.
BURGESS
COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
CONSTABLE EMPLOYEE COMPLAINT
PROCEDURE
The
Tarrant County Constable's Office Pct. 7 is dedicated to providing
exceptional service to its employees and citizens through a problem
solving approach and a commitment to excellence in the delivery of
services. The Constable's employees are held to the highest
standards and provided with the best training available.
WHEN
YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO FILE A COMPLAINT
Unfortunately, not every contact
with our Deputies or employees is always totally satisfactory, and
a complaint may need to be made. Upon the receipt of a complaint,
in most cases a written complaint, but with some exceptions upon a
verbal complaint, an internal investigation may then be initiated.
The purpose of the internal investigation is the pursuit of the
truth. We are committed to that objective, recognizing that our
agency's credibility depends upon the community's belief that we
can police ourselves. With that in mind, we provide the following
information regarding how you can file a complaint, how a complaint
is investigated, and how it is disposed of.
HOW TO
FILE COMPLAINTS
First,
there are basically two types of complaints -- verbal and written.
Verbal complaints are usually more minor in nature or the
complainant does not desire to have the officer disciplined, but
rather talked to about how they felt about their interaction.
Written complaints are more formalized and usually involve a more
serious complaint. If you wish to make this office aware of a
problem and make a complaint without a formal investigation you may
go to the CONTACT US portion of this
website, fill out and submit the form. If you wish to file a more
serious complaint (written), we will provide you with the proper
complaint form or you can complete the below listed form. The
complaining person will be required to fill out a form and return
it to this department, in person and sign the form in the presence
of a Notary (We have a Notary at the Constable's Office). You may
be required to supply additional information.
You may
call Constable Clint Burgess if you wish, by calling the numbers
listed below. Please understand that the Constable may decide not
to get involved in written complaint so that he can remain fair and
impartial. The Chief Deputy will conduct all portions of the
investigation of written complaints and submit the documents to the
Constable.
Once the
complaint is received by this Office, the complaint will be logged
into the internal affairs log, assigned to the Chief Deputy to
investigate, and an acknowledgment letter will be sent to you.
Normally, cases have a three (3) week process and you will be
informed as to the outcome of the investigation, in
writing.
The Constable has established a Citizen Review
Board (CRB) to investigate complaints involving Citizens and
Deputies of this office. The CRB will review all documents,
statements and reports. Thier decision will be turned into the
Constable.
THE
PROCESS
1. Once a
complaint is received, the officer/employee is notified in writing;
and
2.
Provided a copy of the complaint (excluding personal information as
determined by the Constable); and
3.
Required to provide a written response to the allegations, stating
all facts and circumstances of the contact; and
4. You will be called in for a complete statement;
and
5.
Required to take polygraph, if the case warrants, only after
complainant is requested to take a polygraph and makes a good
faith effort to take one.
6. The Citizen Review Board will review all
documents and submit a report to the Constable.
7. The Constable will conduct a final evaluation
and notify the complainant of the action(s) taken.
POLYGRAPHS
During
the course of the investigation, you may be requested to submit to
a polygraph. Your submission to the polygraph is totally voluntary;
however, an officer cannot be required to take a polygraph unless
the complainant is willing to do so.
SUBSTANTIATED
COMPLAINTS
When the
investigation reveals that the charges are true and depending on
the severity of the infraction, the department may take any of the
following actions on the involved employee:
1. Oral
counseling
2.
Written counseling
3.
Written reprimand
4.
Suspension (without pay, up to 15 days)
5.
Suspension (without pay, up to 45 days in lieu of
firing)
6.
Indefinite suspension (termination)
According
to Tarrant County Civil Service Rules, a Deputy or employee has the
right to appeal any level of discipline that falls above written
reprimand.
COMPLAINT NOT
SUSTAINED
If there
is not sufficient evidence to support the allegation or it is
proved that the officer or employee was acting within the
established and accepted policies and/or procedures of the
department, the investigation will be closed and no further action
taken.
FALSE
COMPLAINTS
Rarely,
citizens will file a false complaint against police employees.
Citizens should be aware that this is a violation of the Texas
Penal Code and if found guilty is punishable by a fine of $4,000
and or up to one year in jail.
Constable
Clint Burgess is sincerely interested in the welfare of all
citizens and in taking action where its employees have acted or
behaved in violation of the policies, procedures and practices of
this department. If it becomes necessary for you to make a
complaint, you can be assured that it will be given a fair and
thorough investigation.
By the
same token, if you have an occasion to see Deputies doing outstanding work, we encourage you
to tell them and/or us about it. This Office is comprised of
professionals dedicated to serving you and our
community.
ADDRESS:
Attn: Constable Clint Burgess
Tarrant
County Constable's Office Pct. 7
1100 E. Broad St
Mansfield, Texas 76063
Administration: (817)
473-5110
*Please note that you
will need to be able to print this document after you fill it out
to get it notarized and mail or bring it to the Constable's
Office.
