COMMENDATION PROCESS

Citizens may commend any police employee, police volunteer or the department. Persons desiring to commend a police employee, police volunteer, or the department may:

• Write a letter to the Chief of Police mailed to the below address;
  
  
• Call the department at 941-639-4111. If you know the employee’s name, you can ask for the employee’s supervisor, or leave a message for the Chief of Police with her Executive Assistant at 941-575-5520;
  
  
• Send an email to the department at pgpdpolice@cityofpuntagordafl.com;
  
  
• Come in person to the police department at the below address and ask for the on-duty Watch Commander;
  
  
• Anonymously make a commendation by calling the department at 941-639-4111 and asking to speak with the on-duty Watch Commander.
  
  

COMPLAINT PROCESS

Generally, personnel complaints are based on allegations of misconduct or violations of procedure. A personnel complaint may be filed internally by a department member who wishes to report infractions or violations by another member, or externally by a citizen who complains against a member of the department.

Receiving Personnel Complaints: Complaints shall be accepted from any source provided that the complaint contains sufficient factual information to warrant an investigation. Anonymous complaints will be handled at the discretion of the Chief of Police. Individuals are encouraged to submit their complaints in person in order to obtain as complete a report as soon as possible after the incident. Any person alleging misconduct on the part of a member shall be directed to an on-duty supervisor unless a member of the Professional Standards component is specifically requested. The supervisor shall meet with the complainant to discuss their concerns and explain the complaint process. Complaints are classified as either Service Related Inquiries or Formal Complaints. Formal Complaints will undergo a preliminary assessment to determine whether the allegations presented constitute misconduct, misfeasance, malfeasance, or unlawful conduct. If it is determined that the allegations presented do constitute misconduct, misfeasance, malfeasance, or unlawful conduct the complaint will be classified by the Chief of Police as an Internal Affairs Investigation.

Service Related Inquiries: If the complaint against an employee is so minor in nature that it would not require informal or formal discipline, and the complainant does not want to complete complaint paperwork but prefers it be handled by the employee’s immediate supervisor, then the supervisor taking the complaint shall notify the employee’s immediate supervisor who shall complete all necessary follow-up with the complainant and employee. Service Related Inquiries are not tracked or reviewed by Professional Standards. Citizens may make a Service Related Inquiry complaint by coming to or calling the Punta Gorda Police Department at 941-639-4111 and asking for the Watch Commander.

Formal Complaint: If the concerns cannot be resolved or the allegations do not meet the criteria of a Service Related Inquiry, the complainant will be informed that they may complete a Personnel Complaint Form, which may be completed at the police department or taken with them to complete at a later time. All complainants will be requested to complete and a sign an Acknowledgement of Florida State Statutes Form, to be turned in along with the Personnel Complaint Form. Formal complaints, if sustained, may result in formal or informal discipline. 

To make a formal complaint against a members of the Punta Gorda Police Department you may access the Personnel Complaint Form and Acknowledgement of Florida State Statutes Form in any of the following ways:

• Online by selecting the following links:
  
  
  • Personnel Complaint Form
    
  • Acknowledgment of Florida State Statutes Form
    
    
• By emailing pgpdpolice@cityofpuntagordafl.com and requesting the forms be sent to you electronically;
  
  
• By coming in-person to the Punta Gorda Police Department at the below address and requesting them from the on-duty Watch Commander;
  
  
• By mailing the Punta Gorda Police Department at the below address and requesting that forms be mailed to you.

Once completed formal complaint forms can be returned to the police department in any of the following ways:

• By emailing completed forms to pgpdpolice@cityofpuntagordafl.com;
  
  
• By coming in-person to the Punta Gorda Police Department at the below address and providing completed forms to the Watch Commander;
  
  
• By mailing completed forms to the below address.

False Allegations: To be fair to both the public and the employees of the department, allegations against employees of the department will be investigated to the best of the department’s ability. In the event that it is determined that a complainant has maliciously and intentionally made false allegations against a department employee, the Professional Standards investigator will forward the false or malicious complaint filed against personnel to the State Attorney's Office for review and possible charges.

Punta Gorda Police Department
1410 Tamiami Trail
Punta Gorda, Florida 33950
941-639-4111
pgpdpolice@cityofpuntagordafl.com