You may file a complaint if you have reasonable grounds to believe that any of the following have breached the Code of Professional Conduct and Discipline:
- A municipal police officer
- A provincial conservation officer
- The Chief Officer of any of the above services
You can make your complaint directly to the chief or director of the member's police service or to the Office of the Police Commissioner. Your complaint must be in writing and signed by you.
Any complaints about the the conduct of members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police should be made to the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission of the RCMP at email: complaintscommission.ca or phone 1-800-665-6878.
Make a complaint against an officer
Request review of a chief's decision on a complaint
Who can complain?
Anyone who is 18 years of age and over and has been directly affected by the conduct of the officer or chief of police can make a complaint. A parent or guardian of a person under the age of 18 or who is mentally incompetent may complain on behalf of that person.
When must the complaint be made?
The complaint must be made within twelve months of the occurrence of the events giving rise to the complaint. The Chief Officer or manager of the Office of the Police Commissioner may extend the time limit if they are satisfied there are good reasons for doing so and it is not contrary to the public interest.
What information should the complaint contain?
Your complaint should include the following information:
- Name of complainant
- Address
- Telephone number(s)
- E-mail address
- Involved police service
- Name of the police officer(s) or chief of police
- Date of the incident
- A description of the events and how they violate the Code of Professional Conduct and Discipline. The Code of Professional Conduct and Discipline can be found under the "Legislation" tab on this page.
- Your complaint must be in writing and signed by you.
If you have complained to the service in question and are unsatisfied with the decision you can ask that it be reviewed by the Office of the Police Commissioner. You must request must be in writing including reasons why you are requesting the review and be made within thirty days of the date of decision.
There are no costs relating to an initial complaint or review of a complaint by the Police Commissioner. If you then chose to have a hearing before an Adjudicator, costs may be awarded. Those costs could include legal or other expenses of the complainant or the person subject to the complaint that were incurred during the complaint process.
Once you have made a complaint you will receive a letter acknowledging receipt. You may be asked to provide further information. Informal resolution of the complaint will be considered but if that is not appropriate an investigation will be conducted. The complaint will be provided to the officer who is the subject of the complaint.
You can withdraw your complaint by making a written request but that request may be refused.
Once the investigation is complete you will receive a written decision. If it is determined that there was a violation of the Code of Professional Conduct and Discipline the officer may be subject to the disciplinary or corrective measures set out in the Code. A complaint before the Commission cannot lead to an award of monetary damages.