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Internal
Affairs Section (reports directly to Chief Abbott)
The Internal Affairs Section, reports directly to the Office
of the Chief of Police, and is responsible for investigating
allegations of misconduct by police officers as directed by
the Chief of Police.
It is the policy of the Police Department that inquiries and
complaints about Department employees will be accepted from
any source to include, but not be limited to, in person or
anonymously, by correspondence or telephone. This Unit is led
by Lt. John LeBlanc.
Contact Information:
If you are dissatisfied with police services or would like
to file a complaint regarding police misconduct, you may do
so by contacting the Sarasota Police Department at 941-954-7025.
Generally, complaints and inquiries are received by the involved
employee's supervisor or an on-duty supervisor of the Division
involved.
A complaint or inquiry may also be filed with the Internal
Affairs Section. An appointment is not required, but is suggested
to efficiently accomplish the process. To schedule an appointment,
you may contact Lt. John LeBlanc at 941-954-7007, or he
may be reached via email at John_LeBlanc@sarasotagov.com.
The Process:
The nature of the complaint will determine the level at which
each complaint is investigated.
Informal investigations are conducted at the Division level.
These investigations are handled primarily by the supervisor
of the involved employee and forwarded through the employee's
chain of command. The final disposition is approved by the
Chief of Police.
Formal Investigations are conducted by the Internal Affairs
Section. During these investigations, the complainant, the
involved employee and witnesses are interviewed under oath.
A report is prepared to include transcribed statements and
all other evidence pertinent to the case.
Completed cases are forwarded to the Chief of Police for review
by the employee's chain of command. Upon review, the chain
of command board will recommend a disposition. The Chief of
Police ultimately makes the final decision regarding the disposition
of all formal complaints. The complaint may be sustained,
not sustained, exonerated or unfounded. At the conclusion
of each case, letters of disposition will be sent to the complainant.
The Chief of Police will determine the disciplinary actions
for sustained allegations.
While the Sarasota Police Department encourages citizens to
report legitimate complaints of misconduct, our agency assumes
that citizens will not file frivolous, vindictive or false
complaints against employees who have properly performed their
duties. State law prohibits anyone from lying under oath and
forbids the intentional filing of a false report to law enforcement
agencies.
All complaints will be thoroughly investigated in a fair and
objective manner. The facts of the investigation are confidential
until the investigation is complete. The Internal Affairs
Section will not make findings or recommendations in reference
to the disposition and disciplinary action of a case. Sarasota
Police Department is committed to maintaining the highest
standards of professionalism and integrity as we serve our
community.
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the Unit, led by Sgt. Scott Mayforth, is charged with managing the Accreditation process
to show that the Department is in compliance with the standards
established by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement
Accreditation, Inc. The Sarasota Police Department was fully
accredited in May of 2002, and re-accredited in August of 2008.
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