Citizen Complaint

Dear Citizen:

As Sheriff of Putnam County, it is my mission to maintain the professional integrity of all the employees of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. As part of this mission all complaints of misconduct by an employee will be thoroughly, fairly, and impartially investigated. Attached is a Citizen Complaint Form, which you will be asked to complete when reporting misconduct by one of my employees. By completing this form, you will provide this office with the basic information about your complaint so it can be investigated. You will be asked to sign the form under oath, swearing that all the information you have provided concerning the report is true and correct to the best of your knowledge. Should you affirm that this information is the truth, knowing that it is actually false, you may be subject to criminal prosecution under the Ohio Revised Code, Section 2921.013, Falsification.

Depending upon the nature of the complaint, the investigation into the incident will be conducted by a supervisor or an investigator. The investigating person will contact you, any witnesses, and others involved. After the investigation is complete, your complaint will be resolved by classifying it in one of the below five ways:

1. Unfounded – The investigation conclusively proved that the act(s) complained of did not occur. This finding also applies when the individual personnel was not involved in the act(s) which may have occurred.
2. Exonerated – The allegation was found to be true, but was proper and lawful
3. Sustained – The evidence was sufficient to support the complaint
4. Not sustained – Insufficient evidence to either prove or disprove allegation(s).

When misconduct is sustained, disciplinary action of some sort will be taken against the employee(s) involved following prescribed guidelines. You and others may be required to appear at a hearing regarding the disciplinary action. Most employees are covered under collective bargaining agreements and the investigations and discipline must adhere to the guidelines in those agreements.

All complaints against the Sheriff’s Office, or any of its employees, shall be completely investigated within sixty days from the date of the filing of the complaint. The Sheriff may, on a case-by-case basis, grant an extension to this time limit, at his discretion based on extenuating circumstances.

Once the investigation has been completed, you will receive a letter explaining the outcome of the complaint. If you have any questions during the investigation or after you have received the letter, please contact my office.

Sincerely,

Brian S. Siefker, Sheriff