Filing a Compliment or Complaint
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The citizens and visitors of the State of Vermont have an expectation that the conduct of those who have the responsibility of enforcing the laws of the state are held to the highest standards. It is the Office of Internal Affairs' mission to assure that the Vermont State Police uphold the expected conduct standards. This will ensure the preservation of the trust of the citizens we serve.
Complaints will be addressed either by a commander in the area where the incident occurred, or through an investigation conducted by the Office of Internal Affairs. The Commissioner of Public Safety for the State of Vermont is responsible for the assignment of cases to the Office of Internal Affairs.
For your convenience the Vermont State Police has three (3) options for citizens or visitors to file a compliment or complaint with our department.
Each complaint or compliment, at a minimum, should include the following information, as possible:
- Complainant's full name.
- Your telephone contact information.
- Date, time, and location of the incident.
- Name(s) of the Vermont State Police member(s) involved.
- The license plate number or other information related to the Vermont State Police vehicle, (if applicable)
- Names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses to the incident, and
- A detailed explanation of what happened.
Submit Online
You may submit your compliment/complaint using our on-line compliment/complaint form. You can Submit a Compliment or Complaint On-Line.
Submit by Email
You may submit your compliment or complaint by email to the Vermont State Police Internal Affairs Unit.
Submit to Barracks
You may file a verbal or written compliment or complaint with any Station Commander of the Vermont State Police. Visit our Stations page to find contact information for the Station Commander for towns that we cover.
Complaint Investigative Process
If your complaint is assigned to a commander in the area where the event occurred, a member of the department will be in contact with you after they have a chance to address the matter.
If your complaint is assigned to our Internal Affairs Office, the following will occur:
- You will be contacted by an investigator from the Internal Affairs Unit for the Vermont State Police.
- The investigator will examine any evidence with regard to department Code of Conduct violations.
- The investigator will review reports/records pertaining to the case.
- The investigator will write a report documenting his or her findings in the case. This report is reviewed by the chain of command for the member(s) about whom the complaint was made.
- The Commissioner of Public Safety will determine whether a violation of department Code of Conduct occurred. If so, the Commissioner will impose discipline and/or corrective action.
- You, as the complainant, will receive a letter stating that the Code of Conduct violation was either proved or not proved.
- The results of the investigation will be reported to the State Police Advisory Commission (SPAC).
By Vermont statute (20 V.S.A. Sec. 1923(d)(3)) the results of internal investigations are confidential. The State Police Advisory Commission has the sole discretion to authorize the disclosure of the Internal Affairs Unit’s records when deemed appropriate to ensure that proper action is taken in each case.
State Police Advisory Commission (SPAC)
All allegations of improper conduct by State Police officers are given to the State Police Advisory Commission for review. By statute, the State Police Advisory Commission is made up of independent Vermont citizens appointed by the Governor. The State Police Advisory Commission provides advice and counsel to the Commissioner of Public Safety in carrying out his or her responsibilities for the management, supervision and control of the Vermont State Police. The Commission also advises the Commissioner regarding rules concerning promotions, grievances, transfers, internal investigations and discipline.
Vermont Human Rights Commission
It is illegal in Vermont to discriminate because of a person's race, color, age, disability, ancestry, place of birth, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, religion, minor children or receipt of public assistance. If a citizen or visitor feels that a member of the Vermont State Police has violated their civil rights the citizen or visitor has the right to file a complaint with the Vermont Human Rights Commission.