Citizen Complaint Procedure

Introduction
Abbeville County’s Citizen Complaint procedure helps you, the community and the agency’s as well. If you have a concern about the practices or personnel of the Abbeville County Emergency Management Department, what can you do about it?

A positive relationship between the Agency and the public they serve, fostered by confidence and trust, is essential to effective Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Service and Fire Service.

It is important, therefore, that adequate provisions be made for the prompt receipt, investigation and disposition of complaints regarding the conduct of Department personnel. To this end, the Abbeville County Emergency Management Department welcomes criticism of the Department and valid complaints against its members or procedures. The purpose of the Internal Affairs Division is to ensure complete, fair, and impartial investigations of citizen complaints.

How to Make a Complaint
To download a Citizen Complaint Procedure brochure please choose a language and click on the appropriate link below:

For further assistance please call, write, or come in person to:
Internal Affairs Division, Abbeville County Emergency Management Department, 394 Highway 28 By-Pass Abbeville , South Carolina 29620. Hours: 8:30 - 5 Weekdays, Phone: 864-366-2400 x 222.

A complaint may be made ANY time of the day or night. You may come in person to address your concern, or you can call or write anonymously, if you wish.

There are several ways you may file a complaint with our department.  You may also file a complaint on-line, via the Internet, by emailing us the information included on the complaint form to our Internal Affairs Division at dtemple@abbevillecountysc.com.  Or you can print out the complaint form and bring it to us or mail it to the address on the bottom of the form.

Investigation Procedure
The person receiving your concern will ask you to provide as much information as possible regarding the incident. If you were involved in or witnessed the incident, it is extremely important to the investigation that a statement be obtained from you. From your statement, a Citizen Contact form may be completed. If your concern stems from an arrest or citation issued to a family member or yourself, it may not be investigated until the legal matter has been settled.

Depending on the circumstances of your concern, it may be investigated in one of two ways. It will either be forwarded to the member's supervisor for inquiry or to the Internal Affairs Division for investigation. Each allegation is examined on its own merits. Formal investigations require investigators to contact all available witnesses and examine any relevant physical evidence and gather all information pertinent to each allegation made in the complaint.  Investigation of the complaint must be completed within 5 days unless more extensive investigation or review is required. If more extensive investigation or review is required, periodic status reports will be provided when the case extends beyond 30 days.

The Deputy Director or Director will render a finding in each case. There are four possible findings:

Sustained: The investigation disclosed enough evidence to clearly prove the allegation.

Not sustained: The investigation failed to reveal enough evidence to clearly prove or disprove the allegation.

Exonerated: The act which provided the basis for the complaint did occur; however, investigation revealed the act was justified, lawful and proper.

Unfounded: The investigation has produced sufficient evidence to prove that the act or acts alleged did not occur. This finding shall also apply when individual personnel named in the complaint were not involved in an act that did occur.

For each finding related to an allegation of misconduct, a specific action shall be pursued.  Actions include:

·         None, no action to be taken.

·         Commendation.

·         Training.

·         Verbal counseling.

·         Written reprimand.

·         Suspension from duty.

·         Transfer or demotion.

·         Resignation.

·         Discharge or dismissal.

·         Discharge with criminal charges to be pursued.

Employee conduct within guidelines or established policy and procedure. However, complaint has given cause to re-evaluate policy and procedure for possible improvement.  Any finding that indicates a need for policy or procedure evaluation will be forwarded to the Emergency Management Director for review and action.

You will be notified of the finding in writing at the conclusion. When a finding of "Sustained" is determined, corrective action will be taken. If allegations against the employee(s) are sustained, the Abbeville County Emergency Management cannot release to you any type of disciplinary action taken.  The investigation may also conclude that the employee(s) acted properly or that there is not enough information to prove or disprove the allegations.

Summing Up
Your valid concerns and criticisms help us protect the citizens from possible misconduct by employees. At the same time, a thorough and impartial investigation procedure helps protect employees from unwarranted charges when they perform their duties properly.

You have the right to make a complaint against a employee for any improper conduct. You have a right to a written description of this procedure. This agency may find after investigation that there is not enough evidence to warrant action on your complaint; even if that is the case, you have the right to make the complaint and have it investigated if you believe an employee behaved improperly. Citizen complaints must be retained by this agency for at least five years. It is against the law to make a complaint that you know to be false. If you make a complaint against an employee knowing that it is false, you can be prosecuted on a misdemeanor

COMPLAINTS

It is our goal to investigate all complaints regarding procedures or performance's of our telecommunicators while ensuring the confidentiality of both the complainant and the subject of the complaint.

The Internal Affairs Unit compiles annual statistical summaries, based upon records of internal affairs investigations. The records reflect the following:

2008 Summary of Complaints

911 had 3 complaints in 2008

EMS had 5 complaints in 2008

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2009 Summary of Complaints

911 had 0 complaints in 2009

EMS had 4 complaints in 2009

                                                    911   2010                                                                                                EMS   2010