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1. Can an officer appeal the complaint?

Yes, just as citizens charged with a criminal offense have the right to appeal the court's decision, police officers also have the right to appeal administrative actions taken against them. The City of Hutto has established procedures for officers to follow in their appeals process, just as the Police Department has established procedures for insuring that complaints by citizens against officers are thoroughly and honestly investigated.

2. How are complaints made?

When a citizen lodges a complaint against a member of the Hutto Police Department, the complaint goes to the Internal Affairs Division. Their duty is to review and thoroughly investigate your complaint. The Internal Affairs office is open from 8 am to 5 pm each weekday. If the Internal Affairs Division is not open, you may lodge your complaint with any supervisory officer of the Police Department and your complaint will be forwarded to the Internal Affairs Division. If more information is needed, please review state law and departmental complaint information.

3. What happens when a complaint is found to be true?

When the investigation of a complaint reveals that the charges are true and should be sustained against a police employee, the Chief of Police notifies the employee and the Chief may take one of the following actions, depending on the nature of the violation:

• Verbal Reprimand
• Written Reprimand
• Time Off Without Compensation
• Demotion
• Termination

4. What happens if the complaint is not true?

Police employees must be afforded certain rights the same as with all citizens, and complaints must be supported by sufficient evidence.

If there is not sufficient evidence to sustain the complaints, the officer is notified and continues on duty. If he/she was removed from duty during the investigation he/she will be paid for that time.

5. What if you are not satisfied with the decision?

If you are not satisfied with the results of the investigation by the Internal Affairs Division, you may appeal to the Chief of Police or the City Manager:

• The Office of the Chief of Police
  401 West Front Street
  Hutto, Texas 78634
  Phone: 512-759-5978
• The Office of the City Manager
  401 West Front Street
  Hutto, Texas 78634