600 East Walnut
Columbia, MO 65201-4491
573-874-7652/FAX: 573-874-3142
The Professional Standards Unit or “PSU”, became operational in February 2008 as a result of the departments desire to bring internal investigations and employee recognition to current national standards. The PSU is designed to provide an investigative function for those incidences which result in compliments or complaints about actions of department employees, monitor and administrate the Employee Recognition, Mandatory Review and Early Intervention programs.
The goal for the PSU is to provide a transparent look at the process used by our department in providing positive feedback to our officers and addressing complaints of alleged improper actions committed by our employees while doing so in a professional, efficient, and effective manner where citizens and officers alike feel they are being treated fairly and equitably.
The PSU consists of a Sergeant and Lieutenant who are responsible for the daily functions of the unit. These individuals have investigative experience and have received specialized training in the area of internal affairs investigations. The PSU is commanded by the Executive Assistant to the Chief of Police and reports directly to the Chief of Police.
Providing professional services to our community is the goal of our department. We encourage citizens to provide us with feedback on how we are doing by completing a Compliment Form or a Complaint Form. These forms can also be found at a number of locations throughout the city to include:
The department does not require a written compliment or complaint and will accept this information over the telephone, via letter or in-person. This information is also accepted from third parties or from anonymous sources.
The PSU will provide data on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis related to the number of Mandatory Reviews completed by the department supervisors and the number of Internal Affairs Investigations done by the PSU. These reports are available online and posted on the Seventh St. entrance to the Police Department. The goal is to have this information posted by the 10th day of each month.
The Mandatory Review Report contains information as to the total number of reviews conducted, type of action requiring a review, the number of reviews found to be proper and the number of reviews assigned to the PSU for additional investigation.
The Internal Investigations Report contains information taken from the total number of compliment / complaint information reports (CCIR) generated for the reporting period. Data is broken down to show the number of compliments and complaints received, both internally and externally. In those incidences where a complaint was received, a breakdown of Complaint Type, Complaint Disposition, Investigative Findings and Disciplinary Action for Improper findings is shown. The total numbers of investigations by PSU and by the immediate supervisor is also shown.
The goal for making this information readily available on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis is to provide the citizens and the officers a more in-depth and comprehensive view of what the PSU is receiving in the areas of compliments and complaints. By becoming more transparent we hope all persons can gain a better understanding of the work being done by our employees.
Review FAQ about the Professional Standards Unit.
Should you have questions related to the Professional Standards Unit, its operations, or data posted for review, please contact Lt. John White at 573-441-5469 or by email at JHWhite@gocolumbiamo.com or Sergeant Joe Bernhard at 573-441-5477 or email at JKBernh@gocolumbiamo.com.
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