In 2021, OPO staff reviewed each contact during the preliminary review and processed every complaint in the following ways:
Not Applicable to OPO: OPO may only accept complaints against Austin Police Department (APD) officers. Complaints that are not about APD officers do not apply to OPO.
Community Concern: Community concerns may be a more general concern about police behavior, often lacking details required for OPO to recommend a formal investigation to APD. OPO notifies APD of community concerns.
OPO Supervisor Referral: In some cases, OPO recommends a supervisor referral as the best resolution for a community member. OPO notifies APD of supervisor referrals, and the APD supervisor will contact the community member directly.
Formal Complaint: If OPO identifies potential policy violations during a preliminary review, OPO forwards the complaint to APD and recommends that APD investigate. APD determines whether an investigation will occur. OPO publishes redacted formal complaints on our website.
No Policy Violation: If OPO does not identify a potential policy violation, OPO notifies the community member and closes the complaint.