Handling Citizen Complaints through Proactive Methodology

Law enforcement organizations nationwide deal with complaints on a frequent basis. Some citizen complaints are unfounded or simple misunderstandings resulting from poor communication. However, even minor infractions can become agency spectacles and a serious problem for administrators if individuals carry their grievances to third parties. Police leaders can easily prevent citizen complaints from becoming political headaches, lawsuits, racial disputes, or media storms by emulating some of the medical community’s proactive initiatives to reduce malpractice litigation when patients experience negative outcomes.