Who may make a complaint of alleged police misconduct?

Complaints can be made by any person who is a victim, a witness, or who has knowledge of alleged police misconduct.


How does one make a complaint?

A complaint may be filed by telephone, online, consultation, and/or scheduling an appointment with the PARC Executive Director at 865-215-3869 or 865-679-2987. Another method is to write to: Jered Croom, Executive Director, Police Advisory & Review Committee, P.O. Box 1631, Knoxville, TN 37901.

• File a Community Complaint Online
• File an Anonymous Complaint Online
 
If you have a complaint about about other City Services please use the 311 Miscellaneous Request Form to report your concerns.


What happens to the complaint?

A formal complaint is filed with PARC either online, in person or via phone.

With approval from the complainant, PARC will send a summary of the complaint to KPD's Office of Professional Standards to begin the investigation process.

As the case is being investigated, PARC will be informed of the progress.

At the conclusion of KPD's investigation, PARC staff will receive all case information and will review to ensure its completeness

The Police Advisory Review Committee will meet quarterly to review cases, ask questions of KPD, and either agree or disagree with findings.

PARC is not responsible for conducting disciplinary action of police officers, instead, PARC can only make recommendations for disciplinary action to the Chief of Police.

If the alleged incident has already been referred to the KPD's Office of Professional Standards (OPS), no review will be done until the completion of that investigation.


Are there alternatives to filing a formal complaint?

Yes. After you contact PARC, every effort will be made by the Executive Director to mediate the matter between the offended party(ies) and the KPD. If the mediation is unsuccessful, a complaint can still be filed in the fashion described earlier. 


What happens if the KPD officer(s) is/are found to have acted improperly?  

Under the City Charter, any disciplinary action, including termination, is handled by the Chief of Police. 


Is PARC independent from the KPD's Office of Professional Standards (OPS)?

Yes! The Executive Order gives PARC the authority to issue subpoenas and conduct its own investigation to satisfy itself that any complaints have been completely investigated. 


What happens if the officer(s) is/are found to have acted in accordance with KPD policy and the policy is thought to be wrong?

PARC has the authority under the Executive Order to review KPD Policies and Procedures and to make recommendations where it is thought to be appropriate. 


What happens if you do not agree with either the KPD's OPS or PARC?

You always have the right to discuss your case with an attorney and seek any recourse available under the law. 


What should you do if stopped by the police?

The KPD has the very difficult and dangerous assignment of enforcing the laws and sometimes dealing with very violent people. It is quite possible the officer who comes into contact with you does not know you personally. Consequently, he must approach you with caution to ensure both his and your safety. You are expected to treat a KPD officer in the same manner the officer is expected to treat you; with courtesy and respect. Police officers have the authority to conduct a limited search of you for concealed weapons, if reasonable suspicion exists. You should remain calm and follow the instructions of the officer. If you are in a car and see flashing blue lights on a police car, you should: 

• slow down 
• activate your turn signal indicating you are going to comply and 
• pull over as soon as you feel it is safe, such as into a well lighted area. If questioned, explain to the officer why you did not stop immediately. 
• You should not argue with, challenge, threaten, ignore or be offensive to the officer. 
• Under no circumstances should you provide the officer with false information. 

If you think you have been unjustly treated, respectfully request to speak to the officer's supervisor or request the officer's name and badge number and file a complaint with the KPD Office of Professional Standards at 865-215-7361 or PARC at 865-215-3869. 


How can you bring good officer conduct to the attention of the KPD?

If you would like to compliment the conduct and/or actions of a KPD officer, this can be accomplished by calling the Chief of Police's office at 865-215-7229 and reporting your information. Another method is writing to the Chief of Police, Knoxville Police Department, P.O. Box 3610, Knoxville, TN 37927.


Other complaints

If you have a complaint about about other City Services please use the 311 Miscellaneous Request Form to report your concerns.