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University Police Department
The New York State
University Police Department takes their mission in our
community very seriously. As a result, we encourage members
of our community to feel free to report any problems they
have had as a result of negative contact with our personnel.
This allows us to improve our service to the community and
to strive to provide the highest level of service possible
to those we service.
The University Police Department will deliver effective and
responsive law enforcement services to all persons within
the State University College at Cortland Campus in a fair
and equitable manner. As an integral part of the campus
community, we are committed to communicating with those we
serve and join with them in establishing priorities to
enhance the quality of life for the entire community.
Filing a Complaint
While we strive for positive outcomes on a daily basis, we
recognize that all contacts with University Police are not
positive ones, depending on the circumstances surrounding
any specific incident. We do demand that our officers and
office staff provide assistance and carry out their duties
in a professional manner. This includes the fair and
equitable treatment of all persons in a lawful and
even-handed manner without regard to race, color, national
origin, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion,
disability, political affiliation or personal interest.
Additionally, we expect our officers and office staff to be
polite and courteous and, whenever possible, take the time
to answer questions and explain their actions.
If you feel you have been treated in a manner contrary to
our mission statement above, you are encouraged to report
the incident and the person you had contact with. You can do
so anonymously if you so desire. The University Police
Department does accept anonymous complaints, however, they
are not given the same attention as an authorized complaint.
To file a complaint, you may come directly to the University
Police office and speak with a supervisor. If a supervisor
is not available, you will be asked for your contact
information so that a supervisor can contact you at their
earliest convenience. If a supervisor is available, you will
be asked to sit down with that supervisor and express your
complaint to them. At that point, depending on the scope of
the complaint, the supervisor will attempt to mediate the
complaint according to department policy. The supervisor
will ask you if you would like to file an anonymous or
official written complaint. If you wish to file a written
complaint, you will be asked to,
1. Provide a written statement of events surrounding the
complaint, and;
2. Sign a Police Complaint Form, and;
3. Give relevant information to the supervisor for follow-up
action, and;
4. Swear to the statement made under penalty of perjury.
Signing a statement under penalty of perjury allows us to
limit frivolous or unfounded complaints against department
personnel for unwarranted reasons. This means that if you
make a false statement against an officer or staff member,
and the investigation proves that statement to be false, you
will be charged with making a false written statement.
Making a False Written Statement is a Misdemeanor under
section 210.45 of the Penal Law of the State of New York.
All complaints filed with the department shall be, according
to department policy, investigated to a conclusion. If they
are validated or substantiated the department follows strict
guidelines for dealing with misconduct. You should know,
however, that the law prohibits us from disclosing any
actions taken with officers or staff as a result of a Police
Complaint.
If you still have questions, please feel free to ask for a
supervisor and speak to him or her about your concerns at
anytime. Thank you for assisting us with making the
University Police Department the best organization we can
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