Skip Navigation

Police Personnel Complaints and Misconduct

The Baltimore County Police Department values your input on the performance of BCoPD personnel. We encourage you to let us know when an officer or civilian member has provided exemplary service. Likewise, we want to know when you experience problems with our personnel.

Compliments about services rendered by a particular officer, civilian employee or section are important to us and to our personnel. Your comments will become part of the employee's personnel file and will be shared with the employee's commanders. Occasionally, complimentary comments are the basis for nominations for special service awards or other departmental recognition.

SUBMIT A COMPLIMENT OR COMPLAINT

 

The Baltimore County Police Department is committed to completing complaints and disciplinary matters in accordance with the Police Accountability Act of 2021. Information on that process can be found on the Police Accountability Board website.

Check Status on Complaints

In order to check the status on a case, a valid case number is required. Have the case number available when checking the status.

For a more detailed explanation of your case status, confirmation of a case number, or if you are having trouble please contact the Internal Affairs Section at 410-887-2300.

CHECK THE STATUS OF A COMPLAINT

 

Police Misconduct Complaints

BCoPD's Internal Affairs Section (IAS) is responsible for investigating all allegations of misconduct by sworn officers, including allegations of excessive force, discourtesy and poor service. IAS falls under the Professional Standards Bureau. IAS takes every complaint seriously and is committed to a thorough and fair investigation.

Complaints filed through the online form are forwarded directly to IAS. All complaints against employees of BCoPD are investigated and handled confidentially.

View the interactive police data dashboard, which displays detailed policing information outlining the number and disposition of complaints against Baltimore County police officers and instances of uses of force. 

Requests to Obtain Records Related to Misconduct Complaints

Members of the public may request to obtain records from the Police Department relating to an administrative or criminal investigation of misconduct by a police officer under the Public Information Act (PIA). These requests can be made via the same process used for all other Police Department requests to obtain information under the PIA.

To file a PIA request with the Police Department, follow the instructions for how to make a PIA request provided by the Baltimore County Office of Law. Use the custodian information listed for the Police Department.

Complaint Comparison

The BCoPD's Internal Affairs Section has compiled information comparing community and administrative complaints during a five-year time period, from 2015 to 2019. There was an average of 60 community complaints per year compared to 88 administrative complaints.

See the table below for more details on the complaint comparison.

Complaint Type20152016201720182019Five-Year Average
Community Complaints857152435060
Administrative Complaints8974931047988
Total174145145147129148

Administrative Discipline Hearing Boards

The Police Department conducts a hearing board at the request of sworn members who dispute the outcome of the internal disciplinary process.

Sworn members receive some type of corrective action if an internal administrative investigation results in a finding that the sworn member has engaged in misconduct by intentionally violating the law or any Baltimore County Police Department policy or procedure. Corrective action includes counseling and re-training, a reprimand, loss of leave days, suspension, demotion or termination of employment. Internal discipline is separate from any punishment the sworn officer may face as a result of criminal charges. In cases where a sworn member faces criminal charges, the internal investigation likely will be conducted after the criminal charges are resolved.

A hearing board is a three-member panel appointed by the Chief of Police. It consists of a Captain or Major (who serves as a chairperson), a Lieutenant and a member of the department holding the same rank as the accused member.

Hearing boards begin at 9 a.m. at the Public Safety Building. The date of hearing boards will be posted on this page 10 working days prior to the scheduled date of the hearing board. Maryland law allows the Chief of Police to close a hearing board to public view if there is “good cause, including to protect a confidential informant, an undercover officer, or child witness” (Section 3-107(e)(II) of the Maryland Public Safety Article).

Hearing Board Schedule

Information is posted 10 days before a scheduled hearing board.

Case NumberHearing Board Date
AC2023-030February 7 to 8

If you plan to attend a hearing board, please check this site the night before the scheduled hearing to confirm that the hearing is still scheduled. A hearing board will be canceled if the dispute is resolved before the scheduled hearing.

Explore Internal Affairs

 

Contact Us

Internal Affairs Section

Public Safety Building
700 East Joppa Road
Towson, Maryland 21286

Hours

Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Phone

BALTCOGO311

Commander

Major M. Gorman