Citizens
Guide to Complaints, Inquiries and Commendations
- Inquiries
or Complaints
- Investigation
Procedures
- Who May
File a Complaint?
- Complaint
Findings
- Complaint
Frequently Asked Questions
- Commending
Exceptional Performance
- Contact
Information
Making
an Inquiry or Complaint
An
inquiry or complaint can be made by letter, telephone or in person.
Any Supervisor or Officer may accept an initial inquiry or complaint
against personnel, procedure or policies. If the inquiry or complaint
is against a Public Safety department employee, we recommend that
you contact that employee's supervisor. If the supervisor is not
available, you may contact the OIC. The supervisor will ensure that
your inquiry or complaint is directed to the proper authority.
If the inquiry
or complaint appears to be based on a misunderstanding or a lack
of knowledge of acceptable or desired conduct, procedures or practices,
the Mount Holyoke College Department of Public Safety Officer may
offer an explanation. If you are not satisfied with their explanation,
you may insist on speaking with the officer's supervisor.
Please provide
the date, time and location of the event; the name(s) of the officer(s)
involved (if known) and the name, address and telephone number of
any possible witnesses.
Your inquiry
or complaint can be done by email, by phone, or for more efficient
service, you may use our Citizen
Complaint Form (in pdf). Please mail or email to:
Barbara A.
Arrighi
Associate Director of Public Safety
50 College Street
South Hadley MA 01075
(413) 538-2304
barrighi@mtholyoke.edu
Investigation
Procedure
Once your inquiry
or complaint is received, it will be thoroughly investigated by
the Associate Director or his/her designee. The investigation will
usually include a review of any applicable reports, policies and
procedures, examination of any evidence or medical records and interviews
with all parties and witnesses.
A simple inquiry
might take only a day to complete, while a complex complaint might
take various months to investigate and review. The Mount Holyoke
College Department of Public Safety internal investigations and
administrative inquiries must be completed within 90 days unless
extended by the Director because of extenuating circumstances.
The Associate
Director reviews every inquiry and complaint, to include any investigative
findings. If the Associate Director determines that an employee
violated department policy or procedures, appropriate corrective
action is taken. The Associate Director's review will also include
looking for ways to improve policies, procedures and training.
Who
May File A Complaint?
Any individual
who was a witness to, or a victim of what he/she feels was a wrongdoing
by any member of the Mount Holyoke College Department of Public
Safety. We encourage open dialogue and involvement to help maintain
the high standards of quality that the department demands and the
community deserves.
While this Department
will investigate all complaints or concerns, even if submitted anonymously,
a concern or complaint can be investigated more completely if the
complainant provides some contact information to allow for more
thorough gathering of data regarding an incident in question.
Findings
You will receive
written notification once the complaint investigation has ended.
There are 5 different levels of findings. However, due to personnel
confidentiality the exact findings will not be disclosed.
Unfounded:
There was sufficient evidence to prove the complaint or incident
is false or not factual.
Exonerated:
There is eveidence that indicates that the act or incident did
occur, but the officer's actions were justified, lawful and proper.
Not
Sustained: There is sufficient evidence to clearly prove
or disprove the complaint or incident.
Sustained/No
Discipline: There is sufficient evidence to establish
that the incident did occur, but the facts and circumstances are
of such a nature that formal discipline is not warranted.
Sustained/Discipline:
There is sufficient evidence to establish that the incident did
occur and the facts and circumstances support the determination
that officer's actions constituted misconduct. Discipline may
range from a personnel warning or punitive letter to suspension
to termination, depending on the severity of the incident.
College procedures
allow for appeal of such actions by either the employee or the complaining
party; please refer to Staff Handbook on Resolution
of Grievances for those procedures (available on campus only;
if you are off campus and cannot access that page, you can obtain
information on the process from the Associate Director.)
Frequently
Asked Questions
Q: What happens
to an employee if he or she is found to have acted improperly?
A: Some instances
require disciplinary action such as reprimand, suspension or even
termination. Sometimes training or counseling is appropriate.
If a crime is alleged, a separate criminal investigation is conducted.
Q: Why can't
I get a copy of the investigation?
A: Internal
misconduct investigations become part of the employee's personnel
file and may contain medical, juvenile or other restricted information.
Disclosure of specific actions are protected by employment laws
and College policy.
Q: Do I have
a guarantee that I will be satisfied?
A: Although
we cannot guarantee that you will be satisfied, we do guarantee
that your inquiry will be investigated thoroughly. You may discuss
the results with the Director or his designated representative.
Q: I am concerned
that an officer or the department will retaliate in some way because
I filed a complaint.
A: The Mount
Holyoke College Department of Public Safety wants, and depends
on, your involvement and will not condone, in any way, any retaliation.
Any person doing so would be subjecting themselves to civil, criminal
and departmental action.
Commending
Exceptional Performance
The best way
to commend the actions of a Mount Holyoke College Officer is to
write a brief letter describing the incident and the actions you
think were exceptional. Information such as date, time and locations
will help identify the employee if you do not know his or her name.
If you chose not to write, you may ask to speak with the individual's
supervisor and make a verbal commendation.
Commendations
received by the Director are forwarded to the employee with a copy
placed in his/her personnel file. Although our employees do not
expect to be thanked for everything they do, recognition of exceptional
service is always appreciated. This kind of feedback helps us to
know if we are doing a good job.
The Mount Holyoke
College Department of Public Safety is committed to providing the
best service possible. Citizen comments are essential.
You can submit
a commendation by completing the Employee
Commendation Form.
Contact
Information
If you have
questions about any specific action taken by us, or how we operate,
or if you have a recommendation on how we can improve, you may contact
any of the following:
In
Writing:
Barbara A. Arrighi
Mount Holyoke College
Department of Public Safety
50 College Street
South Hadley, MA 01075
By
Phone:
Off Campus: (413) 538-2304
On Campus: x2304
In
Person:
Central Services Building
Second Floor
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