OPS Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone may file a complaint with OPS, including subjects of police incidents, recipients of police services, a witness to a police incident, a third party, a legal representative, an anonymous person, the OPS Administrator, or a member of the CPRB. To file a complaint online, please, click here.

No, there is no time limit. However, the public is encouraged to file a complaint as close to the incident as possible since testimonial, documentary, and physical evidence might be harder to be obtained as time goes by.

No. The Office of Professional Standards investigates only non-criminal complaints against sworn and non-sworn Cleveland Division of Police employees.

The only findings that an OPS Investigator may recommend are as follows:

SUSTAINED: If the preponderance of the evidence supports a finding that the alleged conduct occurred and the officer's actions were inconsistent with law or Cleveland Division of Police General Police Orders, training, or procedures, the recommended finding will be "Sustained." A complaint may be "sustained in part" if the investigation revealed sufficient evidence to support a finding of a policy violation on one or more, but not all of the complainant's allegations. A complaint may also be "sustained for a violation not based on original complaint" if the investigation reveals evidence of misconduct that was not included in the complainant's original allegation but arose out of the incident that is the subject of the complaint.

EXONERATED: If the preponderance of the evidence gathered throughout the investigation supports a finding that the alleged conduct occurred but the officer's actions were consistent with law, Cleveland Division of Police General Police Orders, training, or procedures."

UNFOUNDED: If the preponderance of the evidence supports a finding that the alleged conduct did not occur.

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE: If the preponderance of the evidence fails to establish whether the alleged conduct did or did not occur, the Investigator will make a recommended finding of "Insufficient Evidence."

The time it takes for an investigation to be completed depends on several aspects, including but not limited to: the number and complexity of the complaints filed; the existence and size of case backlogs; staffing; DA holds and other procedural gaps in investigation, and; the timetable in which documents and other evidentiary requests are met by external sources. Thus, sometimes an investigation can be done quickly, in a matter of a few weeks. Some investigations take longer.