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(Tue May 23, 2023)
Closter Police Department Internal Affairs Division
What is the function of the Internal Affairs Unit ?
The Internal Affairs Unit is responsible for receiving, processing, and supervising internal affairs investigations that involve allegations of criminal conduct and acts of misconduct made against members of the Closter Police Department. The Internal Affairs Unit ensures that allegations made against members of the Closter Police Department are thoroughly and objectively investigated to their logical conclusion. The Internal Affairs Unit maintains a comprehensive index of all complaints received against all members. This information is submitted to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office on an annual basis.
What does the Internal Affairs Unit do ?
The Internal Affairs Unit has the responsibility to investigate all allegations of misconduct by members of the Closter Police Department and to review and adjudicate all minor complaints which are handled by supervisors. In addition, the Internal Affairs Unit will review all firearms discharges by department personnel that are not related to training, all use of force incidents, all vehicular pursuits undertaken by department personnel and all collisions involving department vehicles.
To whom does the Internal Affairs Unit report ?
The Internal Affairs Unit reports directly to the Chief of Police.
How do I file a complaint against an Officer or Employee of the Police Department?
Complaints will be accepted in person, by telephone, via our COMPLAINT FORMS BELOW (available in 11 languages) or by letter or email. It is preferred that the complaint be made in person by the individual who is directly involved in the allegation against the Closter Police Department employee, so we can ascertain as much information as possible to effectively investigate the complaint. Those individuals who do not wish to make a complaint in person or over the telephone should complete the appropirate language Internal Affairs Complaint Form.
The completed form can then be submitted in any of the following ways:
1. By U.S. Mail:
Closter Police Department
Attn: Internal Affairs Unit
295 Closter Dock Road
Closter, NJ 07624
Internal Affairs Complaint Form with Instructions (Multiple Languages)
| English | Polish |
| Arabic | Portuguese |
| Chinese | Spanish |
| Haitian | Tagalog |
| Hindi | Vietnamese |
| Korean |
2. Dropped off in person to the Closter Police Department
Please note that in-person complaints are usually taken by a supervisor or member of the Internal Affairs Unit but any police officer can accept a complaint. The complaint will then be forwarded to the Internal Affairs Unit for investigation for review. The complaint will be investigated by the Internal Affairs Unit or it will be forwarded to the appropriate supervisor for investigation.
All complaints of officer misconduct shall be accepted from any persons who wish to file a complaint regardless of the hour or day of the week. This includes reports from anonymous sources, juveniles, and persons under arrest or in custody. In the event you wish to file a complaint with the Internal Affairs Unit we encourage you to do so as soon possible. Additional information regarding the internal affairs process can be found on the Civilian Complaint Information Sheet.
3. Via Closter Police Department email.
An internal affairs complaint may also be filled out and sent to closterpolice@closterpolice.org or vaiello@closterpolice.org
For further information/details regarding New Jersey’s Attorney General Internal Affairs policies and procedures please see their website @ https://www.njoag.gov/iapp/
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