Professional Standards
What is Internal Affairs? The Magnolia Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division operates under the direction of the Chief of Police. It is the mission of the Magnolia Police Department to effectively and efficiently provide for the protection of lives and property, preserve the public peace, and provide needed community services with the highest level of professionalism and ethical standards. The Magnolia Police Department’s Internal Affairs process is a fact finding process that is concerned with evaluating only the “facts” surrounding any allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing. It is for this reason that the Magnolia Police Dept is dedicated to investigating any complaint or inquiry received from a citizen with fairness and transparency to both the employee and the community.
Protection of the Public: The public has the right to receive fair, efficient, and impartial law enforcement services. Through the Internal Affairs process any misconduct by department personnel must be identified, thoroughly investigated and properly adjudicated to preserve fair and impartial treatment on the part of the Magnolia Police Department.
Protection of the Department: In law enforcement most departments are often evaluated and judged by the conduct of the individuals it employs. To that fact, the Magnolia Police Department stands fast on not being criticized because of the misconduct outside of its mission statement. An informed public must have confidence that its police department honestly and fairly investigates and adjudicates all allegations of misconduct against its employees.
Protection of the Employee: Employees must be protected against false or misinformed allegations of misconduct. This can only be accomplished through a consistently thorough investigative process. Chapter 614 of the Texas Government governs how complaints and allegations of misconduct by law enforcement personnel is to be handled. In addition, Chapter 37 of the Texas Penal Code warns against false allegations of misconduct and outlines the consequences of making such false allegations.
How Do I Make a Complaint? State law requires that complaints involving police officers be sworn under oath and notarized. For your convenience, a complaint form titled “Internal Affairs Packet" can be printed out from the bottom of this page. Although you are not required to appear in person to retrieve a complaint packet, the packet must be filled out as complete as possible and notarized prior to submitting it in person to the Magnolia Police Department. Complaints against members of the Magnolia Police Department may be initiated in person to a supervisor at the police department Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. If at any time a citizen feels compelled not to appear at the department in person, they may fill out the form, have it notarized and mail it to 18111 Buddy Riley Blvd Magnolia, Texas 77354 (Attention Internal Affairs Division) or email to mpd@cityofmagnolia.com. Any questions can be answered by calling (281) 356-2500.
What Happens To My Complaint After It Is Received? All complaints received by the Magnolia Police Department are processed to determine if it is a complaint of misconduct or wrongdoing or an inquiry, based on the nature of the allegations and/or the circumstances surrounding the facts presented. Each complaint is then assigned to a supervisor by the Chief of Police to be investigated through the Internal Affairs# process. These complaints involve but are not limited to allegations of excessive force, any discharge of firearms, or any criminal activity. Complaints comparatively less serious in nature, such as rude behavior or improper procedure, are classified as inquiries and forwarded to the individual officer's supervisor for investigation.