Filing a Complaint

A main goal of the Fire and Police Commission (FPC) is to ensure that members of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Departments carry out their duties in a professional and respectful manner.  The FPC is the civilian oversight agency of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Departments and has full authority to investigate and discipline department employees for rule violations. 

Your complaint will be assigned the FPC’s bilingual, full-time investigator, who will contact you to confirm the information you submit and gather more detail if necessary.  The majority of complaint investigations we conduct are concluded within 2 months of receipt, but each case is unique; be aware that some allegations may take significantly less or more time to resolve. 

• A brochure providing a general outline of the complaint process may be found here (also available in Spanish and Hmong).
• A fully detailed account of the complaint process may be viewed here. 
• Some complaints may be recommended for a mediation process, which you can read about here (also available in Spanish).

It is the FPC’s policy to accept all complaints and provide all complainants with the necessary means to file a complaint if they wish to do so. If, at any point in the process, you feel (or felt) as if you were discouraged from filing your complaint, please contact our Compliance Auditor at [email protected] or (414) 286-5141. Similarly, if you would like to compliment a member of our staff, please contact our Compliance Auditor at the above contact information.
 

Complaint Intake Process

Click on each image to enlarge. 

Procedure

If you wish to file a complaint with the FPC against a Fire or Police Department member we have multiple avenues available through which you may do so: 

1. You may submit a complaint using our online complaint submission form.  Please note that an email address is required for you to utilize this tool.
2. You may download citizen complaint forms in English, Spanish, and Hmong.  The forms are fillable pdfs, meaning that you may type in the information using your computer if you wish; otherwise you may print out the form and fill it out by hand. 
3. You may pick up citizen complaint forms in person: Forms are available in branches of the Milwaukee Public Library and at MPD District Stations. Complaint forms are also available in person at our office in City Hall.

• Completed and signed forms should be either emailed to [email protected] or delivered by mail or by hand to:

Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission
City Hall Room 706A
200 E Wells Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

For more information or to file a complaint by phone, please call (414) 286-5000 to speak with an investigator.

Notes:

• The FPC only has authority to investigate complaints against the City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Department personnel.
  • Complaints against the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, suburban Fire or Police Departments, Municipal or County Court System, or other branches of government should be submitted directly to those agencies.   
• Complaints about parking citations are not within our investigative authority. 
  • The Milwaukee Department of Public Works is responsible for parking enforcement.  Instructions for disputing a parking citation are available on their website. 
• The FPC does not have the authority to award any monetary damages.  
  • Claims for monetary damages must be filed separately with the Milwaukee City Clerk.
• It is desirable that complaints be filed as soon as reasonable after an incident. 
  • As a general guide we request that complaints for minor misconduct (for example, discourtesy) be filed within 60 days of the incident and complaints for serious misconduct (for example, excessive force) be filed within 6 months of the incident.  These guidelines may be extended for a variety of “good cause” reasons and we encourage you to discuss your situation with the assigned investigator as necessary.
• While identity verification via a notary public is not required to submit a complaint, it may be needed at a later point to continue the investigatory process. 
  • Notary services are offered for no charge in our office at City Hall and in many other neighborhood locations; the investigator handling your complaint will guide you through the process when it is necessary.

Community Office Hours Calendar

As part of the Fire and Police Commission's commitment to public outreach efforts in bringing awareness to the citizen complaint process, the Fire and Police Commission investigators will hold community office hours to inform/educate the public on the citizen complaint process and to also take in-person complaints.

February Community Office Hours