1. (a) All Employing Agencies and Investigating Agencies shall accept Public Complaints involving Peace Officers of any Employing Agency. That procedure may be part of the civilian complaint procedure required by Section 832.5 of the Penal Code, provided that the civilian complaint procedure complies with these regulations.
2. (b) Public Complaints shall be accepted by any mode of communication, including, without limitation, in writing, by written complaint form, by e-mail, by U.S. mail, by internet complaint form, by telephone, orally in person, or by sign language in person.
3. (c) Anonymous Public Complaints shall be accepted.

4. (d) No written form or internet form used to accept Public Complaints, and no physical facility in which Public Complaints may be accepted in person, shall bear any of the following:

   1. (1) An advisement of penalties for false statements;
   2. (2) Any advisement that statements are made under penalty of perjury;
   3. (3) Any imposition of conditions upon the complainant, such as a requirement that a complainant contact an investigator within a specified time frame; or
   4. (4) Any other language that could reasonably be construed as discouraging a complainant from submitting a Public Complaint or participating in any subsequent investigation.
5. (e) Policies regarding acceptance of Public Complaints shall comply with all applicable laws concerning language access and disability accessibility.
6. (f) Investigating Agencies and other Employing Agencies shall ensure that the home page of each agency's website contains a prominent link explaining the Public Complaint process and permitting online submission of a Public Complaint or providing a link to the relevant Investigating Agency. At a minimum, the information provided will include the content of the policy described in Section 999.301, subdivision (a), and contact information for the submission of a Public Complaint by each of the following means: in person, online, by mail, and by phone. The information provided on the website shall include language providing that retaliation for making a Public Complaint or cooperating in a Covered Complaint investigation is prohibited.
7. (g) The complaint procedure shall designate a process by which the agency shall log all Public Complaints within one business day of receipt. The log shall include date of receipt, name of the Subject of the Public Complaint, and the Public Complaint's general subject matter.
8. (h) Within one business day of receipt, the Public Complaint shall be referred to the Investigative Unit of the appropriate Investigating Agency.
9. (i) If personnel responsible for accepting a complaint cannot determine whether it is a Covered Complaint, they shall log the complaint and refer it to the Investigative Unit.

Note: Authority cited: Section 13682, Penal Code. Reference: Section 13682, Penal Code.

History

1. New section filed 3-3-2026; operative 7-1-2026 (Register 2026, No. 10). For prior history, see Register 2022, No. 18.