The Division of Internal Affairs’ primary function is the receipt, processing, and investigation of complaints made against employees of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. When a complaint is received, every effort is made to ensure a thorough, timely, and fair investigation of the allegation(s) contained in the complaint. The openness of the agency in the acceptance of a complaint is a principal element of professionalism and community responsiveness. All complaints are processed and reviewed by the Division of Internal Affairs and submitted to the Sheriff of Palm Beach County for review and final disposition.
The Division includes the following personnel: One (1) Captain, One (1) Lieutenant, Sixteen (16) Sergeants, One (1) Unit Manager, One (1) Office Manager, Two (2) Security Technicians, Three (3) Polygraph Operators, Eight (8) Full-time Background Investigators, One (1) Part-time Background Investigator, Five (5) Internal Affairs Analysts, and Three (3) Internal Affairs Specialists – 42 in total.
The Division of Internal Affairs duties include:
- Investigation of allegations made against members of the Sheriff’s Office, whether sworn or civilian
- Investigation of Critical Incidents (i.e. employee involved shootings)
- Identify and assist employees who display symptoms of job stress and/or job performance problems
- Conduct all pre-employment Background Investigations & Polygraph Examinations
- Agency and Building Security
- Documentation Management
- Disciplinary Appeals regulated under Florida Law
- Process Public Records requests per Florida Statute 119.00, Public Records
- Assist first line supervisors in investigations of alleged employee misconduct
- Prepare an annual report reflecting the complaints received by the PBSO, and statistical data, which include:
- Complaint Classification, Investigation Types, and Findings
- Investigation volume relative to agency calls for service
- Firearm Discharges and Displays
- Use of Force and Canine Apprehension
- Vehicle Pursuits
- Biased Policing
- Early Intervention System
Frequently Asked Questions:
You may obtain a copy of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Allegation of Employee Misconduct (complaint) form from any agency facility, any agency supervisor, or you can download it from the link below.
Complaints against any PBSO employee will be accepted at all agency facilities, from any source, regardless of the location of the alleged occurrence. Complaints can also be mailed to the Division of Internal Affairs at the address listed below, faxed to 561-688-3059, or submitted via our online complaint form which can be accessed below.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Division of Internal Affairs 3228 Gun Club Road West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
The Division of Internal Affairs is open from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Monday through Friday.
You may also download a complaint form here. You must have Adobe Acrobat in order to open the file. You must print, fill out, then mail or fax the form to:
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office
Bureau of Internal Affairs
3228 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, Fl. 33406
Phone 561-688-3035
Fax: 688-3059
Once the complaint is received by the Division of Internal Affairs, the complaint is classified and assigned to an investigator of supervisory rank. This supervisor assigned to investigate the complaint could be assigned to the Division of Internal Affairs, or be a supervisor within the area the involved employee is assigned. Upon completion, the investigation is reviewed by the Division of Internal Affairs for thoroughness, and a final disposition is made by the Sheriff of Palm Beach County.
When filing a complaint, please include all of the information about the complaint in full detail. Include your full name, address, all of your contact numbers, names and contact information for witnesses, the names of the employee (s) involved (if known), and any information that would assist us in conducting a timely investigation.
The average investigation takes from 30 days to 6 months to complete. This would depend on the complexity of the case, the availability of witnesses, and the involvement of other agencies, such as the State Attorney’s Office.
Yes. Both the complainant and the employee(s) are notified when the investigation has been completed.
Yes. Under Florida’s Public Records Law, all completed investigations become public record and are available for inspection during normal business hours. The case files are kept by the Division of Internal Affairs.
Yes. You can obtain a copy by contacting the Division of Internal Affairs during normal business hours. Per Florida law, there may be a charge for copying these documents.
Investigation can have the following outcomes:
- Sustained: The allegation of complaint was supported by sufficient evidence
- Unsubstantiated: The allegation failed to disclose sufficient evidence to prove or disprove the allegation
- Unfounded: The allegation was demonstrably false, or there was no credible evidence to support the complaint.
- Exonerated: An incident occurred but the employee’s actions were lawful and proper.
Discipline for violation of agency policies can result in the following outcome:
- Verbal counseling
- Training counseling
- Written Reprimand
- Suspension from duty without pay
- Demotion (for ranking officers)
- Termination from the agency
Employees of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office make every effort to perform their duties in a fair, competent, and professional manner. Many employees surpass the expectations of the public by providing exceptional service above and beyond the call of duty. If you observe a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office employee performing their duties in a manner you think is exceptional, then we encourage you to take a moment and tell us about it.
Our employees take great pride in being recognized by members of the public when they have performed their duties in an exceptional manner. Positive citizen commendations improve employee morale and encourage all employees to work harder to improve their individual performance, and the quality of the services they provide to the public.
If you would like to tell us about the exceptional service that you received, or you observed being done for someone else, you may write to the Sheriff at the address provided above or, if you prefer, you may use the online form we’ve provided for that purpose. The online form can be accessed by clicking the button below. Please accept our sincere gratitude for sharing your experience with us!
PLEASE READ: It is against Florida law to knowingly make a false complaint against any employee of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Florida State Statute 837.06 reads as follows:
“Whoever knowingly makes a false statement in writing with the intent to mislead a public servant in the performance of his or her official duty shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree.”
