How do I make a complaint about the police?
If you want to complain about how a police officer behaved, you can make:
- an informal complaint at a police station, or
- a formal complaint to the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (LECA).
LECA is responsible for dealing with formal complaints from the public about a police officer's behaviour. You can complain to LECA if you:
- were harmed by a police officer
- saw someone being harmed by a police officer
- were in a personal relationship with someone when they were harmed by a police officer and you suffered because of it
For example, you could make a complaint if an officer harassed, assaulted, or racially profiled you. Racial profiling is when the police suspect you committed a crime based mainly on your race or ethnic background.
You can choose which type of complaint you want to make. You do not have to make an informal complaint at your local police station before making a formal complaint with LECA.
A lawyer can help you decide whether to make a formal or informal complaint. They can also help you decide if you should choose another option instead, for example:
- make a human rights claim at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO), or
- sue the police officer or police force in court.
The HRTO or court can order that you be paid for what the police officer did. LECA cannot order this.
