Commendation/Complaint
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office strives for prompt and professional service. We look forward to hearing from those we serve about the performance and services provided by our employees. If you feel the circumstances warrant, please contact our office and ask for an on-duty supervisor to recommend a commendation for these services you have received or witnessed. We would ask that you provide the location of the event and the name of the employee being considered. A full account of your commendation will be requested as the basis for the recognition.
Although you may wish to remain anonymous, we would certainly like to know who was thoughtful to take the time to contact us. The employee and their supervisor and the Sheriff will be informed of your commendation and will be reflected in the employees personnel file.
Commendation Process
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office is committed to maintaining the public’s trust and accountability through competent and thorough investigations. If our employees act outside the scope of the Sheriff’s Office rules, regulations, policies, procedures, or state or federal civil and / or criminal law, and evidence of misconduct is determined, appropriate administrative or criminal processes will be implemented.
The Sheriff’s Office has the responsibility to protect the rights of all persons within its jurisdiction. This includes protecting its deputies and employees from false allegations of misconduct. In this context, complainants should be made aware of the following sections of the Ohio Revised Code:
1. Section 2917.32(A)(3) No person shall report to any law enforcement agency an alleged offense or other incident within its concern, knowing that such offense did not occur.
2. Section 2921.l3(A) No person shall knowingly make a false statement or knowing swear or affirm the truth of a false statement previously made.
3. Section 2921.15(B) No person shall knowingly file a complaint against a peace officer that alleges that the peace officer engaged in misconduct in the performance of the officer’s duties if the person knows that the allegation is false.
These crimes are misdemeanors of the first degree punishable upon conviction by a fine not more than $1,000 and/or imprisonment not more than 6 months.
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office has procedures for investigating citizen complaints. However, complaints received anonymously are difficult to properly investigate. Without providing contact information, the ability to further clarify the complaint is compromised. If you have a complaint against the Sheriff’s Office or its employees, you may appear in person or contact this office by phone or email to speak with the on-duty supervisor to ensure a prompted review of the alleged misconduct and assure you are connected to the appropriate resource to begin the complaint process.
All official complaints against the Sheriff’s Office, or any of its employees, shall be completely investigated within ninety days from the date of the filing of the complaint. The Sheriff may, on a case-by-case basis, grant an extension to this time limit, at his discretion based on extenuating circumstances.