Detroit Police Department
This department has independent oversight.
Sivil routes complaints first to Office of the Chief Investigator — the civilian oversight body for Detroit. Routing here means your complaint isn't reviewed by the people it's about.
File directly with Office of the Chief InvestigatorHow easy is it to share feedback with Detroit?
We audit every department's public-facing feedback channels. Last verified 10/22/2024.
Detroit Police Department (MI)
How to file a complaint about a Detroit Police Department officer
The Detroit Police Department serves roughly 615,501 residents. If you had a problem with an officer, you have three distinct ways to file a complaint — and they are not equivalent. Here is how each one works in Detroit, based on Sivil's audit of public records and agency websites.
1. Office of the Chief Investigator — independent civilian oversight
The Office of the Chief Investigator is a civilian agency that reviews complaints about Detroit Police Department officers outside the department's own chain of command — your complaint is not investigated by colleagues of the officer involved. No notarization is required to file.
- File online with the Office of the Chief Investigator
- How the Office of the Chief Investigator complaint process works
- By phone: (313) 596-2499
- In person or by mail: 900 Merrill, Detroit MI 48203
- Office of the Chief Investigator website
2. Detroit Police Department Professional Standards Section (Internal Affairs) — the department's internal channel
Complaints filed with Professional Standards Section (Internal Affairs) are investigated inside the department itself. The department has not publicly confirmed whether anonymous complaints are investigated.
- Email: MSPIA@Michigan.gov
- Phone: 517-284-3278
- Department page on the complaint process
3. File through Sivil
Sivil delivers your complaint by email to the right recipient for this department — routed to the Office of the Chief Investigator so it is reviewed independently. You keep a copy, and it takes about five minutes. Start your complaint here.
Good to know
- As of our last audit, the Detroit Police Department homepage did not link to a complaint-filing page — one reason many residents struggle to find the correct channel.
- The department's Facebook, Instagram and X accounts accept direct messages — useful for quick questions, though social media is not a formal complaint channel and messages there generally aren't part of any official record.
- General department line: (313) 596-2200
Compiled by Sivil from agency websites and public records; last verified 10/22/2024. Procedures change — confirm details with the agency before relying on them. Sharing a positive experience instead? Send a compliment.