Office of Professional Standards

The purpose of the Office of Professional Standards is to ensure the integrity of the Norfolk Police Department through the objective and intensive investigation of allegations of police misconduct. Integrity and reputation of a police force are vital if it is to accomplish its mission. Accordingly, the Office of Professional Standards is principally responsible for helping the Norfolk Police Department maintain its credibility and respect, both from the public it serves and among its members.

Under the Chief’s direction, the Office of Professional Standards is responsible for investigating all citizen complaints involving excessive force, abuse of authority, ethnic slurs, and civil rights violations, as well as complaints made by department members against other employees. The Office of Professional Standards is responsible for tracking and maintaining files for all complaints. Investigators also act as a resource and consultant for other police commands handling complaints internally.

In addition, compliance inspectors assigned to the Office of Professional Standards are responsible for providing the Chief of Police with a means for assessing the police department’s efficiency and effectiveness. The compliance inspectors are generally responsible for inspection and audit activities associated with city policies and departmental directives. This regular assessment serves to ensure that multi-million dollar operating budgets are prudently managed and wisely expended. The inspection process is an integral instrumentality for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the department’s operations, thereby serving to validate that the department’s mission and goals are being pursued. The assimilation of information from the inspection process provides guidance essential for implementing change.

How to make a complaint with the Office of Professional Standards:

 If you have an allegation of misconduct to report, please choose from the options below:

1.   Report the incident to an on-duty police supervisor.

Police supervisors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To request to speak with a police supervisor regarding an allegation of misconduct, call (757) 441-5610.

2.   Report the incident at any police facility.

Personnel are available to accept complaints at all police facilities.

3.   Report the incident directly to the Office of Professional Standards.

To make a complaint directly to an investigator in the Office of Professional Standards, call (757) 664-6159, Monday through Friday during normal business hours to schedule an appointment.

For more information, contact:

Office of Professional Standards
Norfolk Police Department
100 Brooke Avenue
Norfolk, Virginia 23510
(757) 664-6159