3-01/030.30 - Ombudsperson/Career Resources Center Responsibility



If the Ombudsperson/Career Resources Center (the "Ombudsperson") receives the initial notification under these procedures, the Ombudsperson is responsible for informing and advising the complainant and/or witness as described in the "Intake Responsibilities" section.  In any event, all reports of workplace violence or retaliation shall be documented by the Ombudsperson/Career Resources Center.

If the complainant and/or witness requests only confidential counseling or assistance from the Ombudsperson, and the circumstances of the matter permit an informal resolution, the Ombudsperson must, in any case, document the initial contact.  In such a case, the Ombudsperson should track and/or resolve the problem and maintain the record in as confidential a manner as possible.  Informal complaint resolutions will not be entered into the (subject’s, victim’s or informant’s) Performance Recording and Monitoring System (PRMS).

In all cases in which the complainant requests an investigation into the allegations of workplace violence or retaliation, the Ombudsperson shall document the initial notification.
 
Documentation of the Complaint

The Ombudsperson shall document the notification or assist the complainant and/or witness in doing so on an office correspondence form (SH-AD32A).  The notification shall be documented as promptly as possible after receipt of a report of violence or retaliation.

In the event that the complainant and/or witness is unwilling to pursue a complaint, the Ombudsperson, in consultation with the Captain of the Internal Affairs Bureau, shall determine if the circumstances, nevertheless, warrant an investigation.  The Ombudsperson will document the complaint and initiate an office correspondence form (SH-AD32A) to the Captain of the Internal Affairs Bureau and the concerned Unit Commander(s), requesting an investigation into the allegations.  In such circumstance, the concerned Unit Commander would be deemed the complainant.  The complainant and/or witness shall prepare, or provide assistance in preparing, a written statement of the conduct to which he or she was subjected or witnessed.

The Ombudsperson/Career Resources Center shall remain in contact with the complainant during the course of the investigation, and for 90 days after the resolution of the complaint, to ensure that adequate communication is maintained and that no retaliation is occurring.  The Ombudsperson shall make prompt notification to the appropriate parties if an issue of retaliation is raised.