Complaints

Ways to Make a Complaint

There are three ways to make a complaint about police – conversation, local resolution, and formal LECA complaint.

Local Response

A complainant can go into a police station and simply have a conversation to clear up a question or concern. Local Response is a process for dealing with concerns from members of the public informally.

Formal LECA Complaint

Police officers and special constables are expected to act with honesty and integrity and comply with the requirements of the Human Rights Code and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Code of Conduct for police officers identifies police officers’ obligation under the following categories:

  • Compliance with Laws
  • Human Rights and the Charter
  • Interactions with the Public
  • Integrity
  • Performance of Duties

Please see O. Reg. 407/23 for more information about the Code of Conduct of Police Officers.

Please see O. Reg. 410/23 for more information about the Code of Conduct of Special Constables.

Who Can I Complain About?

LECA can only accept conduct complaints about sworn police officers in Ontario including municipal, regional and provincial (OPP) police officers, as well as Special Constables of Niagara Parks Commission and Peace Officers of the Legislative Protective Service.

We cannot accept complaints about:

LECA does not have jurisdiction over:

  • Corrections Officers
  • Special Constables other than those employed by the Niagara Parks Commission
  • Non-peace officers of the Legislative Protective Service
  • RCMP
  • Military police

To complain about an RCMP officer, please contact the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP.

To complain about a military police officer, please contact the Military Police Complaints Commission.

To complain about special constables, other than those employed by the Niagara Parks Commission or to complain about non-peace officers of the Legislative Protective Service, please contact their respective employers and organizations.

Who Can Make a Complaint?

Any member of the public can make a complaint; however, LECA will only screen in complaints from one of the following:

  • A person at whom the conduct was directed
  • A person who saw or heard the conduct or its effects as a result of being physically present at the time and place that the conduct or its effects occurred
  • A person who,

(i) was in a personal relationship with a person described in at the time that the conduct occurred, and

(ii) suffered loss, damage, distress, danger or inconvenience as a result of the conduct.

Who Cannot Make a Complaint?

The following people cannot make a complaint with LECA:

  • The Solicitor General
  • The Inspector General, a deputy Inspector General or an inspector employed with the Office of the Inspector General;
  • A deputy Complaints Director, an employee or investigator of LECA
  • The SIU Director or an employee or investigator in the Special Investigations Unit;
  • A member of a police service, in respect of another member of that police service;
  • A special constable employed by the Niagara Parks Commission, in respect of another special constable employed by the Niagara Parks Commission;
  • The Niagara Parks Commission, in respect of a special constable employed by the Niagara Parks Commission;
  • A member or employee of a police service board, in respect of a member of a police service maintained by the board;

Anonymous Complaint
To provide a fair and transparent process, complainants must identify themselves and sign the LECA form when submitting a formal complaint.

Anonymous complaints will not be considered a public complaint under the CSPA, but they may be reviewed and considered by LECA for the purposes of self-initiated investigation under section 161(1) of the Act.

What can I complain about?

LECA accepts complaints about the conduct all municipal, regional, and provincial (OPP) police officers as well as Special Constables of Niagara Parks Commission and the Legislative Protective Service.

Conduct complaints: the behaviour of a police officer.

When can I make a complaint?

It is best to file your complaint within six months of the incident. Complaints received after six months may be screened out.

The Complaints Director may choose to accept a complaint after the six month period if:

  • The complainant is a youth (18 and younger)
  • The complainant has a disability as defined by the Accessibility for Ontarians with a Disabilities Act (AODA)
  • A criminal investigation or proceeding in relation to the incident is pending or ongoing
  • It is in the public interest to deal with the complaint

How to file a complaint

Please see our complaint form page to access our online complaint form.