The Casper Police Department is offering a new online tool for citizens to submit formal complaints against members of the department.

The new website gives people another method for submitting complaints, in addition to phone calls, emails or letters to the police chief or Professional Standards Lieutenant Shane Chaney.

Anyone may also submit a paper copy of their complaint at the Records Section of the Casper Police Department, located at 201 N. David Street.

All complaints are held in confidence and will be investigated in a timely manner, Detective John Hatcher wrote in a news release.

"We're just trying to make it easier for people to communicate with us," Hatcher said in a phone interview when asked about the reason behind the new online form.

Hatcher says that every complaint will be reviewed by command staff, and they will be kept in the utmost confidence.

"There's only a couple of people in our command staff that are going to be able to see these," Hatcher emphasized.

"Hopefully people will take their time and give us some constructive criticism," Hatcher continued, "not just a social media blast."

"We can only get better if we hear what the complaints are. We're trying to be as open as we can with our community," explained Hatcher.

"The department's leadership remains open and receptive to public comment and input on ways to make the Department even better. We take our duties and responsibilities to our citizens seriously, and we strive to ensure all Department members conduct ourselves according to our core values," Hatcher's news release concludes.

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