Internal Affairs Unit

The members of the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office are committed to providing law enforcement services that are fair, effective, and impartially applied. It is in the best interests of everyone that your complaint about the performance of an individual officer is resolved fairly and promptly. The Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office has formal procedures for investigating your complaint. These procedures are designed to ensure fairness and protect the rights of both citizens and law enforcement officers.

Complaint Procedures

1. Reports or Complaints of officer/employee misconduct must be accepted from any person, including anonymous sources, at any time.

2. Complaints shall be accepted regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or immigration status of the complaining party.

3.  Your complaint will be sent to a superior officer or a specially trained internal affairs officer who will conduct a thorough and objective investigation.

4. You might be asked to help in the investigation by giving a detailed statement about what happened or providing other important information or documents.

5. All complaints against law enforcement officers are thoroughly investigated. You will be kept informed of the status of the investigation and its ultimate outcome, if requested, and you provide contact information.  The exact discipline imposed is confidential, but you will be advised of the ultimate finding, namely : 

    a. Sustained: A preponderance of the evidence shows an officer violated any law; regulation; directive, guideline, policy, or procedure issued by the Attorney General or County Prosecutor; agency protocol; standing operating procedure; rule; or training.

    b. Unfounded: A preponderance of the evidence shows that the alleged misconduct did not occur.

    c. Exonerated: A preponderance of the evidence shows the alleged conduct did occur, but did not violate any law; regulation; directive, guideline, policy, or procedure issued by the Attorney General or County Prosecutor; agency protocol; standing operating procedure; rule; or training.

    d. Not Sustained: The investigation failed to disclose sufficient evidence to clearly prove or disprove the allegation.

6. If our investigation shows that a crime might have been committed, the county prosecutor will be notified. You might be asked to testify in court.

7. If our investigation results in an officer being charged with a violation of department rules, you might be asked to testify in a departmental hearing.

8. If our investigation shows that the complaint is unfounded or that the officer acted properly, the matter will be closed.

9. Internal affairs investigations are confidential and all disciplinary hearings shall be closed to the public unless the defendant officer requests an open hearing.

10. You may call Internal Affairs Chief Warrant Officer William Highley at 856-384-4686 with any additional information or any questions about the case.

Any person with a complaint regarding a Gloucester County Sheriff's Officer may complete the Citizens Complaint found on the right side of this page, and email the form directly to an Internal Affairs Investigator.

You may also complete and print the form and take it to the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office at:
2 South Broad Street, Woodbury, New Jersey.

Please contact any of the listed Internal Affairs Investigators if you have any questions or concerns.  

You may complete and print the form to take to the Gloucester County Sheriffs Office, located at:
2 South Broad Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096