Submit a Kudos 

The San Mateo Police Department welcomes your input on services provided by our personnel. Your feedback is crucial to us. The best way to encourage good performance is to measure it, and the best indicator of how we’re doing is community satisfaction. Our officers and professional staff would like to hear about any memorable experience you may have had with them. 

A compliment may be submitted by emailing police@cityofsanmateo.org. We will be sure to share your story with the intended staff member. 

Submit a Complaint 

The San Mateo Police Department’s priority is on professional officer conduct. We strive to make every contact an experience that is accomplished with dignity and respect, while maintaining critical safety for the community around us. Sustainability of this practice is rooted in regular reminders and discussions about professional conduct, and presentation of a positive image to our community at all times. Assertive supervision, high expectations of our officers, and an emphasis on constitutional policing is the hallmark of the San Mateo Police Department. 

We believe that a relationship of trust and confidence with our community is essential to effective law enforcement. Police officers must be free to exercise their best judgement and to initiate enforcement action in a reasonable, lawful, and impartial manner without fear of reprisal. However, police officers also have a special obligation to respect the rights of all citizens. As a community member, you are entitled to file a complaint against any employee of the San Mateo Police Department. A complaint may be made 24-hours a day by the person involved, or by a friend, family member or other third party who has knowledge of the incident.

Ways to File

The complaint may be received in person, by telephone, or by mail. A written account of the complaint will be forwarded to the Support Services Bureau police captain and police chief. To file a complaint, please do one of the following:

• Phone: (650) 522-7730; 
• In person: San Mateo Police Department; 
• Email: Send the complaint form to police@cityofsanmateo.org; 
• Mail: Send complaint form to San Mateo Police Department, Internal Affairs Unit, 200 Franklin Pkwy, San Mateo, CA 94403

What Happens Next? 

Initial Review: The Support Services Bureau captain and police chief review all complaints and will coordinate any investigation.

Investigation: The internal affairs investigator will notify the complainant within three days of receiving the case and is expected to complete the investigation in a timely manner.

Case Review: The investigation and report are reviewed by the Support Services Bureau captain and will then be forwarded to the police chief who will concur with the investigator’s findings or request further investigation.

Notification of Finding: Once the report is complete, you will be notified of the finding(s) within 30-days. Any sustained finding will lead to appropriate action against the employee.