Internal Affairs Division

The members of the Hillsdale Police Department are committed to providing law enforcement services that are fair, effective, and impartially applied. It is in everyone’s best interest that any complaint regarding the conduct or performance of a police employee is addressed promptly and handled in a professional manner. The Hillsdale Police Department follows formal procedures for receiving, documenting, and investigating complaints. These procedures are designed to ensure fairness, accountability, and to protect the rights of both community members and police personnel. The Professional Standards Division is headed by Captain Camporeale.

What you should know about the complaint process:

1. Complaints are accepted at any time and may be made by any person, including anonymous sources.
2. Complaints will be accepted without regard to age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or immigration status.
3. Your complaint will be forwarded to a superior officer or a trained Internal Affairs investigator who will conduct a thorough and objective investigation.
4. You may be asked to assist by providing a detailed statement, documents, photos, videos, or any other relevant information.
5. All complaints are reviewed and investigated. If you request updates and provide contact information, you will be kept informed of the status and the final outcome. While specific discipline, if any, is confidential, you will be advised of the finding, which may include:
   • Sustained: A preponderance of the evidence shows the employee violated law or applicable rules, regulations, directives, guidelines, policies, procedures, or training.
   • Unfounded: A preponderance of the evidence shows the alleged misconduct did not occur.
   • Exonerated: A preponderance of the evidence shows the incident occurred, but the conduct was lawful and in compliance with applicable rules, policies, procedures, or training.
   • Not Sustained: The investigation did not reveal enough evidence to clearly prove or disprove the allegation.
6. If the investigation indicates a criminal offense may have occurred, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office will be notified, and you may be asked to testify in court.
7. If an employee is charged with a violation of department rules, you may be asked to testify at a departmental hearing.
8. If the investigation determines the complaint is unfounded or the employee acted properly, the matter will be closed.
9. Internal Affairs investigations are confidential, and disciplinary hearings are closed to the public unless the charged employee requests an open hearing.
10. If you have additional information or questions regarding a complaint, you may contact Captain Michael Camporeale at 201-664-4200.