ABOUT US
Welcome to the Coldwater Police Department website. The Coldwater Police Department is a professional law enforcement agency employing eleven full-time patrol officers, two part-time officers, one full-time administrative assistant and a police K-9. The Police Department is also contracted with Mercer Health Hospital to provide security. Our police officers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and are dedicated to the protection of citizens, businesses and their property. Our goal is to work with the community to provide a high level of service and protection.
We can be reached by calling our business phone at 419-678-2356 , through Central Dispatch at 419-586-7244 or if it is an emergency by dialing 911. You can also contact us via email at info@coldwaterpd.com.
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Public Records Request Policy
The Coldwater Police Department follows Ohio law in responding to requests for public records.
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This office will provide copies of any public record of this office that must be provided by law.
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Because of the nature of the work of this office, some of the records must be reviewed by a prosecutor prior to its release to insure that non-public records and information are protected. Such a review will take time, but will be done as promptly as possible.
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If your request is for a record held by another office known to us, we will attempt to direct you to the agency that can provide you with the document.
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In general, we will only request your identity and a written request or the reason for the request if that information will assist us in providing the documents requested. You are not required to provide that information. Occasionally, Ohio law requires this information to determine whether a request can be honored under the law.
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We are not required to create a record for you.
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You are not permitted to make copies of the public records yourself.
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If a public records request is denied, this office will provide you with a basic reason for the refusal. It will only provide a written reason if the request for records is made in writing. Any redactions made to a document will either be clearly visible to you or you will be told the type of information redacted.
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We reserve the right to charge for the actual costs of making copies of any records requested and may require those charges be paid in advance. We reserve the right to waive any aspect of this policy, at our sole discretion, to the extent allowed by Ohio law.
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The public records policy is subject to change without notice.
Complaint Procedure
It’s the policy of the Coldwater Police Department that all allegations of employee misconduct be appropriately investigated and promptly adjudicated. All reports or accusations made against employees of this agency from all sources including in person, by telephone or email shall be completely investigated in order to ensure the integrity of this agency and its employees. Anonymous complaints can be difficult to investigate however, this agency will carefully review each complaint for validation. This agency has the responsibility to protect the rights of all persons within its jurisdiction. This includes protecting its officers and employees from false allegations of misconduct. All complainants wishing to file a complaint of possible misconduct will be made aware of the following sections of the Ohio Criminal Code. •Section 2917.32(A)(3): No person shall report to any law enforcement agency an alleged offense or other incident within its concern, knowing that such offense did not occur. •Section 2921.13(A): No person shall knowingly make a false statement, or knowing swear or affirm the truth of a false statement previously made when any of the following apply: 1.The statement is made with purpose to mislead a public official in performing his function. 2.Section 2921.15(B): No person shall knowingly file a complaint against a peace officer that alleges that the police officer engaged in misconduct in the performance of the officer’s duties in the person knows that the allegation is false. These crimes are misdemeanors of the first degree punishable upon conviction by a fine not more than $1,000.00 and/or imprisonment not more than six months. All complaints will be investigated by a supervisor unless there are extenuating circumstances the Chief of Police may assign another investigator. If you wish to file a complaint against an officer, the supervisor investigating the complaint, will ask you some questions about the conduct or demeanor that led to the complaint. Furthermore, while we cannot demand that you provide your name, address, phone number, etc. it is very difficult for us to fully investigate a complaint against an officer, especially if the complaint is of a possible criminal violation. If we cannot contact you at a later time to confirm details and to keep you informed of the status or outcome of the investigation. Complainants will be notified and provided with the outcome of the investigation if their information is left with the supervisor investigating the complaint. We want to ensure that each investigation is handled in such a manner that all rules are carefully followed, that interviews and/or interrogations are handled correctly and that no evidence is lost due to improper handling of the investigation. Your patience in dealing with the investigation is appreciated. We will try to investigate the complaint in a timely manner, while trying to safeguard your rights and the rights of the involved employee. Chief Kevin Wynk