U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

File a complaint against the Police Department

Police Review & Advisory Board

The Police Review & Advisory Board provides a prompt, impartial and fair investigation of complaints brought by individuals against members of the Cambridge Police Department.

In all cases, everyone making a complaint is required to provide signed statement describing what happened and the specific complaint. Complaints must be filed within 60 days of the incident. 

Additional Information

Filing  with PRAB:

You can file a complaint in the following ways:

  • By Phone: Call Police Review & Advisory Board at 617.349.6155
  • By Mail: Police Review & Advisory Board, 51 Inman St., Cambridge, MA  02139
  • In Person: Board's office at 51 Inman St., 2nd floor.
  • By Email: Brian Corr, Executive Secretary, bcorr@cambridgema.gov
To file a complaint with PRAB, you must provide a completed and signed complaint form. 

Filing with Cambridge Police Department:

Complaints may also be made directly to the Professional Standards Unit of the Cambridge Police Department:

How does someone submit a complaint?

Complaints may be filed with the staff of the Police Review & Advisory Board in person, by letter, or by telephone. In all cases, everyone making a complaint is required to provide signed statement describing what happened and the specific complaint. Complaints must be filed within 60 days of the incident.

What types of complaints does the Police Review & Advisory Board investigate?

  • Excessive use of force 
  • Use of discourteous or demeaning language 
  • Improper stop, arrest, search and seizure 
  • Inadequate investigation or improper police reports 
  • Discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, sex, religion, disability, or national origin or any other criteria defined in federal and state guidelines.
  • Harassment 
  • Improper police procedures 
  • Improper traffic citation or towing of a car by the police

What happens once a complaint is submitted?

The process begins with a complaint being filed with the Police Review and Advisory Board. The Board employs its own staff, and works with the Professional Standards Unit of the Police Department to investigate all complaints. An investigation includes interviews with both the complainant and involved police officer(s), as well as any other relevant individuals, and a review of police reports, witness statements, and other pertinent information. The staff submits its investigative report to the Board, which reviews the report, and may accept the report or order additional investigation into the complaint. After the investigation process is completed, the Board will deliberate and make a determination whether or not there was a violation of policy or procedures, or whether it is inconclusive.

Depending on the finding, any party to the complaint may request that the Board order a hearing, which is done at the discretion of the Board based on the evidence the Board has received. If a hearing is held, the Board will render a final decision.

In addition, even if the Board finds that there was no violation of policy or procedures, it may make recommendations to the City Manager and the Police Commissioner about changes that can be made to avoid similar situations in the future

Page was last modified on 7/24/2023 8:10 PM
Contact Us

How can we help?

Please provide as much detail below as possible so City staff can respond to your inquiry:

As a governmental entity, the Massachusetts Public Records Law applies to records made or received by the City. Any information received through use of this site is subject to the same provisions as information provided on paper.

Read our complete privacy statement


Service Requests

Enter a service request via SeeClickFix for things like missed trash pickups, potholes, etc.