If you are having problems with police

A police officer in the Czech Republic, who carries due identification and presents it, is authorized to perform several steps including:   
1.    the right to demand a testimony (for example from a witness of a crime, offence or a traffic accident),
2.    the right to demand personal identification (by submitting ID or travel documents),
3.    the right to detain a person (take into custody), 
4.    the right to supervise safety and the smoothness of traffic (checking speed limits, equipment and the technical condition of vehicles, etc.).

If a citizen thinks that he/she has met with inadequate, eventually illegal, behavior of police member, he/she has the right to refer to the fact. Complaint should be submitted to competent authority which the accused policeman belongs to.

The complaint should contain:
•    name, surname and address of claimant (in case of corporation: name of the company, address, signature of statutory representative)
•    short description of the situation
•    details that might help solve the problem
The complaint must be answered in 60 days.
In case of problem you can e-mail report to ovk@mvcr.cz.

(NIDM, 11/2008)