ADRIAN COLE: "Have you ever heard of Iris Whitcomb?"
Price's expression changed.
It was brief, but Adrian noticed it.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Yes."
ADRIAN COLE: "How do you know her?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "She came here several times to complain about an incident involving officers."
ADRIAN COLE: "What incident?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "She claimed that a police report had been falsified."
ADRIAN COLE: "Was her allegation investigated?"
Price took a breath.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "I was told the matter had already been reviewed."
ADRIAN COLE: "By whom?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "The administrative office."
ADRIAN COLE: "Did you read the original complaint?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "I saw a summary."
ADRIAN COLE: "Did you examine the evidence she submitted?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "No, sir."
ADRIAN COLE: "Why not?"
Price's eyes moved toward the door.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "I was advised that the complaint did not require further action."
ADRIAN COLE: "Who advised you?"
Price remained silent.
Adrian waited.
He did not raise his voice or repeat the question.
Eventually, Price answered.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Deputy Chief Voss."
The name seemed to make the room colder.
ADRIAN COLE: "Did Deputy Chief Voss instruct you not to investigate?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "He didn't use those exact words."
ADRIAN COLE: "What did he say?"
Price rubbed his hands together.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "He said the matter had already been reviewed at the appropriate level. He told me there was no reason to create another investigation that would damage the department's reputation."
ADRIAN COLE: "And you accepted that explanation?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "At the time, yes."
ADRIAN COLE: "Why?"
Price looked uncomfortable.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Because he was the deputy chief. He had authority over administrative reviews. I assumed he had access to information I didn't."
Adrian leaned back.
ADRIAN COLE: "A senior officer's position does not eliminate your responsibility to verify that a complaint has been handled properly."
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "I understand that now."
ADRIAN COLE: "Did you ever receive written findings?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "No."
ADRIAN COLE: "Did you receive a formal closure notice?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "No, sir."
ADRIAN COLE: "Then what did you put in your supervisory record?"
Price swallowed.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "I marked the matter as referred to administration."
ADRIAN COLE: "Was there a reference number?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "I don't believe so."
Adrian wrote something in his notebook.
The absence of a reference number meant the department might have no reliable way to establish what had happened after the complaint left Price's office.
It was a serious administrative failure.
ADRIAN COLE: "Lieutenant, I want you to understand something. I am not asking you to protect anyone, and I am not asking you to accuse anyone. I am asking you to tell me exactly what happened."
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Yes, Commander."
ADRIAN COLE: "Did you ever feel pressured to close complaints without completing an investigation?"
Price stared at the desk.
The question seemed to affect him more than the others.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "There were times when I was encouraged to handle things informally."
ADRIAN COLE: "By whom?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Deputy Chief Voss."
ADRIAN COLE: "What kind of things?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Complaints about officers being rude, complaints about unnecessary stops, complaints about people being detained longer than they should have been."
ADRIAN COLE: "Were those complaints documented?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Some were. Others were handled through conversations."
ADRIAN COLE: "Did the complainants receive written explanations?"
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Not always."
ADRIAN COLE: "Were they told how to appeal?"
Price shook his head.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "No, sir."
Adrian closed the folder.
He had expected to find weaknesses in the department's complaint process. Every organization had administrative failures, outdated systems, and employees who occasionally failed to follow procedures.
But what Price was describing suggested something more systematic.
Complaints were being redirected.
Supervisors were being encouraged to handle serious allegations informally.
The administrative office was making decisions without providing complete documentation.
And the people who submitted complaints were often left without a reference number, a written explanation, or a clear way to challenge the result.
ADRIAN COLE: "I want a complete list of every complaint involving Officer Turner during the past three years."
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "I'll prepare it."
ADRIAN COLE: "Include the original complaint, your notes, any witness statements, emails, messages, referral records, and the final disposition."
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Understood."
ADRIAN COLE: "If something is missing, do not try to recreate it from memory. Identify the gap and explain why the document is unavailable."
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Yes, Commander."
ADRIAN COLE: "And I want a written statement from you about the instructions you received from Deputy Chief Voss."
Price looked up.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "Will he know I provided it?"
ADRIAN COLE: "The investigation will follow the proper confidentiality procedures. I cannot promise that your involvement will never become known, but retaliation for providing truthful information will not be tolerated."
Price nodded slowly.
LIEUTENANT SAMUEL PRICE: "I'll cooperate."
ADRIAN COLE: "Good. You may return to your office."
Price stood.