Internal Affairs Investigations: Police who police the Police Regardless of the number of complaints a police department receives, whether one or one hundred, the internal affairs function is one of the most important functions for checking the integrity and professionalism of the department.
I. Internal Affairs is not an enforcement function it is a policing function.
a. Internal Affairs in law enforcement refers to a division of the agency that investigates incidents and credible suspicions of professional misconduct attributed to law enforcement officers on the force.
b. The concept of internal affairs is unique to each police department.
c. The sole purpose to having an internal affairs unit is to investigate and discover the truth
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How can law enforcement do a better job by investigating its own?
a. The circumstances of the complaint determine who will investigate the complaint.
b. The presence and use of Internal Affairs units is one of the most important means of ensuring and sustaining community trust.
III. When law enforcement advocates for a friendlier relationship with citizens in their communities, scandals like corruption, brutality and other criminal activities do not depict the positive image law enforcement is trying to
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Established procedures must be followed while conducting internal affairs investigations.
a. The investigation is to be thorough and impartial in order to protect the rights of the officer and maintain integrity of the department.
b. A proper investigation allows for the identification of facts, clarification of issues and identification of deficiencies.
VI. Challenges do exist in an Internal Affairs Investigation.
a. Challenges that exist include the dynamics of state and local laws, employment rights, collective bargaining agreements, and community expectations.
b. Fourteen states have a Police Officers’ Bill of Rights. In Louisiana LA RS 40:2531 enumerates the rights of police officers.
VII. Conclusion
Law enforcement administrators must discuss and continue to deal with the issue of professional conduct.
a. Supervisors conducting complaint investigations play a vital role in maintaining professionalism in their departments. Understanding the role of producing quality investigations is the first steps to approaching complaint cases.
b. Following specific guidelines in order to complete a thorough and impartial investigation is the next step.
c. Investigators have an obligation to determine facts and not persecute or protect