Avoiding Common Pitfalls in the Internal Affairs Function
Dr . Rich Austin
The internal affairs ( IA ) function within a police agency is vitally important in maintaining community trust . A robust IA framework can not only help the department root out inappropriate behaviors that fracture legitimacy , but it also provides a fair and equitable investigatory process for employees . It can also serve to reduce the department ’ s liability and works to maintain a high level of professional standards . Conversely , having a weak internal affairs function can create an unhealthy policing culture , fracture citizens ’ trust , and substantially increase the department ’ s likelihood of being successfully sued . But even when departments strive to have a strong professional standards unit , there are numerous pitfalls that may be encountered . However , with adequate preparation , policy development , and resource allocation , most of these pitfalls may be avoided or , at least , significantly mitigated .
Selecting IA Investigators The internal affairs function within a police agency , according to best practices , should have dedicated personnel who are specifically trained for this highly specialized task . The rank of the individuals who fulfill this role certainly may vary by agency , however , utilizing personnel in this position with supervisory rank or command rank is highly advisable . Also , while it may seem pragmatic to assign this responsibility to someone within the criminal investigations function , assigning personnel with current roles in criminal investigations is ill-advised . The reason for this is that , unfortunately , sometimes , an officer may be accused of a policy violation that also constitutes a crime . When being interviewed in an administrative setting , employees may legally be compelled to speak with internal affairs investigators or face disciplinary action , including termination .
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However , as with any citizen , he or she may refuse to speak with criminal investigators . If the internal affairs investigator serves in a dual role in criminal and internal investigations , this may cause obvious prosecutorial problems with any criminal allegations involved in the investigation . If the department does not have enough personnel to assign internal affairs to an investigator outside of criminal investigations with the skill set needed to conduct interviews and document thorough investigations , consider an agreement with a neighboring agency to share resources for conducting internal investigations . Above all , remember that according to best practices , the internal affairs function is a direct representative of the office of the chief . Choose investigators who are professional , have no significant disciplinary problems , and have the interpersonal skills to gain both employees ’ and citizens ’ trust . The trust and legitimacy of the department often hinge on the effectiveness of this vital role . Selecting personnel who are not a good fit for IA is a common and avoidable pitfall .
IA Training There are numerous highly regarded national-level internal affairs investigator training programs available . Chief executives are encouraged to review the options carefully and allocate substan-