The Essentials of Conducting an Internal Affairs Investigation

Course Objectives:
The Internal Affairs Investigations Basic Course is designed to orient law-enforcement officers and related personnel to the basic core of receiving, handling and completing Internal Affairs Investigations. Internal Affairs investigations are the cornerstone for transparency, accountability, public trust, community support and reducing organization liability. Each law enforcement agency is responsible for having an effective and professional process for investigations of complaints made against its officers and employees. A police agency must demonstrate to the public and its members that only the highest ethical standards of law enforcement will be practiced by the agency and that the investigation of complaints follow established professional standards. This course will provide the framework on Police Ethics, Complaint Acceptance/Classification, Investigative Process, Subject Employee’s Union Protections, and Final Case Summary. Students will have learned the foundation of Internal Affairs Investigations at the completion of this course.

Seminar Goals:
1. Attendees will learn the importance of ethical standards for supervisors or persons assigned to conduct internal investigations of its officers and core values associated with the proper handling of all internal investigations.

2. Attendees will learn about the impact of internal investigations on officers’ conduct and ethical decision-making.

3. Attendees will learn the differences between performance matters and serious misconduct and the supervisor’s role in handling such incidents.

4. To inform the attendees of the importance of an open, unbiased and responsive complaint intake process and their impact on the process.

5. To define the different types of reviews involving internal reviews of alleged misconduct (complaint review, inquiry, investigation) and achieve the objectives of personnel investigations.

6. To acquaint attendees regarding the interviewing techniques associated with internal investigations. The attendee will learn the differences in interviewing civilians, witness officers and subject officers. The attendee will also learn the difference between an interview and an interrogation.

7.To inform the attendees of union contract rights and Law Enforcement Officer Bill of Rights and their applicability to internal complaints/investigations.

8. To inform attendees about the constitutional limitations of taking compelled statements from public employees or regarding work-place searches in both the administrative and criminal settings and provide recommendations for agency policy/practices.

9. To acquaint the attendees with the steps necessary in case file and report preparation and recommended findings for management review.

10. To inform the attendees about their personal exposure and liabilities for failing to effectively manage and investigate their personnel.

11. To inform attendees about the role of the Internal Affairs investigator in reviewing/conducting use of force investigations.