Investigating Internal Affairs, Citizen Complaints & Officer Discipline

This course covers the “Nuts and Bolts” of Internal Affairs (IA) Investigations, Criminal and Administrative sections, along with public initiated and department-initiated complaints. This course is designed for IA investigators, whether sworn or civilian, correctional supervisors, and first-line supervisors that are involved in the internal affairs process, manage a professional standards office, or are tasked with conducting personnel complaint investigations. The process for managing and investigating complaints against law enforcement personnel are becoming increasingly complex and the public expectation is timely, thorough, and fact-based investigations that supports the adjudicative findings. This program will provide participants with national best practices along with experience-based insights in order to conduct simple to complex internal affairs investigations.

Our professional standards investigative model, which incorporates national best practices, is a must for investigators tasked with completing fact-based, thorough, and professional investigative reports. This course sets the stage for investigators and first line supervisors to create an agency-wide practice of professional standards to thoroughly investigate complaints against employees. In the covered material attendees will understand “best practices” including how to identify potential problems or “employee” at risk behavior before it becomes an issue and how to properly address issues once they arise. This is a comprehensive course for investigators that covers the complaint intake process, evidence gathering and preliminary investigation, bifurcated investigations, interviews of accused employees and completed investigative formatting. Also covered in this course is the legal aspects of the internal affairs process, rights of employees, and the impact that an effective internal affairs investigative process has on the communities we serve.