NCJ Number
104701
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 35 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1987) Pages: 42-46
Date Published
1987
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Small police agencies are told how to conduct a fair and impartial internal investigation of alleged officer criminal misconduct while minimizing the damage to the department's image.
Abstract
Allegations of serious officer misconduct should be put in writing, and an assigned departmental investigator should immediately begin an investigation. The selected investigator should have the requisite skills and knowledge, have seniority over the target employee, have the chief administrator's authority to compel employee cooperation, and not be an immediate supervisor of the target employee. When the allegations involve criminal violations, the investigation should comply with mandated investigative procedures that will protect the integrity of the case should it be brought to prosecution. Although the alleged incident may occasion a civil suit against the department by a complainant, the internal investigation should not ignore facts relevant to such liability. The investigative report should be accurate and complete, regardless of the consequences. Reports to the press during an investigation should not compromise the integrity of the investigation. Findings should be made public, and any appearance of a 'cover up' should be dispelled.