6.12. Current Issues: Internal Affairs and Discipline
6.12. Current Issues: Internal Affairs and Discipline
Tiffany Morey
Internal affairs (IA) exists to hold officers accountable for their actions. Whenever there is an issue, either brought forth by another officer, a supervisor, or a member of the general public, the IA division of the police department is responsible for conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. Members of the IA division work directly under the Chief or Sheriff.
In the 1960s the overwhelming number of riots revealed the problem of corruption and misconduct in policing- one of the most significant issues centered around citizen complaints against officers and the lack of proper investigation into the complaint. Most officers back then were found exonerated (not guilty) when a complaint ensued, and this did not bode with the public. [1]
Supervisors in Policing Example
As a young girl, I never had dreams of one day being a supervisor in the police world. I didn’t even want to be a cop! However, life would direct me towards policing, and after years of testing, I found myself hired as a police officer in Las Vegas. The life of an officer is full of wonder and excitement, but it is also full of stress, and a lot of pressure! After I completed the police academy, field training, and probation I soon learned that all supervisors (sergeants and lieutenants) were not created equal. I received my first police officer annual evaluation and found that I ONLY met standards in the areas evaluated. How could that be, I thought? I had never worked harder! I always stayed late, I wrote amazing reports, I volunteered and helped out my community, I engaged in constant training, and I did everything I knew AND was trained to do. Yet, I still only met the standards. Now I wasn’t delusional. I knew that I was a new police officer and had many things to learn, but why was my sergeant failing to mentor or recognize me for my above-average efforts in many areas? I was even told by a female sergeant, that she had to work harder than any other police officer because she was a female, so I should have to do the same. Where was mentoring? Where was the training offered by supervision? I soon learned it did not exist and the only way to create it was to test for promotion myself and enter the world of supervision as a sergeant. Don’t get me wrong, throughout my tenure as a police officer I did encounter some amazing supervisors, but they were rare and an exception to the rule. I did the promotion test, and I was promoted to sergeant. My goals were to change the way officers were supervised in my department. I worked hard to create a sergeant training program that ensured future supervisors received the knowledge and power of how to mentor and train their employees. Three years later I tested and was promoted to lieutenant. I took advantage of my new position in administration to mentor many young officers and help them to succeed in their careers.
Discipline
Police departments are paramilitary o