ABSTRACT
Who polices the police is a concern for the public regarding the effectiveness of self-regulation for activities and agencies. Many agencies utilize an internal affairs or public integrity unit to internally investigate allegations of misconduct or criminal behaviors lodged against employees in that particular organization. There is an inherent mistrust in a system that offers to investigate itself using someone belonging to that very organization. Most agencies go to great efforts to ensure autonomy for internal affairs investigators, and although many are of the highest integrity, the employee still coexists within the overarching culture of policing. While most agencies use mechanisms to address internal violations of policies and laws, this chapter addresses the challenges of monitoring and intervening in an officer’s career before actions rise to the a level of corruption or criminality.
