Paralake Police Department
Internal Affairs leaflet
For the purpose of this document:
-IA will refer to Internal Affairs
-PSD will refer to the Professional Standards Department
This leaflet outlines the basic tasks of an IA investigator and what happens to a complaint after it has been submitted. with this document, we hope to answer the most commonly asked questions and give some extra information regarding IA.
How do I submit a complaint?
Submitting a complaint is fairly easy, simply go to this link and follow the instructions.
Please make sure you read all the information and instructions provided to you during this process, so we can ensure your complaint can be taken care of with ease.
What do I need to make a complaint?
Do you have everything required to make a police complaint? Check out everything you need right here;
- Some form of evidence, video evidence is, of course, preferred however witnesses, screenshots, etc. can also be provided as evidence (demo files are not accepted as valid evidence). Please keep in mind however that witnesses and screenshots may not always be enough evidence to convict the person you are making a complaint on.
- Furthermore a sketch of the situation, the reason why you are making the complaint and what exactly you are accusing the defendant of is always appreciated.
What happens to my complaint after I have submitted a complaint?
First things first, if you followed all the instructions above, an IA command member will assign an investigator to your complaint.
The investigator will notify you that an investigation will be conducted into the allegations made in your complaint. After this, the investigator will start investigating the complaint. The investigator will review the evidence, collect statements from everyone involved and possibly ask you some follow up questions. when the statement from the defendant has been provided it will be shown to the complainant so he can express his thoughts, for witness statements it is up to the investigator if he thinks it is necessary to show the statement.
After this process has been completed and the investigators thinks he has everything he needs, he will write a final report. The final report contains a summary of what happened and the investigators' verdict (this is merely a recommendation).
Finally, the final report is presented to the complaint committee who will ultimately decide on the outcome of the complaint.
What is the complaint committee?
The complaint committee is not a part of IA, but is however still involved in the process a complaint goes through. The committee goes through all complaints and decides with, help from the final report, the outcome of every complaint.
The complaint committee consists out of IA command, PSD and the Senior Management Team (Line Managers and Chiefs of Department).
Outcome
After the complaint committee has dealt with the complaint each complaint will receive one of the four possible findings:
Unfounded:
-The investigation conclusively found that the alleged act(s) did not occur.
Exonerated:
-The alleged act(s) occurred but was justified, legal and/or proper.
Not Sustained:
-The investigation produced insufficient information to prove or disprove the allegation.
Sustained:
-The employee committed all or part of the alleged acts of misconduct or poor service.
Why are demo files not accepted into evidence?
As mentioned above, demo files are not accepted as evidence; this has been decided on due to the following reasons:
-Demo files are often incomplete, missing names, etc.
-Demo files can break when there is an update to either PERPHeads or GMOD, thus removing one's ability to challenge the evidence in a dispute.
-Not everyone is able to view demo files.
-Demo files are extremely time-consuming to investigate.
-But above all, it is nearly impossible for the complaint committee to deal with them.
Still have a question?
Feel free to send a ticket to the Internal Affairs team
