Policy Knowledge
An IA member believes they can remain unbiased while investigating someone they have a personal disagreement with. What must they do before proceeding?
Notify their superior, explain the conflict, and allow leadership to determine whether they should be removed from the investigation.
A reporter claims that a staff member broke a rule, but provides no evidence. What should the investigator do?
Review the complaint, gather relevant information, seek evidence where appropriate, and avoid treating the allegation as proven.
Which IA rank directly supervises IA agents and Senior IA members?
Internal Affairs Supervisor (IAS).
Why must investigators document how evidence was obtained?
To establish its context and origin and help determine its relevance and reliability.
What should an investigator explain when first contacting a person under investigation?
Their name and rank, why they are contacting the person, the evidence and allegation being reviewed, and what happens next.
An investigator discovers that another IA member altered an investigation log to make a decision appear justified. What policies are being violated?
Integrity, accountability, evidence handling, and the code of conduct.
During an investigation, the accused admits to part of the allegation but denies the rest. How should the investigator proceed?
Document the explanation, review the available evidence, investigate the disputed details, and base the conclusion on the evidence.
Trial IA Agent wants to make a final investigative decision without their assigned shadow reviewing their work. What is wrong with this?
Trial IA Agents may assist with investigations, but must be shadowed, and their work must be reviewed by higher-ranking IA members before decisions are finalized.
An investigator has a screenshot of a conversation but no information about when it occurred or who was involved. What is missing?
Important context, including when it occurred, who was involved, where it happened, how the evidence was obtained, and why it is relevant.
Who, What, When, Where, Why, How
What should an IA member do if another investigator is already handling a ticket and they need to speak?
Request Permission to Speak (PTS) rather than interrupting or taking control of the conversation.
An IA member shares evidence with someone who is also an IA member but has no involvement in the case. Is this automatically permitted?
No. Confidential information must be shared on a need-to-know basis and only with authorized individuals.
An investigator has already punished someone before discovering evidence that could change the outcome. What should they do?
Bring the new evidence to the appropriate leadership or decision-maker and have the case reviewed through the proper procedures.
What is the FULL chain of command what does each role do?
1. DOIA — Director of Internal Affairs: The highest-ranking IA member. Manages department operations, establishes procedures, oversees major investigations, handles serious disciplinary decisions, and may promote, demote, fire, or blacklist IA members.
2. DDOIA — Deputy Director of Internal Affairs: The second-highest authority. Assists the DOIA, oversees investigations and department matters, may temporarily assume the DOIA's responsibilities when needed, and may promote, demote, fire, or blacklist IA members.
3. IAS — Internal Affairs Supervisor: Supervises IA agents and Senior IA members, ensures investigations are conducted properly, oversees the shadowing of Trial IA Agents, recommends promotions to the DOIA and DDOIA, and identifies bias or procedural mistakes.
4. SIA — SIA members are experienced IA personnel who handle investigations, assist with reviewing casework, provide guidance on IA procedures, and help maintain the department’s standards. They are expected to demonstrate strong judgment, impartiality, professionalism, and knowledge of the IA handbook.
5. IA — Internal Affairs Agent: Conducts investigations, reviews evidence, remains impartial, protects confidential information, and escalates cases beyond their authority.
TIA — Trial Internal Affairs Agent: A probationary member who may assist with investigations under the supervision of an SIA. Their work is reviewed before decisions are finalized, and they are evaluated for readiness to become a full IA agent.
An IA member copies a private report into another server to ask for outside opinions. Why is this a violation?
It distributes confidential information without authorization and exposes investigation details to unauthorized individuals.
If an IA member's PTS request is denied, what should they do?
React with a check mark and do not reply.
An investigator receives a report containing convincing evidence but has not heard the accused person's explanation. Can they confirm a violation immediately?
No. They must complete the investigation, hear the individual's side, and consider relevant evidence before reaching a conclusion.
A witness asks an investigator to keep their identity confidential, but the investigator wants to share the witness's name with unrelated staff to explain the case. Is this acceptable?
No. The witness's identity must remain private when confidentiality is required, and information must only be shared with authorized individuals who need it.
Name three circumstances in which a Trial IA Agent may need to bypass their normal shadow and approach someone else.
When the shadow is unavailable, the situation is urgent, or the question involves the shadow. A legitimate reason preventing the normal chain of command from being followed is also acceptable.
An investigator discovers that evidence may have been obtained through impersonation or manipulation. What should concern them?
The evidence was potentially obtained through improper methods, which undermines responsible evidence handling and the integrity of the investigation.
After concluding an investigation, what information should be communicated to the individual about the outcome?
Whether they are being punished, whether the punishment is appealable, the relevant time and date, and their Discord username. The investigator should also explain that the provided information has been documented.
An IA member leaves the department and believes they are now allowed to share information about cases they handled. Is this permitted, and why?
No. Confidentiality continues after leaving the department, and information learned during IA service must not be disclosed without authorization.
An investigator believes someone is guilty, but the evidence is inconclusive and the person's explanation contradicts the complaint. What is the investigator's responsibility?
Remain neutral, investigate the conflicting information, consider both sides, and avoid reaching a conclusion unsupported by the evidence.
The DOIA is unavailable, and an issue requires leadership assistance. What authority does the DDOIA have according to the handbook?
The DDOIA is the second-highest authority and may temporarily assume the DOIA's responsibilities when the DOIA is unable to help.
An IA member is leaving the department and still has access to confidential case information. What does the handbook require regarding that information?
They must not disclose it simply because they have left IA, and confidential records must not be removed, altered, or shared without proper authorization.
An IA member places someone under investigation, removes their staffing roles, and begins collecting evidence. What must they ensure before considering the case complete?
They must follow the investigation procedure, hear the individual's explanation, review evidence fairly, document the outcome correctly, apply any authorized punishment, complete the necessary logs, and restore or update roles appropriately.