Internal affairs - Definition and Overview

The internal affairs division of a police agency investigates incidents and plausible suspicions of lawbreaking and professional misconduct attributed to officers on the force. Due to the sensitive nature of this responsibility, in many departments officers working internal affairs are not in a detective command, but report directly to the agency's chief, or to a board of civilian police commissioners. In different systems, internal affairs can go by another name such as professional standards, inspectorate general, or similar.