Law Enforcement Internal Investigations

Internal Affairs Investigations

• Must be completed within 45 days of receiving the initial complaint, unless an extension is granted by an Internal Affairs supervisor

Early Warning System (EWS) Alerts

• Activates if a Sheriff's Office personnel is involved in: • 3 administrative investigations of misconduct within a 12-month period • 3 vehicle pursuits within a 6-month period as the primary unit • 3 uses of force within a 6-month period • 3 vehicle crashes within a 6-month period • 3 citizen complaints within a 6-month period • A combination of 5 incidents within a 12-month period

Overtime

• Certified and civilian employees are restricted to a maximum of 48 hours of paid overtime in a calendar month

Duty-Related Injuries

• Sheriff's Office personnel have 30 days to report any duty-related injury

Employee Status

• Civilian and sworn employees who are "other than full duty" for 14 working days or longer must follow a specific process
• The Risk Manager provides affected employees a status notification when the employee has reached 90 days and 130 days in an "other than full duty" status

Traumatic Events

• Personnel directly involved in a Traumatic Event must be referred to a psychological professional for a Post Traumatic Event Evaluation within 72 hours of the incident or as soon as practical

Juvenile Runaways

• Habitual runaway status is deemed when the juvenile is 12 years of age or older and has been reported as a runaway three times within a 365-day period

Property Management

• Articles of value greater than $300, such as cameras, tools, etc., as well as jewelry, money, and cell phones, must be recorded and taken into custody for safekeeping
• Vehicles meeting specific criteria, such as being abandoned or parked for more than 48 hours or 10 days, may be impounded

Currency and Valuables

• Currency must be in the minimum amount of $1,500.00
• Jewelry or precious metal or stone valued at $1,000.00 or more must be impounded at evidence
• Money less than $500 can be impounded at Districts

Investigative Procedures

• Sex bat kits or DNA evidence must be forwarded to FDLE within 30 days of a request to have the evidence tested
• The Hepatitis B vaccine must be made available to high-risk employees within 10 days of their initial assignment to duties involving occupational exposure

Medical Procedures

• It is most beneficial if an employee is evaluated within 2 hours after exposure to a potential health risk
• The PPD skin test must be read 48-72 hours after it has been performed
• The employee must be provided a copy of the evaluating physician's written report within 15 working days of completion of the evaluation

Substance Abuse

• A substance abuser is defined as someone who has been taken into custody for impairment three or more times during the preceding 12 months