Internal Affairs Personality

This article is a continuation of the examination of internal affairs issues.

Not everyone is qualified to conduct investigations of employee misconduct.  An employee investigation is a sensitive issue.  The employee under investigation, along with others directly or indirectly involved, can easily become upset and distracted.  The workplace and work product can be negatively affected.  The resulting stress and suspicion may cause a negative view of the internal affairs (IA) function of investigating employee misconduct.

The suspicion also can extend to the investigator who may be viewed as unfair.  The most qualified individuals must be chosen to conduct investigations in order to diminish the potential for adverse perceptions of the IA investigator and IA the function.  There is no one personality type that is best suited for conducting employee investigations.  However, empathy, objectivity and sensitivity are among the characteristics that make a strong IA investigator candidate.

The potential for distrust of internal affairs is not only the result of the attitude of the investigator, but also because the internal affairs function is part of an organization’s management structure.  Some employees will view IA as unfair despite strong departmental leadership that supports the IA function and presents it as fair and unbiased.  An investigator with strong credentials and appropriate characteristics can reinforce a positive perception of IA investigations.

Noted educator and author Stephen M. Hennessy conducted a study of police personalities published in Thinking Cop, Feeling Cop.   The study looked into personalities of police officers and how they take in information and make decisions.  The study looked at how police officers may choose assignments that likely match their method of taking in information (perception) and make decisions (judgment), and may explain why some officers either succeed or fail. Hennessy contends that officers may succeed or fail at their assigned task based on their information processing technique and its compatibility with their job requirements.  If an officer’s assignment does not match well with his natural information processing he is less likely to success in the assignment.

An investigator must know the sensitivity of an internal investigation and show respect to all employees to create a sense of mutual respect and cooperation.  An organization in turmoil will serve citizens poorly.  To be ignorant of the sensitivity of an employee investigation or disrespect any employee can cause anxiety and resentment.

Although a personality type should not qualify or exclude an individual from internal investigative duties, an investigator who shows concern for others and handles situations while showing regard for other’s feelings is certainly a viable candidate for sensitive internal investigations.

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John F. Hein is an adjunct instructor of criminal justice for the American Public University System and a retired executive of the former U.S. Customs Service. He served 35 years in civilian and military security and law enforcement agencies. He is a member of ASIS International, an association of security professionals, and has been a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) since 2001. He is the author of Inside Internal Affairs: An In-Depth Look at the People, Process and Politics, soon to be published by Looseleaf Law Publications, Inc.

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