Special Services

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Special Services

At a Glance

Manager Lt. T. H. (Chad) Coleman

Employees 8

Internal Affairs Investigations 141

Background Investigations 83

Risk Management Reports 2,191

Pending Lawsuits 40

Special Services

Special Services comprises Internal Affairs and Risk Management.

Internal Affairs conducts and records background investigations on applicants for employment with the Sheriff's Office, as well as complaints about the Sheriff's Office or its employees. These investigations run the gamut from allegations of unprofessional conduct to criminal law violations.

The Sheriff's Office is an integral part of the community. Internal Affairs is an important component in the ongoing effort to assure that citizens, as well as employees, have trust and pride in the Sheriff's Office. An investigation is conducted for every complaint received, regardless of the origin of the complaint.

Beginning in February 1997, Internal Affairs took over responsibility for background investigations of prospective Sheriff's Office employees. Hiring good people is the cornerstone of a professional organization and a thorough background investigation is crucial to accomplishing that goal.

The very nature of law enforcement carries the inherent risk of civil litigation. Risk Management is a formal, systematic process used to assess and investigate incidents that indicate the Sheriff's Office and/or individual employees are or may be at risk of having civil litigation brought against them.

The pro-active Risk Management process does not wait until a lawsuit has been filed to answer questions and take appropriate action. Most incidents that result in lawsuits have already been addressed through the Risk Management process before the suits are filed. Both current and potential problem areas are documented, investigated, analyzed and evaluated as soon as possible after an incident occurs.