Special Services comprises Internal Affairs, Risk Management and Background Investigations.

Internal Affairs investigators investigate complaints about the sheriff’s Office and 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 and the Internal Affairs unit is an important component in the ongoing effort to assure citizens, as well as employees, have trust and pride in their Sheriff’s Office.

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 in which 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.

In February 1997, Special Services took over the responsibility for background investigations of prospective Sheriff’s Office employees. Employing good people is the cornerstone of a professional organization and a thorough background investigation is crucial in accomplishing that goal.