[directive] 4.1.1  The purpose of the internal affairs function is to establish a mechanism for the receipt, investigation, and resolution of officer misconduct complaints.  The goal of internal affairs is to ensure that the integrity of the agency is maintained through a system of internal discipline where an objective and impartial investigation and review assure fairness and justice.  4.1.2  The internal affairs function or officer will investigate alleged misconduct by members of the agency and review the adjudication of minor complaints handled by supervisors.  In addition, internal affairs shall receive notice of:  (a)  Any firearm discharge by agency personnel, whether on-duty or off-duty, unless the discharge occurred during the course of: (1) a law enforcement training exercise; (2) routine target practice at a firing range; (3) a lawful animal hunt; or (4) the humane killing of an injured animal; (b) Any discharge of an agency-owned firearm by anyone other than agency personnel; (c) Any use of force by agency personnel that results in injury to any person, (d) Any vehicular pursuit involving agency personnel; and (e) Any collision involving agency-owned vehicles.  Upon receiving notification, the agency’s internal affairs function shall document the incident and determine whether additional investigation is necessary.  4.1.3  An internal affairs function also has an obligation to investigate or review any allegation of employee misconduct that is a potential violation of an AG Directive or Guideline, a Directive issued by a County Prosecutor in that jurisdiction, the agency's rules and regulations, or any allegation that indicates the employee is unable, unwilling or unfit to perform their duties.  The obligation to investigate includes not only acts of misconduct that are alleged to have occurred while the subject officer was on-duty, but also acts of misconduct that are alleged to have occurred outside the employing agency's jurisdiction or while the subject officer was off-duty.  INTERNAL AFFAIRS POLICY & PROCEDURES | November 2022 15 4.1.4  An internal affairs function may conduct an internal investigation on its own initiative or upon notice to or at the direction of the law enforcement executive or the internal affairs supervisor.  Internal affairs may refer investigations to the employee's supervisor for action as permitted by agency policy and procedures.  4.1.5  Internal affairs investigations must be considered as important to the agency as any criminal investigation.  Members of the internal affairs function therefore should have the authority to interview any member of the agency and to review records and reports of the agency relative to their assignment.  In addition, the agency's personnel should be instructed that the internal affairs function acts at the behest of the law enforcement executive in all internal affairs investigations.  The agency's personnel should be further instructed that during an internal affairs investigation, every member of the agency, regardless of rank, shall treat an order or a request from a member of the internal affairs function as if the order or request came directly from the law enforcement executive.  4.1.6  The internal affairs function shall maintain a comprehensive central file on all complaints received, whether investigated by internal affairs or assigned to the officer's supervisors for investigation and disposition.  In addition, internal affairs should establish protocols for tracking all complaints received by the agency and the conduct of all officers.  The protocols must include criteria for evaluating the number of complaints received by the agency and the number of complaints filed against individual officers.  4.2