The Internal Affairs Unit, also known as IA, is responsible for policing the police. California law requires every police agency to have a procedure for investigating citizen complaints, and to have a written description of the procedure available for review. The Internal Affairs Unit of the Fresno Police Department consists of four investigator sergeants and a lieutenant, who work directly for the Chief of Police. IA is the guardian of the Department s reputation. One way an Internal Affairs investigation can be initiated is through a call from a citizen.
Citizens have a right to expect fair and impartial law enforcement.
Therefore, any police misconduct must be reported and corrected as quickly as possible. A supervisor will review the citizen s complaint. If the complaint cannot be resolved to the citizen s satisfaction, or police misconduct is believed to have occurred, then a supervisor will investigate the complaint. The Fresno Police Department takes all complaints seriously. Once a complaint has been forwarded to the IA Unit, a thorough investigation is conducted to ensure the highest standards of the law enforcement profession.