What does an internal affairs investigator do?
An internal affairs investigator is responsible for investigating an alleged violation committed by a person or company, such as misuse of funds, misconduct, corruption among company officials, or other concerns involving employees and staff. They also monitor wrongful accusations. Other duties include writing investigative data and reports, conducting interrogations and interviews with all parties involved in an accusation, and providing testimony.
Internal affairs investigator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real internal affairs investigator resumes:
- Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
- Deploy technical surveillance (CCTV) to protect corporate proprietary information and assets.
- Used exception reports, CCTV and interview to determine loss and make decision on resolution of the case.
- Testify at criminal, civil, administration, arbitration and/or deposition hearings.
- Investigate and open cases on customers and non-customers who have potentially engage in activity which goes against federally mandate BSA/AML regulations.
- Conduct extensive research and case file preparation for due process hearings such as pre-disciplinary conferences and arbitrations.
- Establish a review procedure with IRS and assign an analyst.
Internal affairs investigator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 22% of Internal Affairs Investigators are proficient in Patrol, Background Checks, and Conduct Interviews. They’re also known for soft skills such as Empathy, Good judgment, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Internal Affairs Investigators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patrol, 22%
Enforce state and local laws Conduct criminal arrest of offenders while assigned to the patrol division.
- Background Checks, 10%
Certified in Federal Background checks, internal investigation, fingerprinting and adjudications with Personnel Security Consultants.
- Conduct Interviews, 8%
Conduct interviews to identify officers being accused and to obtain facts concerning complaints.
- Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
Collaborate with NYPD and law enforcement agencies to apprehend individuals and gather necessary paperwork.
- Narrative Reports, 5%
Write narrative reports to effectively communicate the results of investigations to appropriate parties.
- Administrative Hearings, 5%
Managed efficiently the audio and visual interview recording sworn police personnel and testified at administrative hearings within the department.
Most internal affairs investigators use their skills in "patrol," "background checks," and "conduct interviews" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential internal affairs investigator responsibilities here:
Empathy. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an internal affairs investigator to have is empathy. Their role and responsibilities require that "police officers need to understand the perspectives of a variety of people in their jurisdiction and be willing to help the public." Internal affairs investigators often use empathy in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "demonstrate a keen understanding of investigative techniques of identification; maintain compliance with all department processes and procedures. "
Good judgment. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling internal affairs investigator duties is good judgment. The role rewards competence in this skill because "police and detectives must be able to determine the best way to solve an array of problems." According to an internal affairs investigator resume, here's how internal affairs investigators can utilize good judgment in their job responsibilities: "established and maintained good rapport with officials of various state and federal government agencies. "
Leadership skills. This is an important skill for internal affairs investigators to perform their duties. For an example of how internal affairs investigator responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "police officers must be comfortable with being a highly visible member of their community, as the public looks to them for help in emergencies." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an internal affairs investigator: "accomplished in research, writing, customer service, communications and marketing, and leadership. ".
Physical strength. internal affairs investigator responsibilities often require "physical strength." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "police officers must be strong enough to physically apprehend suspects and to assist people in precarious situations." This resume example shows what internal affairs investigators do with physical strength on a typical day: "conduct criminal investigation activities such as physical surveillance, reviewing phone records, bank records and other documents. "
Communication skills. Another common skill required for internal affairs investigator responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of internal affairs investigators all the time, as "police and detectives must be able to speak with people and to express details in writing about an incident." An excerpt from a real internal affairs investigator resume shows how this skill is central to what an internal affairs investigator does: "fulfilled office organization duties delivered subpoenas maintained office communication"
The three companies that hire the most internal affairs investigators are:
- Amazon2 internal affairs investigators jobs
- New York State Restaurant Association2 internal affairs investigators jobs
- Macy's1 internal affairs investigators jobs
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Compare different internal affairs investigators
Internal affairs investigator vs. Child support officer
Child support officers evaluate child support cases to identify the needed financial support. The officers interview relatives and parents and review court documents, and any other records. They recommend the amount of money that parents need to provide. It is part of their job to assist efforts in establishing parents' paternity and in initiating legal action for payment collection. They take part in court hearings and recommend paternity and child support. Also, they are trained in emergency medical response to prepare them for life-threatening situations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an internal affairs investigator are more likely to require skills like "patrol," "background checks," "conduct interviews," and "law enforcement agencies." On the other hand, a job as a child support officer requires skills like "child support cases," "child support orders," "paternity," and "court orders." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Child support officers tend to reach similar levels of education than internal affairs investigators. In fact, child support officers are 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Internal affairs investigator vs. Marshal
The duties of a marshal primarily depend on their line of work or place of employment. They typically have high positions in various areas such as in the fire department, law enforcement, and even in aviation. Although the extent of their duties varies, it typically includes enforcing law and order, responding to distress, developing action plans, spearheading programs to protect lives and properties, and maintaining peace and security in facilities. Moreover, a marshal must be proactive in dealing with issues as there can be dangers on the job.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real internal affairs investigator resumes. While internal affairs investigator responsibilities can utilize skills like "patrol," "background checks," "conduct interviews," and "criminal proceedings," marshals use skills like "safety standards," "cleanliness," "sales floor," and "safety procedures."
Marshals earn lower levels of education than internal affairs investigators in general. They're 5.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for internal affairs investigators in the next 3-5 years?
John Lajoie CLI
National Director, President of Lajoie Investigations, Inc, of MA, NALI - National Association of Legal Investigators
Internal affairs investigator vs. United states marshal
A supervisory special agent leads teams of special agents in investigations. His/Her or her duties include delegating assignments, performing field interviews, examining suspects' financial records, and monitoring wiretaps. Supervisory special agents should have good judgment and possess excellent communication skills. They are often hired by industries such as government and finance. The education requirements to qualify for the position include a bachelor's or master's degree in criminal justice, business, law, or a related field.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from internal affairs investigator resumes include skills like "patrol," "background checks," "conduct interviews," and "criminal proceedings," whereas a united states marshal is more likely to list skills in "financial transactions," "database," "usms," and "federal government. "
When it comes to education, united states marshals tend to earn similar degree levels compared to internal affairs investigators. In fact, they're 0.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Internal affairs investigator vs. Supervisory special agent
Types of internal affairs investigator
Updated January 8, 2025
