Lt. Andy Taglienti was recently promoted and assigned to a new role within the Rockville City Police Department, in charge of the department’s new Office of Professional Responsibility, which conducts internal affairs investigations.
Why the new role?
The concept of internal affairs is very broad and unique to each police department. The vast majority of departments in the United States and abroad formally employ this concept. The sole purpose to having an Internal Affairs Unit or Office of Professional Responsibility is to investigate complaints and use of force incidents. This helps to better protect our community and build trust in the integrity and reputation of the department, and our individual officers.
You trained for your new role with the Montgomery County Department of Police. What did that involve?
A 30-day assignment to observe how and eventually assist with the Montgomery County Police Department’s internal investigations program. I received instruction on receiving complaints, how to conduct a detailed investigation and proper interviews, and how to analyze dispatch tapes, police reports, and audio and video recordings.
What are the benefits of the change to how internal investigations are done?
Outstanding police departments such as ours must always look to improve our operations. Professionalizing our department must be seen as an ongoing process, and how we conduct internal affairs investigations is critical to our mission and success. The Rockville City Police Department has historically completed their own comprehensive investigations. In the past, a supervisor or investigator designated by the chief of police was assigned to complete the investigation. Now, with a dedicated OPR, investigations can be carried out by an unbiased investigator who specializes in this type of work. This frees up supervisors to focus on regular supervisory duties and our core responsibility: to make our community safe and resilient.
Investigators are bound by stringent rules when conducting investigations. An OPR is an office of unparalleled integrity that provides effective control and conduct accountability through comprehensive proactive and reactive investigations, inspections and adjudications. The office also collects extensive statistical data that can be used to analyze trends that may impact policy and training.
Police departments must ensure that their policies reflect the values of their communities and that specific policies address issues like use of force, resident complaints, public demonstrations and de-escalation. An OPR demonstrates to our officers and the communities we serve that we respect the professionalization of this function from all perspectives. This unbiased review process can help build trust and legitimacy with the community, and reinforces the importance of accountability and transparency in police actions.