The Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) is supervised and managed by Captain Patrick Harris and the unit is responsible for conducting and/or coordinating investigations of police employee misconduct. The unit has one Lieutenant and six first line supervisors (Sergeants) who are responsible for the investigative functions. Internal Affairs personnel interact with citizens in person, via the phone or internet and document every complaint, to include complaints made anonymously. The Internal Affairs Bureau has a collaborative relationship with the city's Human Resources Division, Risk Management, City Attorney's Office, City Auditor's Office and other departments to ensure that the Virginia Beach
Police Department (VBPD) is in full compliance with all city, state and federal mandates/regulations.
In 2020, IAB helped facilitate a total of 248 investigations including Citizen Complaints, Internal Investigations and Inquiries. These matters resulted in 297 rule violation allegations of misconduct. Of these rule violation allegations, 183 were sustained, indicating there was sufficient evidence to prove the accused employee violated a department rule, order
or city policy. IAB reviewed 1,684 BlueTeam reports generated from a total of 205,677 citizen contacts. Of all these use of force encounters, only 0.8% resulted in serious injury. Sworn personnel applied only minimal control techniques in 1,519 of the 1,687 reported BlueTeam submissions. In those instances, contact controls were effective 94% of the time.
Our agency also deployed the "WRAP" restraint system in June of 2020. Our sworn personnel utilized the WRAP 22 times and it was effective in quickly reducing conflicts and
de-escalating encounters with individuals 98% of the time.
IAB also tracks several medical applications by officers, to include Narcan, tourniquet use, CPR, the use of the AED and other lifesaving measures. This assists the agency in gathering statistical data and provide officers a more efficient and quick reporting medium. In 2020, there were a total of 248 lifesaving incidents captured which is a 27% increase from the previous year.
In 2020, the Internal Affairs Bureau was additionally tasked with responding to all requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act, Subpoena Duces Tecums, and court orders; in 2020, IA responded to 7,755 requests.
1st Quarter - 2021 Citizen Complaint Allegations-Findings
| Complaints Received | Number |
| Arrest, Search and Seizure | 6
|
| Bias Based Policing | 13
|
| Conformance to Laws | -
|
| Courtesy | 9
|
Department Reports
| 2
|
Operating Vehicles
| 2
|
| Unsatisfactory Performance | 18
|
| Use of Physical Force | 4
|
Processing Property & Evidence
| -
|
| Totals | 54 |
| Findings | Number |
| Exonerated | 6
|
| Not Sustained | -
|
| Sustained | 3
|
| Unfounded | 3
|
| Active | 42
|
| Totals | 54 |
| Action Taken | Number |
| No Action | 8
|
| Oral Counseling | 3
|
| Policy Review | -
|
Suspension
| -
|
| Reprimand | -
|
| Active | 43
|
| Totals | 54 |
4th Quarter - 2020 Citizen Complaint Allegations-Findings
| Complaints Received | Number |
| Arrest, Search and Seizure | 2
|
| Bias Based Policing | 2 |
Conduct Unbecoming
| 1
|
| Courtesy | 6
|
Department Reports
| 1 |
Disobedience of Orders
| 1
|
| Unsatisfactory Performance | 15
|
Use of Physical Force
| 5
|
Processing Property & Evidence
| 2
|
Public Statement/Apperance
| 1
|
| Totals | 36 |
| Findings | Number |
Exonerated
| 6
|
| Not Sustained | 6
|
Sustained
| 6
|
| Unfounded | 3
|
| Active | 15
|
| Totals | 36 |
| Action Taken | Number |
| No Action | 14
|
| Oral Counseling | 4
|
| Policy Review | 2
|
Suspension
| 1
|
| Reprimand | -
|
| Active | 15
|
| Totals | 36 |
3rd Quarter - 2020 Citizen Complaint Allegations-Findings
| Complaints Received | Number |
| Arrest, Search and Seizure | 1 |
| Bias Based Policing | 2 |
| Conformance to Laws | 2 |
| Courtesy | 4 |
| Department Reports | 1 |
| Unsatisfactory Performance | 6 |
| Use of Physical Force | 2 |
| Processing Property & Evidence | 1 |
| Totals | 19 |
| Findings | Number |
| Exonerated | 7 |
| Not Sustained | 3 |
| Sustained | 1 |
| Unfounded | 1 |
| Active | 7 |
| Totals | 19 |
| Action Taken | Number |
| No Action | 11 |
| Oral Counseling | -
|
| Policy Review | -
|
Suspension
| 1 |
| Reprimand | -
|
| Active | 7 |
| Totals | 19 |
2nd Quarter - 2020 Citizen Complaint Allegations-Findings
| Complaints Received | Number |
| Bias Based Policing | 6 |
| Courtesy | 2 |
| Department Reports | 1 |
| Disobedience of Orders | 2 |
| Unsatisfactory Performance | 15 |
| Disrespect | 1 |
| Use of Physical Force | 1 |
| Totals | 28 |
| Findings | Number |
| Exonerated | 9 |
| Not Sustained | 1 |
| Sustained | 7 |
| Unfounded | 11 |
| Totals | 28 |
| Action Taken | Number |
| No Action | 20 |
| Oral Counseling | 3 |
| Policy Review | 1 |
| Retired Prior to Action Taken | 1 |
| Reprimand | 0 |
| Resigned Prior to Action Taken | 3 |
| Totals | 28 |
1st Quarter - 2020 Citizen Complaint Allegations-Findings
| Complaints Received | Number |
Abuse of Position
| 2
|
Arrest, Search and Seizure
| 1 |
Bias Based Policing
| 1
|
Conduct Unbecoming
| 2
|
Conformance to Laws
| 2
|
Courtesy
| 8
|
Disobedience of Orders
| 1
|
Unsatisfactory Performance
| 3
|
Use of Physical Force
| 1
|
| Totals | 21 |
| Findings | Number |
| Exonerated | 6 |
| Not Sustained | 3 |
| Sustained | 3 |
| Unfounded | 9
|
| Action Taken | Number |
| No Action | 17 |
| Oral Counseling | 2
|
Reprimand
| 2
|
Dispositions
All citizen complaints are broken down into specific allegation classifications. Each allegation requires the accused employee’s commanding officer to recommend one of the below listed findings to the Chief of Police
Sustained: Sufficient evidence to prove allegation. The incident occurred, the accused employee committed the act, and it was in violation of a departmental rule or order.
Not Sustained: Insufficient evidence to prove or disprove allegation. The incident may or may not have occurred and the overall evidence is not enough to establish that a violation occurred.
Exonerated: Incident occurred, but employee’s actions were proper. The employee did essentially what the citizen alleges they did, but the actions were reasonable, proper, and consistent with current policies and/or training.
Unfounded: Allegation is proven to be false. The evidence clearly demonstrates that the event did not occur, or if it did occur the accused employee is not the person responsible for committing it.
Every sustained complaint and on occasion a not-sustained complaint will result in some action on the part of the agency.