Ending the Internal Affairs Farce

Police internal affairs systems fail to hold officers accountable for misconduct, as illustrated by high-profile cases of police violence against African Americans. The article examines incidents including the Jason Van Dyke shooting of Laquan McDonald in Chicago and Timothy Loehmann's shooting of Tamir Rice in Cleveland, where internal investigations produced inadequate discipline despite video evidence and complaints. Internal affairs investigations routinely exonerate officers even when prior complaints documented excessive force or racial misconduct. The article argues these cases represent systemic failures in police accountability mechanisms, with officers named in eighteen prior complaints facing minimal consequences. Despite public outcry and mayoral promises of reform, internal affairs processes remain ineffective at deterring police brutality. The article documents patterns where internal investigations clear officers within weeks without contacting complainants, undermining public trust. Moran concludes that internal affairs processes are fundamentally broken and require structural reform to achieve meaningful accountability.

Topics: Criminal Procedure · Civil Rights

Keywords: police misconduct · internal affairs · excessive force · Laquan McDonald · Tamir Rice · accountability · racial disparities