Skip to main navigationSkip to News Headlines
Global Navigation
Office of The Attorney General
The State of New Jersey Office of The Attorney General (Dept. of Law & Public Safety) The State of New Jersey NJ Home Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Home
OAG Contact
Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
Division of Consumer Affairs
Division of Criminal Justice
Division on Civil Rights
Division of Gaming Enforcement
Division of Highway Traffic Safety
Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
Juvenile Justice Commission
Division of Law
NJ Racing Commission
State Athletic Control Board
Division of NJ State Police
Victims of Crime Compensation Office
spacer
OPRA - Open Public Records Act
Non Profit Information
spacer
New Jersey Attorney General's Excellence in Policing Initiative

Internal Affairs Policies & Procedures

Ensuring accountability in New Jersey’s police departments

In New Jersey, every state, county, and local law enforcement agency is required to establish a process for disciplining officers who commit misconduct or otherwise violate the agency’s rules. Generally speaking, this disciplinary process is handled by the agency’s “internal affairs” (IA) unit, which operates outside the normal chain of command and is responsible for investigating misconduct and recommending discipline to the agency’s leaders.

In 1991, the Attorney General issued Internal Affairs Policies & Procedures (IAPP), which established statewide standards for the operations of IA units in New Jersey. Five years later, in 1996, the Legislature went a step further, requiring that each law enforcement agency in New Jersey adopt its own policies consistent with IAPP. The document has been updated several times since then, including a significant revision in December 2019 as part of Attorney General Grewal’s Excellence in Policing Initiative. Several additional changes were made in the summer of 2020.

The current version of IAPP, which went into effect on August 31, 2020, is known as the “August 2020 IAPP” and includes an appendix of thirteen sample forms and documents. The first two of these sample forms are intended for public use: a “civilian complaint information sheet,” which explains how to file an IA complaint (Appendix A), and a standardized “internal affairs report form” for civilians seeking to file a complaint (Appendix B). Both of these documents have been translated into Arabic, Chinese, Haitian, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. The remaining appendices (Appendix C to Appendix M) are intended for internal use by law enforcement.


August 2020 IAPP


IAPP Appendix A: Sample Civilian Complaint Information Sheet

Arabic
Chinese
English
Haitian
Hindi
Korean
Polish
Portuguese
Spanish
Tagalog
Vietnamese

IAPP Appendix B: Sample Internal Affairs Report Form

Arabic
Chinese
English
Haitian
Hindi
Korean
Polish
Portuguese
Spanish
Tagalog
Vietnamese

Additional IAPP Appendices (For Internal Use by Law Enforcement)


Appendix C

Internal Affairs Complaint Notification

Appendix D

Sample Immediate Suspension Notice

Appendix E

Sample Response Letter

Appendix F

Preliminary Notice of Disciplinary Action

Appendix G

Miranda Warning

Appendix H

Sample Use Immunity Grant

Appendix I

Witness Acknowledgement Form

Appendix J

Administrative Advisement Form

Appendix K

Internal Affairs Policy Reporting Form

Appendix L

Public Synopsis of Disciplinary Action

Appendix M

Final Notice of Disciplinary Action

 
OAG Home Attorney General's Biography
Attorney General's Biography
Executive Assistant Attorney General
Attorney General's MessageAsk the Attorney General
Contact OAGAbout OAG
OAG NewsOAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG LibraryEmployment
OAG GrantsProposed Rules
OAG HistoryOAG Services A-Z
OAG Agencies / Programs / Units
Statutes
AG Event Request Form
Highlights
Attorney General's Diversity Council... Why Become a Deputy Attorney General?... Internship Opportunities with The Deparment... Volunteer Associates in Public Service... Diversity & Inclusion
OAG Social Media Properties OAG on Facebook Official NJ YouTube Channel OAG on Twitter OAG on Instagram Flickr
report tips or information about suspicious activity or behavior...
As of 3/1/08 Talking on a Hand-Held Phone or Texting while Driving is Against the Law in NJ
Driving Under the Influence in New Jersey
Report Crime Online or Call 866-TIPS-4CJ
NJ Sex Offender Registry
Know When Your Civil Rights Have Been Violated
Move Over Law
NJ Amber Alert Plan
   
Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Legal Statement | Accessibility Statement spacer
NJ Home Logo
spacer
Departmental: OAG Home | Contact OAG | About OAG | OAG News | OAG FAQs
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey
This page is maintained by OAG Communications. Comments/Questions: email or call 609-292-4925