MARTA Police Internal Affairs
Sgt. Shekinia Reynolds
404-848-4914
The Internal Affairs Unit receives its authority
directly from the Chief of Police to investigate allegations
of police misconduct with the overall objective of protecting
the public, the Department, and the officers. The unit conducts
the routine business of this office between 8:00am and
4:00pm Monday through Friday and responds on a "call-out"
basis as the need arises outside normal business hours.
The MARTA Police Department will not hesitate
to impose disciplinary actions on employees who violate the
law or standards of professional law enforcement conduct,
to remove from employment those employees who prove to be
unfit for the profession of law enforcement, or to dismiss
unjustified allegations against innocent employees. All complaints
are maintained and tracked within the unit.
Complaints are closed in one of four different
ways:
Sustained The complaint was found to
be true.
Unfounded There was not enough information
to prove or disprove the complaint.
Not Sustained The complaint was not found
to be true.
Exonerated The officer did commit
the act that he was accused of, however, his actions were
justified by the situation.
Other cases are listed as No Action Taken. This means that
the case has not been closed due to the fact that the complainant
has not followed through with the complaint.
See Complaints Breakdown for:
Making a Complaint
YOUR RIGHTS AS A COMPLAINANT
At the MARTA Police Department we encourage
the filing of legitimate complaints against employees as a
means by which they can be held accountable for their actions
to the public. The Department also seeks to hold members of
the public responsible for filing false and malicious allegations
against police personnel.
FILING YOUR COMPLAINT
Complaints will be accepted from any source,
whether made in person, by mail, by telephone or anonymously.
Individuals are encouraged to submit their complaints in person
in order to obtain a complete and accurate report as soon
as possible of the incident.
Complaints will be accepted from juveniles and
persons under arrest in police custody so long as the complaint
contains sufficient factual information to warrant an investigation.
Agency personnel may visit the individual at their home, place
of business or hospital in order to complete the complaint
if it cannot be filed in person.
FIELD INVESTIGATION OR INTERNAL AFFAIRS
INVESTIGATION
Complaints of harassment, demeanor and minor
rule infractions will be investigated by the employeeâs supervisor,
or that person designated by the Precinct Commander.
Complaints alleging major violations will be
handled by the Internal Affairs Unit for investigation. Major
violations include, but are not limited to, the following:
- A violation of a Federal, State, County or
Municipal statute or ordinance defining unlawful behavior
or acts.
- Any allegation of unnecessary or excessive
use of force.
- Use of abusive or insulting language or conduct
degrading a personâs race, religion, life style, sex, national
origin, or any other act or omission which could be the
basis for loss of rank, termination, or prosecution in any
court.
- All incidents where an officer has discharged
a firearm, whether accidental or intentional.
Any other reason deemed necessary by the Chief
of Police.
INVESTIGATIVE STANDARDS
All internal affairs investigations will be
completed within forty-five (45) days of initiation unless
extenuating circumstances exist. The investigator assigned
to an Internal Affairs complaint will acknowledge receipt
of that complaint by communicating directly with the complainant
either by correspondence, telephone, or in person. If the
investigation extends beyond 45 days, the investigator will
inform the complainant of the cases progress. When the case
is closed the investigator will notify the complainant in
writing and inform them that appropriate administrative action
has been taken.
CONCLUSION OF FACT
Each investigator, whether internal affairs
investigator or field supervisor, shall consider all relevant
documents, testimony and evidence in order to determine what
actually happened. At the end of the report, the investigator
shall state a conclusion of fact for each allegation of misconduct.
Web Disclaimer
This information is provided for personal
use only as general information. While attempts are
made to maintain the accuracy of this information, it
should not be relied upon for any purpose without confirmation
in writing by MARTA Police. The MARTA Police Department
is not liable to users of this data for any loss or
damages arising from the reporting, use or modification
of the data. The MARTA Police Department may update
or modify the data at any time without notice and makes
no commitment to update the information contained herein.
For official crime reports and assistance
call MARTA Police Services at (404) 848-4900.
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