The Internal Affairs Mission
Recognizing a need for quality assurance, Sheriff Donald Fleming recently created a dedicated Internal Affairs Unit. This Unit is under the direction of Sergeant Stephen Cole who has been with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office for 13 years and reports directly to the Sheriff and Chief Deputy.
Internal Affairs Mission: To ensure the highest standards of integrity in the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, allegations and trends are analyzed by comprehensive investigations. Internal Affairs is a “partnership” between our citizens and the Sheriff’s Office, and is something that we must constantly strive to protect, as it is a responsibility that is shared by every member of the Sheriff’s Office.
Types of Investigations: Allegations of unnecessary or excessive use of force, criminal misconduct, and false arrest
Allegations of racial profiling or biased based policing
Allegations of intra-departmental misconduct including sexual harassment or complaints involving hostile work environments
It is the responsibility of the office of Internal Affairs to: Receive, process, and coordinate all internal and external complaints
Respond to scenes involving the discharge of officer firearm(s), as well as other serious incidents, investigating to determine the actions of staff are in accordance with the Department’s Policy and Procedure
Review and coordinate all proposed disciplinary action against employees
Maintain all applicable statistical data and continually conduct analysis of information in an effort to identify trends; make recommendations for appropriate corrective actions
All complaints will be reviewed by the Office of Internal Affairs. Complaint Forms will be mailed upon request, or may be downloaded from the FCSO website at www.myfcso.us. Complaints may be made in person, via telephone, electronically through email, or U.S. Postal Service to any FCSO member. Complaints involving discourtesy or poor service will generally be forwarded to the employee’s immediate supervisor for immediate investigation; then forwarded to the Office of Internal Affairs for thorough review. In most situations, a sworn, taped statement will be requested. Be prepared to provide the investigator with witness information. All complaints will be treated professionally and with courtesy.
Following an Investigation, the complaint and findings are forwarded to the affected employee’s supervisor and the chain of command for recommendations. The Sheriff and the Chief Deputy will make the final determination in each case.
Upon the completion of an investigation, the complainant will be notified of the outcome. There is no risk for making valid complaints and the complainant will not be subjected to intimidation or any other improper behavior. However, if the complainant intentionally makes a false complaint against an officer or employee, the complainant may be prosecuted criminally and/or held civilly liable. Officers are protected by the Police Officer’s Bill of Rights and their labor agreement, which provides that they shall not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, and threats from supervisors or unreasonable periods of interrogation. They have a right to counsel or union representation during the investigation.
To access the complete text of the above statutes, or the complete contents of the Public Records Guide or the Government in the Sunshine Manual, visit the below linked pages:
Mailing Address:
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
Office of Internal Affairs
1001 Justice Lane
Bunnell, FL 32110
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.