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 or she 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:
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 employee's 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 person's 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 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, ( 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.