Council reviews MPD’s internal affairs audit

The Maricopa City Council will discuss and possibly approve a $40,000 contract Tuesday to Gallagher and Kennedy for a review of the Maricopa Police Department’s internal investigations policies and procedures.

Last fall, the city paid City Associates LLC $42,000 to perform an audit of the city’s police department including assessing the organizational structure and disciplinary procedures.

The review, completed in February, found department employees had little confidence in internal affairs investigations, and that many of the investigations dragged on too long. The auditors recommended an independent third party review those cases.

The audit also found more than half of the citizens who responded to a survey were dissatisfied with the department’s performance.

The Citygate audit, however, did not investigate individual performance or allegations of misconduct.