Sec. 5. (a) This section applies to a public safety officer who is the subject of a complaint or an internal investigation.

     (b) When a public safety officer is subjected to interview by the public safety officer’s department, as described in subsection (a), the following procedures apply:

(1) The interview shall be conducted at a reasonable hour, preferably at a time when the public safety officer is on duty, unless, in the judgment of the interviewer, the seriousness of the investigation requires an immediate interview.

(2) The interview shall take place at the public safety officer’s department or an equivalent office setting designated by the interviewer.

(3) The interviewer shall inform the public safety officer of the name, rank, and assignment of the officer or member of the fire department in charge of the investigation, the interviewer, and all other persons present during the interview.

(4) The interviewer shall present the public safety officer with a statement of rights to be signed by the interviewer and the public safety officer. The statement of rights must be in substantially the following form:

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS

I wish to advise you that you are being questioned as part of an official investigation of the ______ Department. You will be asked questions specifically, directly, and narrowly related to the performance of your official duties as a _____ or concerning your fitness for service as a ____. You have the constitutional right not to incriminate yourself.

Under no circumstances will your statement be used in any subsequent criminal court action against you. However, factual information contained in the internal affairs file on this investigation, including your statement, is generally discoverable in civil rights litigation filed in federal or state court and may be used to impeach your testimony. In addition, this factual information may be used in any criminal proceeding in which you are a witness.

I further wish to advise you that if you refuse to give a statement or answer questions relating to the performance of your official duties or fitness for duty, you will be subjected to departmental charges that could result in your dismissal from the ____ Department.

Signed _______ (Interviewer).

I have read the above and understand it fully. I sign this statement having been advised of the above rights before any questions have been asked of me.

Signed _______ (Police officer or Firefighter).

Date and time _________.

(5) In a noncriminal case, once a public safety officer is scheduled for an interview under this subsection, the officer in charge of the investigation must provide the public safety officer with a copy of the complaint, if one exists. In a criminal case, the officer in charge of the investigation must inform the public safety officer of the nature of the complaint. The officer in charge of the investigation is not required to disclose the name of the complainant to the public safety officer.

(6) An interview session shall be for a reasonable duration of time and must allow for personal necessities and rest periods as reasonably necessary.

(7) An interview of a public safety officer as described in this subsection shall be tape recorded at the request of either party. A written transcript must be provided to the public safety officer upon request, at no cost to the public safety officer.

(8) If at the time of the interview the public safety officer is under arrest or in custody, the interviewer must completely inform the public safety officer of the public safety officer’s federal and state constitutional rights regarding self-incrimination prior to the commencement of the interview.

(9) A public safety officer may not be required to waive any immunities under federal or state law at any point in an investigation.

(10) A question posed to a public safety officer must specifically, directly, and narrowly relate to the performance of duties or fitness for service as a public safety officer.

(11) A public safety officer shall have the right to be represented by an attorney or other representative during an interview where the interview relates to the public safety officer’s continued fitness for law enforcement service (in the case of a police officer) or fire service (in the case of a firefighter). The public safety officer shall be provided a reasonable period of time to obtain representation, which may not exceed seventy-two (72) hours from the time of request, unless agreed upon by both parties. The attorney or representative may not participate in the interview, except to advise the public safety officer.

As added by P.L.271-2019, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.33-2020, SEC.7.