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frequently complain about having too little control over the future makeup of the department. The balance between the interests of HR and the EPD are discussed in greater detail later in this report. The process of internal investigations has also been subject to change. As is the case in almost all law enforcement agencies, serious misconduct of officers is the purview of the internal affairs (IA) component. The actual investigation may be conducted by officers assigned to IA, or they may be forwarded to appropriate supervisory personnel in less serious matters. The practice of assigning one police officer to investigate a complaint against another, especially when they are coworkers and potentially long-standing friends, is a deeply rooted concern. Additionally, several of the people interviewed reported that questionable behavior on the part of command staff in the department has been glossed over in the past and not subject to discipline. There is a lack of public trust in the fairness and transparency of the IA and complaint processes. In 1997, PERF conducted an "Environmental Scan" of the EPD. The scope of this effort was to "(1) conduct an organizational assessment to identify factors contributing to various organizational issues in the Police Services Division; and (2) develop an action plan to respond to the issues." A number of findings arose as the result of that study for which recommendations were provided. Among the findings stemming from that report are: · The perceptions of those interviewed were not always rooted in reality. · The Eugene Police Department has a fundamentally sound police force that conducts day-to-day police work in a professional manner. · Concerns were expressed about the overall direction of the EPD and how it handles extraordinary police-community encounters. 9