DANIEL: "I want to be completely transparent with you. The department has had some internal challenges recently."
Andre looked up.
ANDRE: "What kind of challenges?"
Daniel hesitated.
DANIEL: "Personnel complaints. Concerns about communication between divisions. A few incidents involving officers who may have misunderstood the limits of their authority."
Andre remained silent.
Daniel continued.
DANIEL: "Most of those matters were handled through the existing procedures. Some were resolved. Others are still being reviewed."
Andre leaned back slightly.
ANDRE: "Were any of those complaints similar to what happened this morning?"
Daniel looked down at the documents.
DANIEL: "I can't say that with certainty without checking the records."
ANDRE: "Then we need to check them."
DANIEL: "I expected you would want to review the department's complaint history."
ANDRE: "I do. But I also want to know whether people feel safe reporting misconduct."
Daniel looked toward him.
ANDRE: "An organization can have excellent written policies and still fail the people who depend on them. The question is whether those policies are followed when nobody is watching."
Daniel nodded.
DANIEL: "That's a fair concern."
Andre opened his briefcase and removed a small notebook.
He wrote down several points.
ANDRE: "I want the recent complaints organized by division, the status of each investigation, and any recurring issues involving public interactions."
DANIEL: "I can have the administrative team prepare that."
ANDRE: "And I want the original records, not just a summary."
DANIEL: "Understood."
Andre closed the notebook.
ANDRE: "One more thing. I want to know how the department evaluates officers who work directly with the public."
Daniel considered the question.
DANIEL: "We evaluate performance through several measures, including response times, incident reports, supervisor assessments, and disciplinary history."
ANDRE: "Do those assessments include how officers communicate with residents?"
DANIEL: "They should."
ANDRE: "Should, or do?"
Daniel paused.
He understood what Andre was asking.
DANIEL: "I would need to review the current evaluation system."
Andre nodded.
ANDRE: "Then add that to the list."
Outside the room, the sound of footsteps approached.
A few seconds later, someone knocked on the door.
Daniel looked toward the entrance.
DANIEL: "Come in."
The door opened.
A woman in her early forties entered carrying a tablet and a folder.
She was Lieutenant Sarah Mitchell, the internal affairs supervisor assigned to review conduct complaints within the department.
She had a reputation for being thorough and methodical.
MITCHELL: "Good morning, Commander Morrison. I was informed there was an incident involving Officer Blake."
DANIEL: "Thank you for coming, Lieutenant."
Mitchell looked toward Andre.
Daniel stood.
DANIEL: "Lieutenant Mitchell, this is Chief Andre Coleman."
Mitchell immediately straightened.
MITCHELL: "Chief Coleman. It's an honor to meet you."
ANDRE: "Good morning, Lieutenant."
MITCHELL: "I understand you were involved in an incident at the reception area."
ANDRE: "Yes. I would like to make sure the review is conducted independently and that all available evidence is preserved."
MITCHELL: "Absolutely, Chief."
Daniel gestured toward an empty chair.
DANIEL: "Please sit down. We need to establish the initial facts."
Mitchell placed her tablet on the table and opened a new incident record.
MITCHELL: "Could you describe what happened from the moment you entered the building?"
Andre began explaining.
He described approaching reception, stating that he had an appointment, providing identification, and answering Ryan's questions.
He explained that the receptionist had been checking the appointment record when Ryan began questioning his presence.
He then described the officer's escalating behavior, including the moment Ryan grabbed his suit.
Mitchell listened without interrupting.
Occasionally, she made notes.
When Andre finished, she looked up.
MITCHELL: "Did Officer Blake identify a specific security concern?"
ANDRE: "No."
MITCHELL: "Did he ask you to leave a restricted area?"
ANDRE: "I was never inside a restricted area."
MITCHELL: "Did you refuse to provide identification?"
ANDRE: "No. I provided it when requested."
Mitchell entered the answers.
MITCHELL: "Was there any physical contact before he grabbed your clothing?"
ANDRE: "Not that I recall."
MITCHELL: "Did you attempt to strike him or physically resist?"
ANDRE: "No."
Mitchell nodded.
MITCHELL: "Thank you. We'll need to compare your account with the available recordings and witness statements."
ANDRE: "That's exactly what I want."
Daniel leaned forward.
DANIEL: "The receptionist has already confirmed that the appointment was listed in the system."
MITCHELL: "I'll obtain the appointment record directly."
DANIEL: "And the hallway cameras?"
MITCHELL: "I'll request the original footage from security. We should also check whether any body-worn cameras were active."
Andre looked toward Mitchell.
ANDRE: "Good. I want the entire interaction reviewed, not only the physical contact."
MITCHELL: "Understood."