The Pros and Cons of Becoming a Notary as an Internal Affairs Investigator

This article by Dr. Robert A. Verry examines whether internal affairs investigators should become notaries to administer oaths during misconduct investigations. While potential advantages include improved documentation integrity, operational efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced chain of custody, Verry cautions that significant drawbacks outweigh these benefits. Risks include conflicts of interest, due process concerns, legal vulnerabilities, and ethical conflicts stemming from combining investigative and notarial roles, which could undermine impartiality and the validity of evidence. He recommends maintaining a separation of functions, suggesting that notarization be performed by staff not directly involved in investigations. The article concludes with a step-by-step guide on becoming a notary in New Jersey.