What to expect from DOJ investigation in Sangamon County

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - The Department of Justice is investigating the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office and the Sangamon County Central Dispatch System. In their letter to the county, the DOJ requested 28 different pieces of information from the County. This includes details on hiring practices, bias training, and policies regarding behavioral health calls.

Doug Kouns was an FBI agent for over 20 years before retiring and starting Verity. He has been involved in several federal investigations into law enforcement agencies. He says the DOJ will be investigating all aspects of the Sheriff's Office and Central Dispatch System, not just the shooting death of Sonya Massey.

"This is being conducted by attorneys, analysts, and investigators out of main Justice in Washington D.C. and they're looking at things from more of a programmatic aspect, rather than an individual aspect," said Kouns. "While they might look at some details of this individual shooting, they're they're also more looking at is this a problem endemic within this department?"

The county has until December 14th to respond with the requested documents. There is not a set time for the DOJ to analyze this data, but Kouns expects the entire process will take over a year. He says the DOJ could request more information and come to the county to talk to people.

"They will do interviews with other law enforcement agencies that interact with that agency, like the state police, neighboring counties or city departments within the county, all these people will be talked to and will provide their input, as well as you know, the mayor's office and different county officials," said Kouns. He added that the DOJ may connect with community members regarding their interactions with the Sheriff's office as well.

The former FBI agent said that many times, law enforcement agencies don't see that their hiring practices or use of force are biased, and these investigations can reveal specific areas that department needs to work on.