About Us

Our History

In 1985, a group of law enforcement officers assigned to Internal Affairs sections in North Carolina met for the first time to discuss mutual problems and the future of our profession. They created a formal association in 1986. The association was named the North Carolina Internal Affairs Investigators Association (NCIAIA). A constitution with by-laws was ratified on June 4, 1986.

In 1987, several southeastern states expressed interest in the Association’s meetings. The members of the NCIAIA decided to open its membership to other Internal Affairs sections throughout the Southeast. A new constitution was written and ratified in late 1987, and the newly-formed Southeastern Internal Affairs Association was created.

On October 6, 1993, at the annual conference in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, the membership voted unanimously to become the National Internal Affairs Investigators Association (NIAIA).

Today’s NIAIA is a growing professional association including investigators from a variety of public safety and academic agencies—including police, corrections, fire, and EMS—throughout the United States, Canada, and now across the globe internationally.