That's why you stick them on a desk, or guarding a prisoner, or doing something unrelated to and away from the public while under investigation. They could still be doing something useful rather than getting a vacation whenever there's a complaint against them. The military doesn't give you time off for this stuff, they just change your job until the shit's figured out and the same should apply to civilians who work on my tax dime.

> "Paid vacation days" is easy to demonize, but 1) we don't want to take away people's livelihood before making sure there is a problem

Sure, but this is what happens in any other job, you don't get paid when under investifation.

A friend of mine was on paid leave from her public school job just a couple weeks ago, due to an investigation that she'd violated a school policy.

[details: she set a misbehaving 3 year old on a stool. Officially, it's not permissible to "use force" on a child unless it's to prevent them from causing physical harm to themselves or others; placing a child on a seat where they don't want to sit qualifies as "using force" in some peoples' eyes.]

Really? Then I'm happy I don't live in the US. If I was under investigation for something and my employer stopped paying me, I'd sue. And win.