# ***Law Enforcemment Manual Template***

## Section I: General Information
**Preface:**

This Manual sets forth the standards, values, and expectations of the {department name}. Its policies, procedures, core values, and mission and priority statements exist to maintain high levels of professional conduct.

The Manual is intended to provide specific guidance and to serve as a reference to employees of the {department name}.

Finally, the written publications of the Department are only a part of the direction provided to employees. Communication that is directive in nature from supervisory or management personnel has the same authority as any written policy.

**Code of Ethics:**

As an employee of the {department name}, my actions will be guided by the following principles: Justice, Excellence & Service. Our department goals focus on preventing and fighting crime. We pursue these goals via time tested tactics, available research, innovation and training.

As a police employee entrusted by my department to protect all of our city/county/state, I will strive to display the values of:

Justice - I will treat people fairly and act in good faith. I will work toward racial and social justice for all.

Excellence - I will not be satisfied with the status quo. I will review all systems and processes with an eye towards improvement, efficiency, and professionalism. When I attend training or review new policies, I will strive to master the material because I recognize that training leads to competency.

Service - The common thread tying these three principles together is service. Service is the first word on my shoulder patch and I will keep service to our community as my first priority. I will provide that service with pride and dedication.

**Mission Statement and Priorities**
The mission of the {department name} is to prevent crime, enforce the law, and support quality public safety by delivering respectful, professional and dependable police services.

Ethics and Integrity – Foster an organizational culture where fundamental values are integrity, accountability, ethical decision-making, and respect for civil and constitutional rights.

**Authority & Jurisdiction:**

The {department name} has the authority within its respective state/county/city and also holds its jurisdiction within said county/city/state.

If any members of the department name so wishes to leave the jurisdiction of their department whilst on duty they must request so with their supervisor giving a valid reason.

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## Section II: Department Administration
**Chain of Command:**

All Department employees are subordinates to the Chief of Police, Sheriff, Colonel/Commissioner. Employees are subordinate to all ranks above their position.

The Department chain of command applies while on duty or during secondary employment.

Sworn Employees are ranked:

* Chief of Police/Sheriff/Colonel/Commissioner
* Deputy Chief of Police/Deputy Sheriff/Deputy Commissioner
* Assistant Chief of Police/Assistant Sheriff/Assistant Commissioner
* Captain
* Lieutenant
* Sergeant
* Corporal
* Trooper I/Officer I
* Trooper II/Officer II/Sheriff Deputy

**Inspections & Audits:**

Audits are conducted by the Attorney General's office. Which then afterwards are published for public viewing.

The Attorney General’s office has sole authority to initiate audits and inspections on the entire department.

Department divisions shall respond to all requests from the Attorney General within the time frame indicated.

If the deadline cannot be met, a response explaining why and when the request will be met is required.

The Attorney General’s office shall notify the Assistant Chief of Police/Assistant Sheriff/Assistant Commissioner and above that a follow-up audit will occur upon publication of the initial audit report if necessary.

Exception: Inspections shall be handled by the department's Internal Affairs Division or division directors.

All department captains may request inspections of their division through the Assistant Chief of Police/Assistant Sheriff/Assistant Commissioner or above.

After inspection, the department captain must report any immediate findings to the Internal Affairs division and the Assistant Chief of Police/Assistant Sheriff/Assistant Commissioner or above for immediate review.

**Budgets:**

As within the department the total number of officers that can be employed should be no more than 117 sworn personnel excluding the Commissioner/Chief of Police/Sheriff.

* The Uniformed Operations division should have no more than 42 in total and 20 officers per squad.

* The Training division should have no more than 10 officers in total.

* The SRT/TSU/SERT division should have no more than 42 in total and 20 officers per squad.

* The Internal Affairs division should have no more than 10 officers in total.

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## Section III: Employee Conduct
**Employee Leave:**

Employees will request sergeant/supervisor approval for scheduled and unscheduled time off.

Employees will submit a Leave Request application to request over a number of days off.

Employees can only take up to a month of leave, of which they then have to report back for standard duties.

If the request for time off is not approved, the employee will continue to report for duties.

**Standards & Duties:**

All sworn employees must adhere to…

* Federal Laws
* State Laws
* Laws of the {City Name}
* {City Name} Policies
* The {department name} manual
* Published Directives & Special Orders

Employees will attend mandatory training and follow the current curriculum during their duties.

Employees who have missed any mandatory training because of excused absences, such as a sick day or court appearance, will arrange through their immediate supervisor to complete that training within a reasonable time frame.

Employees will provide their name and Department serial number verbally, or in writing if requested.

Exception: Employees are not required to immediately identify themselves if:

* An investigation is jeopardized
* A police function is hindered
* There is a safety consideration

When any uniformed employee meets an officer dressed in civilian attire, that uniformed employee will not openly recognize the plain-clothes officer unless greeted first.

Regardless of duty status, employees may not engage in behavior that undermines public trust in the Department, the officer, or other officers. Employees will avoid unnecessary escalation of events even if those events do not end in reportable uses of force.

Any time employees represent the Department or identify themselves as police officers or Department employees, they will not use profanity directed as an insult or any language that is derogatory, contemptuous, or disrespectful toward any person.

Employees on duty or in uniform will not publicly ridicule:

* The Department or its policies
* Other Department employees
* Other law enforcement agencies

This applies where such expression is defamatory, obscene, undermines the effectiveness of the Department, interferes with the maintenance of discipline, or is made with reckless disregard for truth.

Employees will be truthful in all communication.

Exception: Employees may use deception for a specific and lawful purpose in certain circumstances, when:

* There is an exigent threat to life safety or public safety
* It is necessary due to the nature of the employee's assignment
* There is a need to acquire information for a criminal investigation

Employees will not and cannot use their authority or position for personal gain.

Failure to obey lawful orders from a superior officer constitutes insubordination. Orders may be issued directly, relayed through a subordinate employee or current Department training, published in notices, and other forms of communication.

Should any orders conflict with a previous order, or published regulation, employees may respectfully bring this to the supervisor's attention.

The supervisor who issued the conflicting order will try to correct the conflict in orders.

An employee may object to a supervisor's orders under these conditions:

* When such orders represent unjustified, substantial and/or reckless disregard for life or safety
* When such orders are illegal or unethical
* When the supervisor has been relieved of duty by an employee of higher rank
* When other circumstances are present that establish the supervisor's inability to discharge the duties of the assignment

Employees in this situation will, if practical, state the basis for objecting to the order to the supervisor.

If the situation remains unresolved, the employee will immediately contact the next higher-ranking supervisor in the chain of command.

Employees will not associate with persons or organizations where such association reasonably gives the appearance of conflict of interest.

Employees will not engage in enforcement, investigative, or administrative functions that create or give the appearance of conflicts of interest.

Employees will not investigate events where they are involved. This also applies where any person with whom the employee is personally involved within the event.

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## Section IV: Arrests, Searches, Seizures and Warrants
**Arrest:**

Officers must have probable cause that a suspect has committed a crime in order to effect an arrest.

When Taking a Suspect into Custody, Officers Must Identify Themselves, Inform the Suspect that He or She is under arrest, and state the reason for the arrest as early as possible.

Officers Shall Advise All Arrestees of Their Full Miranda Rights.

**General Searches:**

Frisks - The purpose and scope of a frisk is to discover weapons or other items which pose a danger to the officer or those nearby. It is not a generalized search of the entire person. The decision to conduct a frisk is based upon the totality of the circumstances and the reasonable conclusions drawn from the officer’s training and experience. Generally, the frisk will be limited to a pat-down of outer clothing. Once the officer ascertains that no weapon is present after the frisk is completed, the officer’s limited authority to frisk is completed (i.e., the frisk will stop).

Officers shall thoroughly search the persons of all arrestees who are taken into custody.

Vehicles - When searching a vehicle for any illegal contraband the officer if they have probable cause can fully inspect the vehicle. If the officer does not have probable cause, then they will have to request the driver at that time consent to a vehicle search.

**Search Warrants:**

Administrative Search Warrant – A warrant that is served in a police-controlled environment (e.g., police precinct, vehicle processing room) or is otherwise low-risk.

Dynamic Search Warrant – A warrant that is served where officers expect forced entry and it is unknown if persons present are armed.

High-Risk Search Warrant - A warrant that is served where there are known armed persons at the location, or the location is barricaded.

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## Section V: Use of Force
**Use of Force Core Principles:**

An Officer Will Use Only Force That Is Objectively Reasonable, Necessary, and Proportional to the Threat or Resistance of a Subject.

Sometime the Use of Force is unavoidable, and an officer must exercise physical control of a violent/assaultive or resistant individual to make an arrest or to protect other from risk of harm.

In doing so:

Officers must recognize that their conduct prior to the use of force applied, including the display of a weapon may be a factor which can influence the level of force necessary in a given situation.

Officers shall ensure that their actions do not involve an unnecessary or unreasonable form of use of force by placing themselves or others in jeopardy.

Officers shall continue to assess the situation and changing circumstances and modulate their use of force when needed.

Each Officer Is Responsible for Explaining their use of force towards Internal Affairs and any supervisor if required properly giving said explanation which justifies the officer’s Use of Force.

The officer’s justification will be reviewed to determine whether or not the force used was reasonable or not.

And Failure by the officer to explain in detail the facts & circumstances of what and how force was used when reporting may lead to the conclusion that the force used was out of unreasonably.

**Use of Force Definitions:**

Factors to be considered in determining the reasonableness of force included, but are not limited to:

The seriousness of the crime or suspected offense

The level of threat or resistance presented by the subject

Whether the subject was posing an immediate threat to officers or a danger to the surrounding public

The potential for injury to members of the public, officers or subjects

The risk or apparent attempt by the subject to escape

The conduct of the subject being confronted (as reasonably perceived by the officer at the time)

The time available to an officer to make a decision

The availability of other resources

The training and experience of the officer

The proximity or access of weapons to the subject

Officer versus subject factors such as age, size, relative strength, skill level, injury/exhaustion and number of officers versus subjects

The environmental factors

**Types of Force:**

Minimal Force – Physical interaction meant to separate, guide and or control a person without the use of control techniques that are to reasonably cause pain or injury.

Minimum Force – Physical interaction meant to stun or disorientate a person with the use of control techniques.

Medium Force – Force that will cause reasonably expected pain greater than physical injury, but is less than bodily harm.

Deadly Force – The application of force through firearms and any other weapon that is likely to cause death or great bodily harm.

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## Section VI: Detainee Management
**Transportation of Detainees:**

Employees will take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of a detainee in their custody and for the safekeeping of the detainee’s property.

Officers will perform a search before transporting the detainee.

Officers will search their vehicle at the beginning and on the completion of the transport.

Officers should ensure detainees are appropriately restrained for transport.

Officers must at all times transport detainees in the back seat or back compartment of a department vehicle equip with a screen or partition physically separating the officer from the detainee.

Any officers engaged in transportation a detainee will not respond to routine calls. Officers will transport the detainee to the required destination.

**Detainee Management:**

Department holding cells are for temporary confinement for detainees.

Detainees shall stay handcuffed whilst inside of a department holding cell.

Officers will seek medical assistance for detainees if they have an obvious injury, illness or said detainee is complaining about an injury or illness.

All detainees held within an interview/interrogation room must be under constant observation whether that be in person or on video.

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## Section VII: Vehicle Operations
**Use of Department Vehicles:**

Employees may not take department issued vehicles outside of city limits.

All employees are required to use the assigned vehicles to either their rank, division or department unless given authority.

Exception: Employees may leave the city if required by their duty or with supervisor authorization.

**Vehicle Eluding/Pursuits:**

Eluding - For the purposes of this section, eluding exists when an officer operating an authorized police vehicle issues by hand, voice, emergency lights or siren a visual and/or audible signal to the driver of a vehicle to stop and, after a reasonable time to yield in response to the officer’s signal, the driver does any of the following:

* Increases speed
* Takes evasive actions
* Refuses to stop

Officers in pursuits will activate emergency lights and shall use their sirens as necessary to warn others of the emergency nature of the situation.

Officers will not engage within a pursuit without probable cause to believe a person within the vehicle has committed a crime.

Officers will cease a pursuit if the risk outweighs the need to apprehend the driver.

Factors to be considered in weighing the risk of the pursuit include:

* Underlying reason for pursuit
* Location
* Direction of travel and roadway configuration
* Weather and roadway conditions
* Speed
* Traffic conditions (pedestrians and vehicles)
* Speed and operation of the eluding vehicle

The department will not discipline officer's, supervisors or commanders for declining to initiate or deciding to terminate the pursuit.

Officers must notify communications of pursuits.

The primary unit shall immediately advise Communications when initiating a pursuit and shall update relevant details including:

* Reason for pursuit
* Location
* Direction
* Description of suspect vehicle and suspect(s)
* Speed
* Traffic conditions (pedestrians and vehicles)

After joining the pursuit, the secondary unit shall assume the responsibility for all radio transmissions from the primary unit.

Any supervisors who are actively within the pursuit will approve and monitor the pursuit unless they’re no supervisors currently within it then a supervisor outside of the pursuit may do so.

The primary officer of the pursuit or a supervisor has the authority to terminate if said vehicle is too dangerous to continue pursuing.

Officers will disengage when a pursuit is terminated and return to patrolling.

Officers will not reinitiate within pursuits that have been terminated but can instead tail the eluding vehicle. The pursuit however can only be reinitiated by a supervisor.

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## Section VIII: Emergency and Patrol Operations
**Protest Management:**

Crowd Management – strategies and tactics that employ communication and dialogue with event leaders to obtain voluntary compliance with lawful orders and allow for minimal enforcement action.

Crowd Intervention – strategies and tactics that are designed to facilitate continued exercise by isolating and arresting law violators within an otherwise lawful assembly.

Crowd Control – strategies and tactics, including dispersal, that are employed in the event a crowd or portion of a crowd becomes involved in violent or otherwise destructive behavior and which are intended to protect life, restore and maintain order, allow for the arrest of law violators, and the protection of vital facilities and property.

De-escalation – Strategies and tactics used by officers and commanders, when safe and feasible without compromising law enforcement priorities, that seek to minimize the likelihood of the need to use force during an incident and increase the likelihood of gaining voluntary compliance from a subject.

An incident commander (I/C) who are assigned will plan and oversee the department's response before & during the event/protest.

The Incident Commander may delegate authority and assignments.

The incident commander retains responsibility for the actions of their subordinates.

The incident commander will be a Lieutenant or above.

Exception: A Sergeant or Corporal can serve as Incident Commander until a Lieutenant or above responds.

If feasible, a captain will assume command when there are two lieutenants involved in the event, so on and so forth.

The following of assemblies are as follows:

**Lawful Assembly:**

Free speech and peaceable assembly are protected First Amendment activities.

* Speeches
* Marches
* Demonstrations
* Rallies
* Public Assemblies
* Protests

Isolated Unlawful Behavior within Lawful Assemblies:

Individual violent acts within the crowd, property damage, unpermitted traffic disruption, and defacement are not protected activities. However, isolated unlawful activity by individuals or small groups within a crowd should not automatically form the basis for declaring an assembly unlawful.

* Isolated destruction of property
* Isolated acts of violence.

**Unlawful Assembly:**

Where unlawful behavior within or of a crowd cannot be controlled through intervention strategies, assemblies may be dispersed. Examples of such behavior include:

Violent acts by four or more persons or acts that pose an imminent threat of violence against persons or property.

Significant unpermitted traffic disruption that poses an imminent threat of harm to members of the assembly or the traveling public.

Other criminal acts in the crowd that cannot be addressed through crowd intervention strategies.

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## Section IX: Traffic Direction and Control
Officers may take personal charge of traffic control and direct traffic depending on the needs of the incident.

When directing traffic, the following rules will be observed:

Officers will ensure that they are visible by utilizing flashlights, reflective clothing and flares, especially during hours of darkness or adverse weather conditions.

When utilizing flares and cones, set them far enough from the collision scene to give sufficient warning to approaching traffic.

Officers assisting at a fire or rescue scene shall ensure that civilian traffic does not interfere with the respective operation.