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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGO 98-01 Written Directive SystemADM-01.1 WRITTEN DIRECTIVE SYSTEM Date of Issue General Order Number March 17, 1998 98-01 Effective Date Section Code November 1, 2014 ADM-01 Reevaluation Date Amends / Cancels December 2017 97-01 ADM-01 C.A.L.E.A. Reference 12.1.1 - 12.2.2 61.2.3, 33.4.4, 33.5.1, 33.7.1 INDEX AS: Department Publications Directives, Written General Orders Official Department Publications Orders, Written Policy and Operating Procedures Manual Publications, Department Written Directives I. PURPOSE The purpose of this order is to explain the written directive system, establish definitions, formats, and authority for preparation and issuance of written Departmental publications for distribution and updating of General Orders and other written directives, and give reasonable guidelines to Police personnel to follow in the discharge of their duties. The Policy and Operating Procedures Manual will be arranged into numbered sections containing related subject matter. This order also establishes responsibility for maintaining, reprinting and inspection of the manual. ADM-01.2 II. POLICY The efficient and effective performance of a municipal law enforcement agency is directly related to the extent to which information given its officers is accurate and up-to- date. This order is intended to serve as a catalyst as to how Department policies should be put to practical use, and as a guide for police personnel in the performance of their major Department functions. The written directives system must encompass a range of publications from permanent to temporary, and from mandatory instructions to informational memoranda. The Department will strive to minimize the number and complexity of publications, while providing essential information and direction toward common organizational objectives. The following general guidelines will be followed in the development of written Department publications:  Publications shall not conflict with established rules, regulations, or policies of the Department; or, with local, state, or federal law.  All publications will be stated in precise and positive terms with grammatical accuracy and simplified language.  When applicable, cross-reference will be made to other related and published documents. Publications that cancel or supersede other publications will reference the affected document. It shall be Department policy that proposed general orders or revisions to rules and regulations be reviewed by staff members prior to issuance. The review process will vary with the content of the order but will generally involve supervisors and personnel affected by the order. In the absence of the Chief of Police, the Commander of the Field Operations Division assumes command of the department and operates with the authority of the office of the Chief of Police. If the Commander of Field Operations is not available during the absence of the Chief of Police, the Commander of the Administrative Services Division assumes command. After the Division Commander, the Commander of the Criminal Investigations Unit assumes department command. III. TYPES OF DEPARTMENT PUBLICATIONS A. Department publications will be restricted to the following: 1. General Orders 2. Special Orders 3. Personnel Orders 4. Department Memoranda 5. Bulletins B. Division commanders are authorized to issue divisional memoranda only. Divisional memoranda are restricted to information or direction which ADM-01.3 affects only assigned personnel and internal operations of the division. Memoranda must conform to policies and procedures established in Department directives. C. Section commanders and supervisors may issue memoranda pertaining to operating procedures, practices, work assignments, and the internal direction and functioning of the section. Memoranda must conform to policies and procedures established in Department or division directives. D. No official publications, other than provided for in this order, are authorized in the Iowa City Police Department. IV. DEFINITIONS A. General Orders. (See Appendix A) Issued to establish or revise policies, or to direct the use of specific procedures for the indefinite future. General Orders will be issued for: 1. Institution of permanent procedures, and policies and manuals related thereto; 2. Permanent changes in organization; 3. Installation of permanent programs affecting more than one section; 4. Permanent personnel policies and procedures, not including changes in personnel status; 5. Use of police facilities and equipment; and expenditure of funds; and 6. Relationships with citizens and other agencies. B. Special Orders. (See Appendix B) Issued to announce policies or specific procedures concerning a circumstance or event of a one-time or temporary nature. Examples: 1. Assignment to specific parade duty; 2. Selective patrol assignments; 3. Temporary parking restrictions; 4. Annual budget preparation instructions and deadlines. ADM-01.4 C. Personnel Orders. Issued to direct a personnel status change, including: 1. Appointment and assignment of new personnel; 2. Promotion or demotion; 3. Transfer between Department units; 4. Suspension, dismissal or restoration to duty; 5. Termination of personnel; 6. Appointment to specialized Department duty assignment; 7. Temporary duty assignment with another agency; and 8. Extended leave of absence. D. Memoranda. (See Appendix B) Issued to disseminate information, instructional material or data of general interest to Department personnel. Memoranda may include: 1. Announcement of Department, city or community civic or social events; 2. Information on actions, policies and events in other agencies; 3. Instructions and information concerning academic or instructional programs of general interest; and 4. Explanation or clarifications of previously issued orders. Section Supervisors may issue memoranda to establish unit procedures and instructions for accomplishing assigned tasks. E. Bulletins. Issued to convey information of specific interest pertinent to performance of law enforcement tasks. Bulletins may include: 1. Daily information; 2. Crime analysis data on specific crime patterns and possible suspect and M.O. descriptions; 3. Description of identifiable property items reported stolen; 4. Information and description on wanted criminals; and 5. Training - either posting an upcoming training session and assigning personnel to the training, or a training bulletin which ADM-01.5 provides information to guide members in performance of their duties and responsibilities. 6. Standard Operating Guideline (SOG) - designed to identify steps or procedures to be used when responding to, or handling specific types of calls, tasks, or assignments. V. ISSUING AUTHORITY A. Department publications, including bulletins, are always issued under authority of the Chief of Police. Only the Chief of Police may issue General Orders. B. Division memoranda, Personnel Orders, Special Orders and Standard Operating Guidelines may be issued by authority of the respective Division Commander. C. Section memoranda may be issued by supervisors, including civilian supervisors. VI. FORMAT AND INDEXING A. General Orders 1. General Orders shall follow the format and structure as shown in Appendix A. The first page will utilize the standard pre-printed general order format. 2. The General Orders will be indexed by major topic headings to facilitate an alphabetic search for order information. General Orders will also be indexed by number. The number assigned to each order will be the last two digits of the calendar year followed by a sequential number. A section code will also be given to each order which designates the major policy and procedure manual subsection under which the Order is assigned, followed by a sequential number for all orders within the section. 3. Order numbers and Section codes will be assigned by administration during order preparation. B. Special Orders 1. Special Orders shall follow the format shown in Appendix B. ADM-01.6 2. Special Orders will be by number. Numbering will consist of the last two digits of the calendar year followed by a sequential number for each order issued during the year. C. Personnel Orders 1. Personnel Orders shall be prepared by the office of the Chief of Police or Division Commanders in the format shown in Appendix B. 2. Personnel Orders will be indexed by number. Numbering will consist of the last two digits of the calendar year followed by a sequential number. Numbers will be issued by administration. D. Memoranda 1. Memoranda will follow the format shown in Appendix B. Memoranda are not formally numbered and are indexed by subject and date. 2. Affected personnel will be listed in the heading of the memorandum. Examples are: a. A division memorandum issued “TO: Uniformed Patrol Officers”. b. A communication section memorandum “TO: All Communication Dispatchers”. NOTE: Memoranda which affect personnel beyond the section or division level, must be issued at the division or Department level. 3. The issuing authority will also be clearly indicated in the heading of the memorandum. Only the unit or section supervisor, division commander, or the Chief of Police may issue memoranda. E. Bulletins 1. Bulletins will be issued as Department publications. Because bulletins are issued under authority of the Chief of Police, no specific authority entry is required. 2. Bulletin headings will indicate the major subject (crime analysis, training, traffic analysis, etc.); the issue date; and the Department contact for clarification or additional data. ADM-01.7 3. The body of bulletins may be configured as required to best explain the information presented. This may vary from narrative for training information, to tabular crime analysis data, to illustrations for suspect descriptions, or combinations of the above. Because the objective is to impart information, the only rule for content is that it be of maximum clarity and simplicity. 4. Standard Operating Guideline will include headings indicating the number (last two digits of the year and then a sequential number beginning with 1 and continuing consecutively through the end of the calendar year), effective date, subject, and if applicable section. The SOG will include a statement identifying it's purpose, and any applicable definitions. The SOG will identify and list applicable steps, tasks, assignments or procedures to be used when handling a specific type of call, assignment, task or subject listed in the subject heading. VII. DISTRIBUTION A. Policy 1. The Department policy on dissemination of policy and procedure manuals is through a computerized documentation system and placement of hard copies in manuals put at accessible locations for reference by all personnel affected by the directives. 2. Employee will be required to sign a dissemination form to acknowledge the receipt and review of the materials contained in the manuals. Appendix C. 3. A computerized copy of all General Orders, Special Orders, Departmental Memoranda, Personal Orders, and Bulletins will be maintained in the office of the Chief of Police. 4. The Chief of Police may direct that newly issued or reissued orders or directives be distributed electronically through the departments "in-house" computer system. Written notice shall be forwarded to the affected commanders indicating the title and location of the electronic version. Procedures developed for confirming the receipt and acknowledgement of directives will be followed. ADM-01.8 VIII. MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION A. Maintenance 1. It is required that each assigned policy and procedures manual be maintained in usable condition and be continually updated by insertion of new orders and removal of rescinded or updated directives. This includes annotation of the index by insertion of reference to new orders or the cancellation of those rescinded. 2. The maintenance and currency of manuals will be the responsibility of those who are issued hard copies. 3. The Department will maintain a master file of all Department publications. 4. New or revised General Orders will be accompanied by a roster upon which employees will verify receipt and their understanding of the Order by their signature. Completed rosters will be returned to the office of the Chief of Police for filing. B. Inspections 1. Policy and procedures manuals will be inspected at a frequency determined by the Chief of Police. Inspections will be accomplished by designated personnel appointed by the Chief of Police. 2. Inspection will normally involve the physical examination of policy and procedures manuals to determine that: a. All current orders are properly filed in the appropriate manual section. b. Canceled or rescinded orders have been removed. c. Each current order has a certification of understanding which is signed and dated. d. The index has been updated with entries of new orders and deletion of those rescinded. ADM-01.9 IX. AMENDMENT AND CANCELLATION A. Amendment 1. The content of General Orders occasionally requires amendments to comply with legal changes; to update operational procedures; or to conform to revised policies. Amendments should be expedited to assure maximum currency of reference material. 2. When an amendment is relatively minor and involves a restatement or replacement of existing information, without change to paging or length, a revision page or pages may be issued. The revised page(s) will be inserted into the order in place of the former page(s). Amended pages will contain “Rev-Date” on the outside lower corner. 3. Where the amendment or revision is of sufficient size and length to require major restructuring of the order, a complete new order will be issued. The new order will replace the entire former order. Samuel Hargadine, Chief of Police WARNING This directive is for departmental use only and does not apply in any criminal or civil proceeding. The department policy should not be construed as a creation of higher legal standard of safety or care in an evidentiary sense with respect to third-party claims. Violations of this directive will only form the basis for departmental administrative sanctions. ADM-01.10 APPENDIX A NAME OF ORDER Date of Issue General Order Number Effective Date Section Code Reevaluation Date Amends / Cancels C.A.L.E.A. INDEX AS: I. PURPOSE (Topical headings in capitals) II. POLICY A. (Subheadings underlined) B. 1. 2. a. b. (1) (2) (a) (b) Signature of Chief of Police WARNING This directive is for departmental use only and does not apply in any criminal or civil proceeding. The department policy should not be construed as a creation of higher legal standard of safety or care in an evidentiary sense with respect to third-party claims. Violations of this directive will only form the basis for departmental administrative sanctions. ADM-01.11 APPENDIX B Sample Format for Special Orders, Personnel Orders, Department, Division, Section Memorandums, and Bulletins TYPE OF ORDER OR MEMO YEAR-NUMERICAL SEQUENCE TO: Affected Personnel FROM: Issuing Command RE: Subject of Order or Memorandum DATE: Date Issued ADM-01.12 APPENDIX C Patrol: 7am-3pm Training Bulletin XX-XX (Last 2 of year then TB #) I have had the opportunity to review the above General Order and understand the purpose and content of the Order. NAME DATE SIGNATURE ADM-01.13 Iowa City Police Department Standard Operating Guideline SOG #: Effective date: Subject: Reference: Section: Command Signature: Purpose: Definitions: Procedures: