PURPOSE.

This handbook has been designed to give all Supervisors the necessary information to complete their duties.

1 QUALITIES.

The role of a supervisor requires certain qualities that not everyone possesses.

1.1 Be Approachable.

A supervisor needs to be approachable; if an officer has a problem, they should be able to talk to any supervisor about said problem without thinking twice. If a supervisor is NOT approachable, officers won't communicate with them - this leads to a break in the chain of command which is essential for a well-running department.

1.2 Respect for Others.

A supervisor needs to respect all those around them, and remain professional at all times. If a supervisor begins to disrespect officers, officers will return the disrespect and the chain of command will be broken.

1.3 Be Confident.

If you’re lucky enough to be picked for the role of supervisor, you have shown an ability to lead and your decisions are trusted. Therefore, be confident in all of the actions you take. A key part of confidence is knowing what you’re on about, so strive to improve your knowledge on certain aspects of the law, policies, uniforms etc as this will stop you from doubting yourself – if you doubt yourself, others will doubt you too!

1.4 Maintain Discipline.

As a supervisor, you are setting an example for all of those beneath you. Because of this, remain disciplined at all times when it comes to policies; if you start breaking policy, others will follow… and that’s not good.

1.5 Use your Initiative.

Supervisors are often called upon to make decisions under difficult circumstances. We expect you to make the best decisions, with the facts known to you at the time.

2 COMMUNICATING WITH OTHERS.

As a supervisor you will be communicating with other officers, and members of the public, on a regular basis. Therefore, effective communication is a fundamental skill that all supervisors should learn.

2.1 Being able to Listen.

Officers might often approach you with problems, or questions regarding policies, situations, hypotheticals etc, so you need to be able to listen to their query effectively. The tips for listening are:

1. • Be friendly;

   • Try to put the talker at ease;

   • Don’t interrupt them;

   • Don’t let them get distracted; and,

   • Ask questions at the end to show you were listening.

2.2 Being able to Lead.

There are 3 types of leadership and they all have their uses in different situations: autocratic; democratic; and, consultive.

1. • Autocratic – You choose a solution by yourself without taking others’ opinions into account. This might be useful during a high risk situation where you need to act fast to make sure everyone stays safe.

   • Democratic – You ask the team and take a majority vote. This allows for a mutual decision, but it can be a very slow process.

   • Consultive – You ask for opinions but the end decision is made by you alone.

2.3 Being able to Talk.

You will have to talk a lot as a supervisor, therefore there are multiple things you may take into account:

1. • You need to be confident;

   • You need to be professional;

   • Think about what you’re going to say before you say it; and,

   • Be clear and loud.

There are 3 ways in which you may ask others to complete a task: suggesting; requesting; and, commanding.

Suggesting – Something might not be of a priority and this separate task might have to be completed at some point. Example: “Maybe someone could check nearby in the trash?”

Requesting – if a task needs doing, requesting someone to complete it normally works. However, when there’s large groups of people, people might not put themselves forward which can lead to awkward silences. Example: “Can I get someone to go check the trash?”

Commanding – use this when a task needs completing. You should command with callsigns or names, as to avoid any chance of confusion. Example: “Cooper and Sherman, go check the trash.”

Encourage others, rather than downgrading them; teach them how to improve.

3 TAKING CHARGE DURING SITUATIONS.

You will often take charge of situations where resource allocation and high risks may be present. Before taking charge, be sure to be briefed by the primary officer on scene.

3.1 Note things down.

If you’re in charge of a situation, note stuff down; it allows you to keep track of resources, and things going on, so you don’t forget about something.

3.2 Planning.

When time is on your side, being able to construct a plan is the best first step towards a positive outcome. Go through these steps:

1. 1. What is the problem? Example: 415 man with a knife.

   2. What resources do you have? Example: 4 officers on scene, with 1 having a taser and 1 having a beanbag shotgun.

   3. What skills/experience do your fellow officers have?

During high risk situations, be sure to delegate roles to individuals using the Commanding method. This gives officers something to focus on, and avoids confusion further down the line.

Consider the disadvantages you’re competing with. Are there any downed civilians? What type of cover do we have? etc.

Maintain situational awareness; this allows you to adjust the plan if circumstances change.

3.3 Debriefing.

After a situation be sure to debrief all officers who were on scene. What went well? What didn’t go well? Did anyone do an outstanding job? What improvements could be made next time?

4 RANK AUTHORITIES.

Sergeant I may:

• Issue suspension of up to a day for any PO. III+1 or below;

• Grant Basic Patrol duty to permission to any sworn PO. I;

• Revoke the ride-along permission of a PO. III+1 or below;

• Grant the deployment of police resources that require Supervisor permission;

• Declare themselves as Incident Commander;

• Conduct short-notice rollcalls/regroups to reorganise units;

• Grant permission for officers to wear the Utility uniform and Lightweight Tactical uniform; and,

• Act as an Assistant Watch Commander (L20), provided a Watch Commander (L10) is on duty.

Sergeant II may:

• Issue suspensions of up to 3 days for any PO. III+1 or below;

• Act as Watch Commander (L10); and,

• Declare a Tactical/Blue/AMBER Alert.

Lieutenant may:

• Issue a suspension of up to 5 days for any Sgt. I or below; and,

• Act as a Watch Commander (should both a Lt. and a Sgt. II wish to act as L10, the Lt. takes priority).

Captain may:

• Promote or demote up to PO. III without prior approval from a Commander or above.

• Terminate any PO. III or below without prior approval from a Commander or above; and,

• Issue indefinite suspensions to any Sgt. II or below.

Commander may:

• Issue indefinite suspensions to any Lt. or below;

• Demote any Sgt. II or below without prior approval from the COP;

• Terminate any PO. III+1 or below without prior approval from the COP;

• Promote up to the rank of PO. III without prior approval from the COP ; and,

• Utilise any departmental vehicle in any situation requiring it.

Deputy Chief of Police may:

• May issue indefinite suspensions to any Capt. or below;

• May demote any Lt. or below without prior approval from the COP;

• May terminate any Sgt. II or below without prior approval from the COP; and,

• May promote up to Sgt. II without prior approval from the COP.

Assistant Chief of Police. Takes control of the Department when the COP is unavailable for extended periods of time. Equal in rank to the Chief of Police.

Chief of Police. Holds full responsibility of the Department and its employees. The COP may:

• May employ civilians into the Department;

• May promote officers of any rank, to any rank;

• May demote officers of any rank, to any rank; and,

• May terminate officers of any rank.

In accordance with 101.4 RANK AUTHORITIES.

5 COMPLAINTS PROCESS.

To allow for thorough investigations to take place, an official complaints process was created a while back.

When a supervisor becomes aware of an official complaint, or they have witnessed an infraction themselves, they shall follow the steps outlined below.

1. Open a new post in #leo-feedback-forms. The post shall be titled "S## - <Name>". In this post, all relevant information should be posted.

2. Once a post has been created, the investigation should begin. Supervisors shall attempt to gather as much information as possible. This may be done by contacting the initial reporter, any witnesses, finding evidence, etc. This information shall also be posted in the post.

3. Discuss with other members of the team on whether to take the complaint forward, or whether to mark it as closed (otherwise known as NFA - No Further Action).

Note: Any complaint marked as NFA shall still be added to the individual officer's file.

4. If continuing with the complaint, organise a meeting with the officer under investigation. Disclose the facts, and the concerns over said facts.

5. The officer may dispute the facts or complaint; be sure to listen to them and check out their side of the story. They may have facts that you did not consider before or contexts that may change the situation.

Note: All interviews shall be recorded and posted in the thread once complete to allow other supervisors to give their thoughts. Be sure to notify the officer that the interview is being recorded.

6. As a team, choose an adequate punishment.

7. Contact the officer again to discuss the outcome of the complaint. Once this is complete and the officer understands the outcome, their officer file shall be amended to include the now complete thread number and a brief summary of the complaint.

Note: The initial reporter shall be contacted and given the outcome of the complaint. This reinforces an image that the Department does take complaints seriously.

8. Observe the officer afterwards to see if their behaviour changes.

6 DISCIPLINE.

Discipline is measured by the way people act when you’re not around. Discipline is needed for the safety of officers and the citizens of San Andreas, and to keep a positive public view of the department.

6.1 Discipline Options.

When discipling officers, there are a variety of approaches you may take. The options that are available to you as a supervisor will vary, depending on your rank.

• • Conversation on their mistake and how to improve

  • Verbal Warning

  • Written Warning

  • Suspension of up to 24 hours (1 day)

  • Suspension of up to 72 hours (3 days)

  • Suspension of up to 120 hours (5 days)

  • Indefinite Suspensions

  • Demotion

  • Termination

Generally, these actions should take place in this respective order as listed above. However, this is not enforced and certain actions by an officer may warrant a more severe, or more relaxed type of discipline.

7 CAD.

Supervisors shall check pending records and reports by going to “Records” and then the “Supervisor Panel.” You should check that all relevant information is included in the record for example: names, locations, vehicles etc. Supervisors shall also check the Narrative section to make sure the officer has filled out the record properly.

8 RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SUPERVISOR.

8.1 MANUAL.

Supervisors shall ensure compliance and enforce all written standards of the Department Manual.

8.2 MAINTAIN AVAILABILITY.

Supervisors are rare when compared to normal officers. Because of this, supervisors should attempt to remain free from calls when applicable, as to maintain availability should their presence be needed.

This means you should try to allocate simple calls to other officers rather than taking them yourself if you’re the only supervisor on. A supervisor request from an officer in pursuit is no good if you’re responding to a 311 call about a granny who lost her purse.

8.3 DISCIPLINING OFFICERS WHEN NECESSARY.

Sometimes officers will mess up and you’ll need to discipline them. You always need to remain calm and professional to avoid escalating a situation even further – sometimes that may not be possible, but you should use your best judgement to continue.

Be sure to check what authority your rank has when it comes to disciplining officers.

8.4 ON-SCENE TASKS.

Supervisor's Responsibility. Supervisors shall respond to incidents when requested, or using their own discretion. When a supervisor arrives to an ongoing incident, they shall, if feasible, locate the current IC and get brief by them. The supervisor shall then use their own discretion on whether to take over the role of IC, or whether to act in a more "supporting" role to the IC. This can be useful to observe the abilities of the IC.

Taking over Incident Commander. When an officer is set to take over IC from another unit, they shall broadcast their status as IC as soon as possible.

Example: "14L70, taking IC of the 415 man at 1012, Magellan and Aguja."

Supervisors shall make sure that all on-scene tasks are complete by units on a call. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Searching the suspect, a vehicle, an area, etc;

• Looking for witnesses, evidence, etc;

• Coordinating with other officers and department assets to ensure an effective and efficient response to any given situation;

• Brief arriving units (when feasible);

• Ensure medical aid is provided to any injured persons on scene;

• Ensure any evidence is either collected, or protected for FID, Detectives, Forensics, etc;

• Ensure any hazards are dealt with such as shutting down traffic, etc; and,

• Coordinate with other emergency agencies that are requested.

Scene Closure. The IC shall begin to collapse the scene/perimeter when feasible to clear units. The IC shall generally be last to clear unless specific roles have been given to other units.

Example: After a perimeter has been collapsed, a unit is assigned to control traffic until all the hazards are clear.

The IC shall coordinate with any other emergency services on-scene to determine whether a police presence is required after the situation is under control.

Example: Being requested by FD to remain on scene to protect apparatus if necessary.

Should an emergency occur that necessitates the IC leaves the scene (this emergency could be IC or OOC), the IC shall locate another officer (preferably the highest in rank or seniority) and brief them before leaving. The officer then becomes IC and should follow the above policies as such. The briefing shall be done face-to-face when feasible; however, exigent circumstances may force the briefing to occur via other means such as utilising SIMPLEX frequency, a text message, or a message via Discord.

In accordance with 104.14 SCENE PROCESSING.

8.5 ALLOCATING RESOURCES.

Supervisors shall be sure to allocate resources effectively during a patrol. This may include assigning an available unit to handle a call. This may include, limiting units to only 1 priority to avoid miscommunication and maintain safety.

8.6 PURSUITS.

When possible, a Supervisor shall respond to every pursuit. Once they arrive on the pursuit, they shall take IC.

Reason for Pursuit. If not broadcasted by the pursuing unit(s), Supervisors shall request the reason for pursuit. Supervisors shall use the given answer to determine whether the pursuit should continue, or whether to terminate it.

Supervisors shall also check to make sure there are units available to respond as backup; if no back-up units are available, consider terminating due to officer safety.

Resources. Minimal resources are often required to safely pursue; therefore, only three ground units should be in pursuit at any time unless exigent circumstances exist. Any additional units may monitor and respond to the area of the pursuit Code Two. If the pursuit comes to an end, units in the area may respond Code Three.

Supervisor Responsibilities. Supervisors are responsible for maintaining control of the pursuit, and directing ground and air units as necessary. As the IC, you may reassign units to and from the pursuit, authorise a Vehicle Intervention Technique (VIT), initiate tracking mode, and terminate the pursuit if necessary.

Additionally, Supervisors shall monitor the pursuit to ensure compliance with Department policies.

Supervisor Initiating Pursuit. Supervisors may initiate a pursuit themselves and remain the IC; however, it is recommended that another Supervisor is requested to become the IC.

Authorising a Vehicle Intervention Technique (VIT). There are two types of VIT: Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT); and, Tyre Deflation Device (spike strips, stop sticks, etc).

Supervisors shall consider the location and environment when a VIT is requested. Authorisation shall NOT be given when there is a possibility of severe injury to the suspect(s), members of the public, or other officers.

Authorisation shall NOT be given to perform a VIT on a two-wheeled motorcycle unless lethal force is authorised.

Pursuit Intervention Technique. Authorisation for a PIT shall NOT be given to vehicles travelling in excess of 40mph.

Other factors to consider prior to authorisation for PIT include:

• Whether the suspect(s) is/are armed - authorisation shall NOT be given when the occupant(s) is/are armed and has/have threatened harm to officers;

• Size, weight, and the centre of gravity of the suspect vehicle;

• Road conditions; and,

• Location.

Tyre Deflation Device. Authorisation for Tyre Deflation Device shall NOT be given when the suspect vehicle is travelling in excess of 65mph. 

In accordance with 104.17 PURSUIT POLICY.

8.7 USE OF FORCE.

When possible, a Supervisor shall respond to an incident in which there has been a reported use of force. Once on scene, the supervisor shall:

• Obtain the basic facts from the involved members;

• Ensure that any injured parties are examined and treated;

• When possible, separately interview the subject upon whom force was applied;

• Once any initial medical assessment has been completed or first aid has been rendered, ensure that photographs have been taken of any areas involving visible injury or complaint of pain, as well as overall photographs of uninjured areas;

• Determine if there is any indication that the subject may pursue civil litigation; and,

• Evaluate the circumstances surrounding the incident and initiate an administrative investigation if there is a question of policy non-compliance or if for any reason further investigation may be appropriate.

In accordance with 104.18 USE OF FORCE.

8.8 OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS.

Involved. If you are involved in an officer-involved shooting, you should not become the IC when possible.

Responsibilities of Uninvolved Officers/Supervisors.

• Secure the scene and identify and eliminate hazards for all those involved;

• Take reasonable steps to obtain emergency medical attention for injured individuals;

• Attempt to obtain a public safety statement from the involved officer;

• Request additional resources from the Department or other agencies;

• Coordinate a perimeter or pursuit of suspects (if necessary);

• Check for injured persons and evacuate as needed; and,

• Brief the supervisor/higher ranking officer upon arrival.

Supervisor Responsibilities.

• Ensure the tactical stability of the incident;

• Take all reasonable steps to obtain emergency medical attention for all apparently injured individuals;

• Separate all involved officers;

• Attempt to obtain a brief overview of the situation from any uninvolved officers;

Note: In the event that there are no uninvolved officers who can supply adequate overview, the supervisor should attempt to obtain a brief voluntary overview from one involved officer.

• Provide all available information to the Watch Commander (if one is onduty);

• Take command of and secure the incident scene with additional officers until properly relieved by a detective from Force Investigation Division (FID);

Note: If no FID detective is available, the supervisor IC shall undertake the roles of an FID detective as per 104.272.3 below, in addition to their pre-existing supervisor responsibilities outlined in 104.272.2.

• As soon as practicable, ensure that involved officers are set as Busy on the MDT, and are transported (separately) to the station. At station, the Involved Officers shall retrieve a reserve firearm before heading back out on patrol. The officers may drive themselves to station;

Note: Each involved officer shall be given an administrative order not to discuss the incident with other involved officers pending further direction from a superior officer.

• Note: Under most circumstances, when an officer's handgun was discharged in an officer-involved shooting, it will be maintained by the involved officer until an employee from FID collects it as evidence. The officer will be provided with a comparable replacement weapon as soon as practical.

• Confirm any long gun discharged in an officer-involved shooting, not otherwise having evidentiary significance, be placed on "safe," and returned to its assigned storage location (i.e. vehicle gun rack);

• Safeguard any vehicle at the scene of an officer-involved shooting in which any involved officer was the driver or passenger. Ensure it is left at the scene, intact, until the FID supervisor determines its disposition; and,

• Clear any units that are no longer needed.

Force Investigation Division Detective/Supervisor Responsibilities. If no FID detective is available, the supervisor IC shall take responsibility.

Note: If the situation was of poor quality, or resources don't allow for a full, complete investigation, supervisors/FID may choose to not complete a report in #leo-critical-incidents; however, they shall still RP the required actions where applicable.

• Collect the firearms of Involved Officers;

• Collect any evidence such as the suspect's firearm;

• Take statements from all Involved Officers;

• Take statements from any witnesses; and,

• Complete a Critical Incident form in #leo-critical-incidents on Discord, using the template and guide provided.

8.9 UNIFORM.

Supervisors shall make sure that officers are following policy set out in Agency Standards.

8.10 VEHICLES.

Supervisors shall make sure that officers are following policies set out in the Vehicle Structure spreadsheet.

9 RADIO COMMUNICATIONS.

9.1 RADIO FREQUENCIES.

Supervisors shall encourage usage of TAC channels during situations to allow POLICE Base to remain free for patrol activities.

9.2 RADIO UNIT DESIGNATIONS.

Supervisors shall monitor onduty units and correct designations (callsigns) when necessary. This should NOT be done in POLICE Base.

9.3 RADIO CODES.

Supervisors shall monitor the usage of radio codes.

Code Alpha. A request for a unit to meet up at a location. Debriefings should often be conducted after situations so everyone knows how the incident went, and what could be improved for next time.

Code Robert. When a unit requests for a Code Robert, a Supervisor shall put the frequency on standby until there is a Code Four, or until the involved units have switched to a TAC frequency.

Supervisors shall make sure a unit responds Code Three.

A supervisor shall also respond Code Three to any Code Robert request.

Code Sam. Request for beanbag.

Supervisors shall make sure a unit responds Code Three.

Code Tom. Request for Taser.

Supervisors shall make sure a unit responds Code Three.

Code One. A unit that is not acknowledging transmissions or requests to Come In.

Supervisors are responsible for locating any field unit that is Code One.

Code Two. A Priority II incident that requires immediate response, without emergency equipment.

Supervisors shall make sure that a unit is assigned to a Priority II call within 15 minutes.

Supervisors shall, when able, contact units who transmit an incorrect Code Two broadcast.

Example: "6A31, responding Code Two to 1234 Adam and Boi, from Charles and David ave." - This is incorrect as Code Two shouldn't include an initial location as it's unnecessary. Correct usage could be:

• "6A31, responding Code Two to 1234 Adam and Boi"

• "6A31, responding to the 311 at 1234 Charles and David"

• "6A31, handling the incident at 1234 Adam and Boi"

• "6A31, show us en route to the additional request."

Code Three. A Priority I incident that requires an emergency response.

To be classed as Priority I, at least one of the following factors must be present:

• Serious public hazard;

• Preservation of life;

• Immediate pursuit

• Serious crime in-progress;

• Prevention of a serious crime; and,

• Unit requesting another Code Three.

Supervisors shall monitor Department resources to Code Three incidents, and review and manage instances where inappropriate exercise of Code Three response occurs. If a supervisor deems a Code Three response to be inappropriate, they shall contact the unit to downgrade their response.

Supervisors shall monitor Code Three broadcasts to make sure the responding unit includes their starting location and destination - unless an exception applies.

Exception 1: Officers responding to a Help Call shall not broadcast a Code Three notification.

Exception 2: Additional units responding to a Code Three incident shall simply broadcast that they are "backing" the assigned unit.

Examples of Good Code Three Broadcasts:

• "6A32, responding Code Three to the shooting in-progress from Alta and Vinewood."

• "6A32, responding Code Three from Alta and Vinewood to the shooting in-progress."

• *silence* - Help call has gone out by another unit.

• "6A70, backing 6A32 on the shooting in-progress."

Examples of Bad Code Three Broadcasts:

• "6A32, responding to the shooting in-progress"

• "6FB22, responding Code Three to the Help Call from Vinewood and Power."