104.101 STARTING TOUR OF DUTY.

Officers shall notify Communications at the start of their shift by broadcasting the following : "[Callsign], Start of Watch." This should be done at an appropriate station/facility, except where a Home Garaging Authority applies.

Note: When an officer is already on duty and they are simply switching their callsign / unit / assignment, they shall instead broadcast the following: "[Callsign], switching callsigns / unit / assignment to [Callsign]."

Exceptions: Officers shall not broadcast the Start of Watch and End of Watch broadcast:

• • • when there is a large amount of officers switching callsigns, such as when attending briefings or special events. They shall only broadcast they are Clear once they are available to receive Calls for Service and Field Unit Requests; or,

    • during ongoing priorities. They shall simply log off duty using the /offduty command, and optionally relaying their end of watch broadcast via /xmit.

104.102 ENDING TOUR OF DUTY.

Officers shall notify Communications at the end of their shift by broadcasting the following : "[Callsign], End of Watch." This should be done at an appropriate station/facility, except where a Home Garaging Authority applies.

Exception: Should a real-life emergency occur that requires an officer to log off immediately, it is permissible to end the officer's shift without being present at the appropriate station / facility.

• • • In such circumstances, the officer in question should at least consider pulling over to a secluded location in which there is a lesser chance of being seen logging off by other players (to try and maintain immersion of others).

    • In such circumstances, officers are required to notify Communications by broadcasting the following: "[Callsign], Emergency End of Watch." If the frequency is placed on hold due to special circumstances, such as an ongoing priority, they shall use /xmit instead.

    • In such circumstances, officers are required to notify an on-duty Supervisor, advising them that they had to log off due to an emergency (they may choose to disclose the nature of the emergency, but are not required to).

It is not always possible for the Department to respond to every call for service; therefore, the Department must organise available resources to give the highest level of service possible. An officer in the field may be required to decide whether to continue on an assigned call, or handle a citizen’s complaint, or other observed event and cause his call to be reassigned.

104.111 CALLS FOR SERVICE DEFINED.

Calls for service shall be categorised into 3 types: Priority I, II and III.

Priority I. Warrants a Code Three response as soon as possible. It is a life-threatening emergency; to be classed as Priority I, the call must satisfy at least 1 of the criteria below:

• Serious public hazard

• Preservation of life

• Prevention of a violent crime

• Immediate pursuit

• Unit requesting another unit Code Three

• Crime of violence in-progress

Priority II. Warrants a Code Two response as soon as possible. It is an urgent call, but not life-threatening.

Priority III. Routine, non-emergency calls for service.

The presence of police officers at a civil dispute can have an intimidating effect upon persons and is a tactic often used by individuals and establishments seeking to avoid the more cumbersome civil process; therefore, the presence of police officers at civil disputes is primarily to preserve the peace and to prevent a crime from occurring.

Supervisors provide guidance and knowledge to less experienced officers. A field sergeant is the first level of supervision, and it is their responsibility to guide, direct and motivate those below them. A field sergeant is not expected to engage in law enforcement operations except in a command or supervisory role.

Supervisors are responsible for even and appropriate distribution of resources across areas of patrol, scenes, and divisions on patrol. This means, among other things, ensuring that enough units are available to handle rapidly changing events, where the risk of injury or loss of life is substantial (colloquially known as "priorities"). In practice, this would mean redistributing units attending certain scenes, or types of scenes.

NOTE: Law Enforcement Officers should generally attend to only one priority at a time, to ensure clear and concise cooperation, and to maintain patrol cohesion. It is supervisor's responsibility to redistribute resources in an efficient and safe manner, in order to achieve this goal. The concrete calls or priorities that the resources shall be distributed to are up to the discretion of the highest ranking supervisor on patrol.

104.141 DEFINITIONS.

• • Primary Officer - First unit on a scene.

  • Incident Commander (IC) - Officer in charge of a given incident.

104.142 PRIMARY OFFICER(S).

When a unit is the 1st on scene of any incident, they are known as the Primary Officer(s). The Primary Officer shall assume the role of Incident Commander (IC). 

104.143 INCIDENT COMMANDER.

The Incident Commander (IC) has the responsibility of being in command of the incident. Their responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• 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;

• Assign the above mentioned roles to other officers (when feasible); and,

• Coordinate with other emergency agencies that are requested.

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 briefed 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.

104.144 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."

104.145 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.

104.146 TRANSPORTING SUSPECTS.

Before transporting any suspect, victim, or officer away from the scene, the IC shall be notified.

104.147 CRIME SCENE SUPERVISION.

The Senior Investigating Officer is in charge of a crime scene. The only exception shall be given to officers assigned to the Detective Bureau where an assigned Detective shall take charge.

Note: This includes Supervisors relinquishing crime scenes to Detectives, even when they are lower in rank. This is only for investigations at crime scenes, not ongoing incidents.

Follow-up investigations consists of efforts to:

• Interview victims and witnesses;

• Locate, identify, and preserve physical evidence;

• Recover stolen property; and,

• Identify, locate, interview, and arrest suspects.

Such investigations are conducted to produce evidence relating to the guilt or innocence of any suspect and to recover property.

Often, information from confidential sources leads to a case being solved. Regardless of motivation, the use of informants is a basic weapon in the fight against crime.

104.171 VEHICLE PURSUIT DEFINED. The San Andreas Highway Patrol defines a vehicular pursuit as “An event involving one or more law enforcement officers attempting to apprehend a suspect operating a motor vehicle while the suspect is attempting to avoid arrest (or detention) by using high speed driving or other evasive tactics, such as driving off a highway, turning suddenly, or driving in a legal manner but willfully failing to yield to the officer’s signal to stop.”

104.172 INITIATION OF A VEHICLE PURSUIT. Officers shall not initiate a pursuit based only on an infraction, misdemeanour evading, or reckless driving in response to enforcement action taken by Department personnel.

Officers shall not initiate a vehicle pursuit unless a back-up unit is able to respond.

Dual Purpose, Hybrid and Motorcycle Units. Officers assigned to dual purpose, hybrids or motorcycles may initiate pursuit. However, these officers shall relinquish the role of primary unit to a black and white upon their arrival to the pursuit.

Exemption: Motorcycle Units may choose not to relinquish the role of primary unit to a black and white if the suspect is fleeing via a means of transportation consisting of two wheels, such as a bicycle or motorcycle. At the discretion of the Incident Commander, this can be disregarded.

104.173 VEHICLE PURSUIT RESPONSIBILITIES. Three specific roles exist for ground units responding to a vehicle pursuit. There are:

• The Primary unit;

• The Secondary unit; and,

• A Supervisor / Incident Commander (IC).

Minimal resources are often required to safely pursue; therefore, only three ground units should be in pursuit at any time unless exigent circumstances exist. During pursuits, any additional units may monitor and respond to the area of the pursuit, Code 2. If the pursuit comes to an end, additional units may respond to the location Code 3.

Primary Unit Responsibilities. The officer(s) in the primary unit shall maintain communications until additional units arrive. They shall act as the IC until a supervisor arrives.

Secondary Unit Responsibilities. Upon their arrival, they should notify Communications that they are secondary. The officer(s) in the secondary unit shall be responsible for notifying Communications about factors of the pursuit, including:

• The location of the pursuit;

• The direction of travel;

• Any Traffic Collisions by the suspect or other units involved in the pursuit; and,

• Pursuit termination.

Supervisor Responsibilities. Upon arrival, they shall declare themselves as the IC.

The supervisor is responsible for maintaining control of the pursuit, and directing ground and air units as necessary. As the IC, they may reassign units to and from the pursuit, authorise a Vehicle Intervention Technique (VIT), initiate tracking, and terminate the pursuit when necessary to do so. Additionally, they shall monitor the pursuit to ensure compliance with Department policies. They shall also be responsible for directing post-pursuit activities and investigation.

When a pursuit is initiated by a supervisor, they may continue pursuit and act as the IC; however, it is recommended that an additional supervisor respond to the pursuit.

104.174 PERFORMING A VEHICLE INTERVENTION TECHNIQUE (VIT). There are two types of VITs:

• Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT); and,

• Tyre Deflation Device (spike strips).

Officers shall consider the location and environment when attempting a VIT. Officers shall not perform a VIT when there is a possibility of severe injury to the suspect(s), members of the public, or other officers.

Note: Officers shall not perform a VIT on a two-wheeled motorcycle unless lethal force is authorised.

Prior to performing a VIT, officers shall obtain authorisation from the Supervisor, unless exigent circumstances exist.

Note: Other techniques used to stop a vehicle, including ramming, boxing-in, and creating a blockade in front of the vehicle, should not be considered unless exigent circumstances exist.

Performing a PIT. The officer(s) in the primary unit shall consider the following factors prior to initiating a PIT:

• Speed of the suspect vehicle;

• Whether the suspect(s) is armed. Officers shall not PIT vehicles when the occupant(s) is armed and has threatened harm to officers;

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

• Road conditions; and,

• Location.

Deploying Spike Strips. The following considerations should be taken:

• Speed of the suspect vehicle;

• Whether the suspect(s) is armed;

• Road conditions; and,

• Location. Officers shall attempt to utilise hard cover when deploying spike strips.

104.175 TERMINATING PURSUIT. Officers should constantly assess the risk of the pursuit. The following factors may influence an officer’s decision to terminate pursuit when the risks associated with continuing pursuit outweigh the need for immediate apprehension:

• Weather, visibility, and road conditions;

• The initial reason for pursuit;

• Traffic density;

• A significant threat to officers; and,

• Recklessness of the suspect.

Suspect Vehicle Lost. If a visual of the vehicle is lost, officers shall notify Communications that they have “lost the vehicle” and shall relay relevant information including last known direction of the vehicle and its description.

104.176 PURSUIT DRIVING TECHNIQUES.

Paralleling. Officers shall not parallel or pass units engaged in pursuit.

Note: “Paralleling” is defined as when an officer follows or responds to a pursuit alongside another unit, or in the direction of the pursuit from an adjacent street.

Opposing Lanes of Traffic and Off-roading. Generally, officers should not pursue a suspect entering opposing lanes of traffic, the wrong way on a one-way street, or in off-road conditions. In these instances, officers should consider the following options:

• Requesting an air unit to guide ground units, or to track the vehicle;

• Notifying other units to monitor any nearby exits;

• Maintaining a visual of the vehicle by driving on the correct side of the road; and,

• Terminating the pursuit.

Passing Other Emergency Vehicles During Pursuit. In some instances, it may be advantageous for the secondary unit or another unit in pursuit to assume the role of primary unit. In these situations, approval and direction shall be obtained from the IC and the primary unit.

Independent Driving. Officers shall utilize independent driving tactics. This consists of units staggering themselves across multiple lanes behind the suspect. This ensures the following:

• All lanes are occupied so no vehicles may pass;

• Units in pursuit have more opportunity to brake in case the suspect "brake checks";

• Units are safely spaced out stopping tailgating;

• Other vehicles are unable to merge onto the road from on-ramps; and,

• Traffic ahead can better see the pursuit.

Off-Road Driving. Off-Road refers to driving on any area of land which is not a designated road and is not intended for use by vehicles (e.g. Trails, Paths, Hills, Fields, Mountains or Dunes). This does not include driving on dirt roads, as they are designated roads.

• Officers should not pursue a suspect if they begin to drive off-road. In these instances, officers should consider the following options:

• Requesting an air unit to guide ground units, or to track the vehicle;

• Notifying other units to monitor adjacent roads;

• Maintaining a visual of the vehicle from a nearby road; and,

• Terminating the pursuit.

The necessity to drive off road should match the necessity to catch the suspect, such that the risk of the suspect escaping outweighs the risk to the public & wildlife that the officer creates by off-roading. If such criteria is met, officers should try to adhere to the following before continuing off-road:

• Be driving a vehicle which can appropriately handle off-road conditions;

• Reduce your speed to a maximum of 20 miles per hour;

• If possible, keep a distance of at least 5 feet between your vehicle & any wildlife or pedestrians; and,

• Consider the environment in which you will off-road (Is it protected, does it contain vulnerable wildlife and/or is it highly populated by pedestrians?)

104.177 AIR UNIT / TRACKING A VEHICLE PURSUIT.

Air Unit Responsibilities. If an air unit is assigned to the pursuit, the Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) shall assume responsibility for notifying Communications and ground units of the location and factors of the pursuit.

Upon arrival at the pursuit, officers in the air unit shall contact the IC, communicate relevant information and request whether tracking should be initiated.

If tracking is initiated, the air unit shall continue to provide updates regarding the location and direction of the vehicle. If the suspect(s) flees on-foot while the air unit is tracking, additional information such as whether the suspect(s) is armed shall be communicated.

Tracking a Pursuit. When possible, the air unit shall track the vehicle. The purpose of tracking is to encourage the driver of the vehicle to decrease their speed and recklessness.

If the air unit is directed to track the vehicle, ground units shall reduce their speed and may consider downgrading their response as necessary to create a greater gap between themselves and the vehicle.

Re-engaging Pursuit. It may become necessary for ground units to re-engage pursuit of a tracked vehicle if the suspect continues to drive in a reckless and dangerous manner.

Apprehension of Suspects at Pursuit Termination. Officers shall rely on training, as well as guidance from the IC, when taking suspects into custody at a pursuit termination.

It is recognised that some individuals will not comply with the law or submit to control unless compelled to do so by the use of force; therefore, law enforcement officers are sometimes called upon to use force in the performance of their duties.

The Department’s guiding value when using force shall be the reverence for human life. Officers shall attempt to control an incident by using time, distance, communications, and available resources in an effort to de-escalate the situation, whenever it is safe and reasonable to do so.

104.181 DEFINITIONS.

Objectively Reasonable. The force must be reasonable under the circumstances known to the officer at the time the force was used. Therefore, the Department examines all uses of force from an objective standard rather than a subjective standard.

Deadly Force. Deadly Force is defined as that force which creates a substantial risk of causing death or serious bodily injury.

Imminent. Defined as “near at hand; impending; or, on the point of happening.”

Serious Bodily Injury. Including, but not limited to:

• Loss of consciousness;

• Concussion;

• Bone fracture;

• Protracted loss or impairment of function of any bodily member or organ;

• A wound requiring extensive suturing; and,

• Serious disfigurement.

Warning Shots. The intentional discharge of a firearm off target not intended to hit a person, to warn others that deadly force is imminent.

104.182 POLICY.

General Use of Force. It is the policy of this Department that personnel may only use that force which is objectively reasonable to:

• Defend themselves;

• Defend others;

• Effect an arrest or detention;

• Prevent escape; or,

• Overcome resistance.

Factors Used to Determine Reasonableness. Factors may include, but are not limited to:

• The seriousness of the crime or suspected offence;

• 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 community;

• The potential for injury to citizens, officers or subjects;

• The risk or apparent attempt by the subject to escape;

• The conduct of the subject being confronted;

• The amount of time, and any changing circumstances during which the officer had to determine the type and amount of force that appeared to be reasonable;

• 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; and,

• The environmental factors and/or other exigent circumstances.

Deadly Force. Law enforcement officers are authorised to use deadly force to:

• Protect themselves or others from what is reasonably believed to be an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury; or,

• Prevent a crime where the suspect(s) actions place person(s) in imminent jeopardy of death or serious bodily injury; or,

• Prevent the escape of a violent fleeing felon when there is probable cause to believe the escape will pose a significant threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or others if apprehension is delayed. In this circumstance, officers shall, to the extent practical, avoid using deadly force that might subject innocent bystanders or hostages to possible death or injury.

Warning Shots. Warning shots shall only be used in exceptional circumstances where it might reasonably be expected to avoid the need to use deadly force. Generally, warning shots shall be directed in a manner that minimises the risk of injury to innocent persons, ricochet dangers and property damage.

Shooting At or From Moving Vehicles. Firearms shall not be discharged at a moving vehicle unless a person in the vehicle is immediately threatening the officer or another person with deadly force by means other than the vehicle. The moving vehicle itself shall not constitute a threat that justifies an officer’s use of deadly force. An officer threatened by an oncoming vehicle shall move out of its path instead of discharging a firearm at it or any of its occupants. Firearms shall not be discharged from a moving vehicle, except in exigent circumstances.

Note: It is understood that the policy may not cover every situation that may arise. In all situations, Department members are expected to act with intelligence and maintain high standards.

Usage of Vehicles. Using a patrol vehicle to strike a subject with full mass of aforementioned patrol vehicle with the goal of apprehension of the aforementioned subject, fleeing or otherwise, is only permissible in exigent circumstances (ie. when no other options is available) and only in case where deadly force would be authorised. Usage of vehicles as physical means of apprehension is then governed by the requirements outlined in Tennessee v Garner.

Note: Officers may use doors of their vehicle to strike a fleeing subject with the goal of physical apprehension, but this should be done only when all other options have been exhausted, or in exigent circumstances, and should be preferably done with supervisor authorisation, as improper usage of this technique can result in serious injury or death.

104.183 DRAWING OR EXHIBITING FIREARMS. Unnecessarily or prematurely drawing or exhibiting a firearm limits an officer’s alternatives in controlling a situation, creates unnecessary anxiety on the part of civilians, and may result in an unwarranted or accidental discharge of the firearm. An officer’s decision to draw or exhibit a firearm should be based on the tactical situation and the officer’s reasonable belief there is a substantial risk that the situation may escalate to the point where deadly force may be justified. When an officer has determined that the use of deadly force is not necessary, the officer shall, as soon as practicable, secure or holster the firearm.”

104.184 DUTY TO INTERCEDE. Any sworn officer present and observing another officer using force that is clearly beyond that which is objectively reasonable under the circumstances shall, when in a position to do so, intercede to prevent the use of excessive force. Any sworn officer who observes another employee use force that exceeds the degree of force permitted by law should promptly report these observations to a supervisor.

104.185 SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITY. When a sworn supervisor is able to respond to an incident in which there has been a reported use of force, the supervisor is expected to:

• Obtain the basic facts from the involved members;

• Ensure that any injured parties are examined and treated;

• When possible, separately obtain a recorded interview with 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.

• Identify any witnesses not already included in related reports.

• Review and approve all related reports.

• Determine if there is any indication that the subject may pursue civil litigation.

• 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.

104.186 WATCH COMMANDER RESPONSIBILITY. The Watch Commander shall review each use of force by any personnel within his/her command to ensure preliminary compliance with this policy and to address any relevant training issues.

Criminals who use hostages to effect their escape are desperate individuals who, if allowed to escape, will pose a continuing threat to their hostage and to the public at large. Assurance that a hostage will be released unharmed is a meaningless promise. The Department does not have the ability to protect the safety of a hostage who is allowed to be removed from the presence of officers. The safety of hostages can be best assured by keeping them in the presence of officers and by preventing their removal by the suspect.

An officer or their partner may be at the mercy of an armed suspect, but experience shows that the danger to officers is not reduced by them giving up their weapon upon demand. Surrendering their weapon might mean giving away their only chance for survival; therefore, an officer should do everything they can to avoid surrendering their weapon.

A barricaded suspect poses an extreme danger not only to officers who seek to arrest him or her, but to other persons as well.

104.211 TACTICAL PLAN. Officers should seal avenues of escape and call for assistance. Once the suspect is isolated, time is to be the benefit of the officers, and the full resources of the Department are available to assist officers in removing the suspect from his/her location.

The primary use of the flashlight is for illumination purposes. Use of the flashlights as an impact device is discouraged by the Department. However, under exigent circumstances, the flashlight may be used as an impact device when the use of an officer’s baton is not feasible.

Police dogs may be used in:

• The detention, control, and apprehension of a suspect when there is a reasonable suspicion of the suspect’s involvement in criminal activity;

• The search of buildings and large areas for suspects;

• The investigation of a crime or possible crime;

• Searches for narcotics and/or narcotic paraphernalia;

• Searches for explosives and/or explosive devices; or,

• Criminal and non-criminal incidents to assist in the search for missing persons.

Police dogs are employed to assist officers in the performance of their duties. In appropriate circumstances, police dogs may be used to defend officers and others from imminent danger at the hands of an assailant, and may defend themselves from annoying, harassing, or provoking acts.

To minimise injury to suspects, officers, and others or to avoid property damage, the use of a chemical agent, such as tear gas, may be necessary in circumstances where a serious danger to life and property exists.

The IC at a situation has the responsibility for determining the need for use of a chemical agent. However, only Sergeants and above, or Detectives may authorise the use of chemical agents. The use of a chemical agent for crowd or riot control must be authorised by a Commander or higher.

Approved less-lethal control devices may be used to control a violent or potentially violent suspect.

The correct procedures shall be found in the respective Tactic's Directives under In-Service Training.

Chemical irritant spray shall be possessed and maintained by all uniformed field personnel. Undercover and plainclothes personnel may possess chemical irritant spray.

The TASER may be possessed by uniformed field personnel.

Officers who use less-lethal control devices shall ensure that medical treatment is obtained, if needed, for the person(s) upon whom the less-lethal control device is used. TASER cassette darts which penetrate the skin shall be removed by trained medical personnel only.

104.261 PURPOSE AND SCOPE.

The purpose of this policy is to establish policy and procedures for the investigation of an incident in which a person is injured or dies as the result of an officer-involved shooting or dies as a result of other action of a sworn officer, including traffic collisions.

104.262 INVESTIGATION PROCESS.

The following procedures are guidelines used in the investigation of an officer-involved shooting or death.

104.262.1 UNINVOLVED OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES.

Upon arrival at the scene of an officer-involved shooting, the first uninvolved officer will be the officer-in-charge and will assume the responsibilities of a supervisor until properly relieved. This officer should, as appropriate:

• 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 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 upon arrival.

104.262.2 SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES.

Upon arrival at the scene, the first uninvolved supervisor should:

• 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;

• 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: 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 who are no longer needed.

104.262.3 FORCE INVESTIGATION DIVISION DETECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY.

A detective from FID shall be dispatched to any Officer-Involved Shooting. 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.

104.262.4 WATCH COMMANDER RESPONSIBILITY.

Upon learning of an officer-involved shooting or death, the Watch Commander shall be responsible for coordinating all aspects of the incident until he/she is relieved by the Deputy Chief of Police or a Division Commander.

The Watch Commander shall notify the following person(s) as soon as practicable:

• A supervisor to the scene (or, assign one to respond);

• Deputy Chief of Police or designee;

• Chief of Police;

• Force Investigation Division Commander (non-traffic related death);

• The relevant traffic Bureau Commander (traffic related death);

• District Attorney rollout team;

• City Attorney;

• Psychological/Peer Support Supervisor (Lt./Sgt.);

• Coroner (if necessary);

• Press Information Officer; and,

• Chaplain (if requested by involved officer).

104.262.5 INVOLVED OFFICERS.

Once the involved officer(s) have arrived at the station, the Watch Commander shall admonish each officer that the incident shall not be discussed except with authorized personnel, and legal or union representatives.

Federal law shall be referred to solely in cases where a Federal Agency is involved for In-Character purposes, ie., a certain crime is investigated by Federal Agencies. In any other cases, San Andreas Penal Code shall be referred to, which can be found here.

In cases where a Federal charge would be applicable, only charges that are explicitly listed in the Sonoran CAD shall be used. No other Federal Laws shall be used. Before charging the suspect with a federal crime, SA Attorney General (or other persons designated by the AG) shall be consulted, to review the appropriateness of the charge. If the AG (or other designated person) is not available to be consulted in a reasonable amount of time, SA Penal Code shall be referred to instead.

All usage of the Changeable Message Signs shall comply with the policies put in place by San Andreas Public Works in the following manual:

Public Works Manual

The Department's long-standing strategy for officers in the field is one or two officers per unit. Deviation from this basic concept may occur due to the fluid and rapidly evolving nature of law enforcement encounters and the environment in which they occur. On occasion, there may operational necessities to deploy three or four officers in a vehicle. Some examples in which officers may deploy three or four officers in a unit may include, but are not limited to:

• At the direction of the Watch Commander;

• Training of an officer in a new unit;

• Responding to a major/tactical incident;

• Mobile Field Force; 

• Other justified operational necessity; or,

• If deploying as Policía Nacional de Colombia.

104.291 TACTICS. When officers are deployed three or four in a unit, all Department operational rules and tactical guidelines remain in effect as they would for a two-person unit, such as avoiding separation between officers, maintaining adequate communication between officers, utilising the contact-cover system, and preserving the ability for all officers in the unit to render aid to each other.