Paragon Police Department

Standard Operating Procedures

Revised September 2026

This is the current public edition of the Paragon Police Department Standard Operating Procedures. Active investigations, protected records, credentials, and non-published operational directives remain confidential.

Revision history

How to read this

Every policy opens with THE RULE - one sentence. If you read nothing else, read that.

CHAPTER 1 - Core Principles

Policy 100 - Purpose

THE RULE Protect life and property in Los Santos, impartially, and in a way that keeps the public's trust.

Core values

The department commits to community-oriented policing, protection of individual rights, bias awareness, de-escalation, crisis intervention, and impartial enforcement.

Policy 101 - Code of Ethics

101.1 Performance of duty

THE RULE Enforce the law without favor, affection, or ill will.

• Personal feelings, friendships, and grudges never influence official conduct.
• Every citizen is treated with courtesy and dignity regardless of status.
• A citizen may demand your badge number at any time. You must give it.
• No other information is compellable. You may volunteer your name and routinely will on stops (500.3), but you are not required to.

101.2 Discretion

THE RULE Discretion is part of the job. Use it.

A warning is often more effective than an arrest. Judge by reasonableness and the full circumstances, not by reflex.

101.3 Use of force

THE RULE See Policy 300. It governs.

The previous edition stated here that there were "no set boundaries" on force so long as an officer could justify it. That contradicted the continuum in Policy 300 and has been removed.

101.4 Confidentiality

THE RULE What you learn on duty stays on duty.

101.4.1 Public policy and protected information

THE RULE Published policy may be discussed accurately; protected operational information may not.

This public edition may be quoted, linked, or summarized. Officers must not disclose active investigations, protected personal information, credentials, informant identities, private disciplinary records, unpublished tactics, or restricted directives.

101.4.2 Personal use of information

THE RULE Never use information from the job for personal reasons.

Prohibited: running names, addresses, phone numbers, or records out of curiosity; using information for gain; sharing it with anyone unauthorized.

Violations lead to discipline up to termination.

101.5 Integrity

THE RULE No corruption, no bribery, no gratuities - and no covering for anyone who does.

Refuse gifts, favors, and promises that could be read as influencing your duties. Report those who don't.

CORRUPTION ROLEPLAY Permitted only with server staff approval in advance. Unapproved corruption is a Category 1 complaint and is handled as real misconduct, not as a storyline.

The previous edition's clause terminating officers without warning for facial tattoos has been removed. It contradicted 200.3's self-expression allowance and imposed a harsher penalty for cosmetics than for excessive force.

Policy 102 - Officer Conduct

102.1 Following orders

THE RULE Follow lawful orders immediately. Argue afterward, not on scene.

Immediate danger exception Refuse only where carrying out the order would directly and imminently endanger someone. The threat must be evident and about to happen - not merely possible. This is not a route to avoid ordinary duties.

Responsibility The officer who issued a lawful order owns the consequences. The officer who followed it does not.

You are never required to follow an order that is obviously illegal or grossly unethical.

False invocation of the danger exception is a disciplinary matter.

Good-faith reports are protected from retaliation.

102.2 Off-duty prohibitions

THE RULE Off duty means off duty. No gear, no radio, no police business.

Facility restriction extends to Bolingbroke, courthouses, and federal buildings.

RADIO EXEMPTION - the only ranks permitted on secured channels off duty:

• Captain and above
• On-call specialty division lead
• CID members conducting active investigative work

Canonical. 200.2 and 400.1 point here. The previous edition defined this three different ways across those sections.

CHAPTER 2 - Organization and Administration

Policy 200 - Structure and Responsibility

200.1 Chain of command

THE RULE Information flows through the chain. Skipping it creates confusion, not speed.

Commander responsibility: Each Commander owns one operational bureau - Patrol, Investigations, or Training - and is the approval authority for matters crossing division lines.

The previous edition's Commissioner section described an NYPD structure and referenced a "Chief of Department" rank that appears nowhere in the ladder. Trimmed to match Paragon's actual structure.

200.2 Uniform

THE RULE Correct preset for your rank, correct badge and patch, always.

Always required

• Sidearm holstered
• Duty belt, or a fully equipped vest
• Vest or badged shirt, below LT, unless undercover or inside the station
• Badge visible - chest, or neck/belt for detectives
• Closed-toe black duty boots. Division exceptions apply. Footwear at all times.

Casual uniform Permitted where authorized. Firearm, belt, vest, and badge rules still apply.

Prohibited: baggy clothing, graphics, sleeveless tops, bandanas or face coverings, gang attire, open-toe shoes. Colors limited to black, white, gray, brown unless High Command directs otherwise.

Eligibility: meet your rank's weekly minimum (200.3) and casual dress is available to you that week. One threshold, scales with rank, rewards the activity you already require.

Gear security Police gear is never left unsecured in a vehicle - glovebox or trunk, locked or not. Automatic strike minimum.

Off-duty gear and radio: see 102.2.

The hair color rule has been removed as unenforceable.

200.3 Activity minimums

THE RULE Meet your hours or take an approved LOA.

Inactivity ladder - consecutive weeks with no hours and no LOA:

Probationary Officers are terminated at week 3, having no rank to lose.

Demotion may cost certifications under the rank/certification requirements.

The previous ladder triggered on "2 weeks of inactivity" and then imposed a consequence for "the first 2 weeks of inactivity" - the trigger and first penalty occupied the same window. Corporal and above had no ladder at all. Rewritten to apply to every rank.

200.4 Roll call

THE RULE Be present, in uniform, duty-ready, on time.

Conducted by the highest-ranking officer on duty.

Covered: assignments, incidents, crime trends, procedure refreshers, announcements and commendations. Questions are taken.

Attendance is documented. Missing it, or arriving out of uniform or without required equipment, is a disciplinary matter.

Timing: 30 minutes after evening storms.

Policy 201 - Certifications

201.1 Required

Every officer holds all six.

Corrected - the previous edition required PIT certification "before progressing to the cadet rank," which is the entry rank.

201.2 Specialty units

Each has its own entry requirements and may carry additional SOPs. Led by Command or High Command; may be taught by a certified instructor at lower rank.

STATUS - none of these units are currently active. They are defined here so the structure exists when they stand up. No officer holds a specialty certification, gear exemption, or radio privilege under this policy until the unit is formally activated by High Command.

SWAT has been standardized to TRT throughout. Gang Unit, GU, and Street Crimes appeared in the previous edition's equipment and radio exemptions but were never defined; they are not carried forward.

Continuous development Complete updated training when instructed. Staying current on procedure is your responsibility. Failure to comply may result in administrative action.

Policy 202 - Probationary Training

THE RULE Complete all mandatory training within your first month, or you're released.

PHASES

An FTO reads and explains the SOP before any ride-along. Promotion to Officer follows the field evaluation.

Policy 203 - Hiring

Renumbered from 204. There was no 203 in the previous edition.

THE RULE Application, review, interview, background check, decision.

Successful applicants enter as Probationary Officer and begin field training.

The department provides equal opportunity to all qualified applicants.

CHAPTER 3 - General Operations

Policy 300 - Use of Force

THE RULE Force must be proportional to the threat and you must be able to articulate why you used it.

300.1 Definitions

300.2 Response by threat level

Your voice is the first option at every level. The goal is custody with the least force required.

Conditions

• The command is "drop the weapon." Use those words.
• Visible pause between commands to observe compliance.
• Taser: maximum 3 deployments, 10 seconds apart, where safe. The count resets if contact breaks and the subject re-engages.
• Taser failure does not by itself authorize lethal force. Force still requires a threat meeting the table above. Exhausting less-lethal options is not an escalation ladder.

SCOPE - this ladder governs a non-compliant subject who is not an active threat. An armed subject is governed by the threat table above, not by taser count. Three failed deployments against someone pointing a firearm is not a less-lethal problem.

AFTER A THIRD FAILED DEPLOYMENT - in order of preference:

DISENGAGEMENT ELIGIBILITY

Containment has no time limit. You are not obligated to resolve a scene. Holding a perimeter until the subject surrenders, until TRT arrives, or until they force the issue and meet the threshold above is a successful outcome, not a stalling state. Nothing in this policy requires you to close distance on a violent felony suspect because a taser failed.

Disengaging is not dropping the charge. It means breaking physical contact only. The report is still filed, the charge still stands, and a warrant issues. The subject is taken at the next contact - traffic stop, hospital, or CID follow-up.

Repeat flight compounds. A subject who has fled officers twice before unlocks the early-use triggers in 503.2, including PIT before the standard three-minute timer. The under-100-MPH PIT limit still applies. Each escape makes the next one materially harder. Fleeing buys delay, not immunity.

• Warning shots are prohibited. Always.
• Environment matters. A subject armed in Legion Square gets less latitude than one alone in open desert.

NAMED EXCEPTIONS - lethal force authorized immediately, no command sequence:

• Theft of, or pursuit of, a stolen emergency vehicle
• FIB Assistance calls - armed suspects are Code Red (502.1)

These two carve-outs previously sat in unrelated chapters, producing four competing lethal-force thresholds across the document. They are now named exceptions to a single standard.

300.3 Judging reasonableness

Factors, as circumstances permit:

• Immediacy and severity of the threat
• The subject's conduct as you reasonably perceived it
• Drugs or alcohol
• Proximity of weapons
• How effectively the subject is restrained and whether they can still resist
• What other options existed and whether they'd work
• Seriousness of the offense
• Potential for injury to anyone present
• Whether they are resisting, fleeing, or attacking
• Risk if they escape
• Need for immediate control
• Whether the threat has stopped
• Prior contacts or known propensity for violence
• Any other exigency

300.4 Vehicles

300.5 Containment limits

THE RULE Never trap a subject with no way out.

Vehicles, barricades, and other methods may not be used to seal a subject inside a structure. Spike deployments must leave the fleeing vehicle a way to avoid the spikes - a route around, not merely a gap in one lane. See 503.2.

300.6 Handcuffs

THE RULE Cuff every arrest. Cuff a detention only with articulable cause.

Articulable threat includes: visibly armed or reaching; verbal threats or aggression; known history of violence or resisting; erratic behavior under influence; significant size or strength advantage combined with non-compliance.

Monitoring Watch for medical distress. Keep them in a safe position - never face down for extended periods. Respond to complaints about fit.

DOCUMENT Reason, duration, their condition, and any complaints or resistance.

300.7 Use of force review

Internal Affairs prepares analysis for the Chief of Police. Reports exclude names and case numbers and cover trends, training needs, equipment needs, and recommended policy changes.

Policy 301 - Social Media

THE RULE Don't post anything that compromises an investigation, identifies someone, or embarrasses the department.

301.1 Department accounts

Use for: road closures, ongoing major incidents, witness appeals, public communication. Light-hearted content is fine within reason - the public should remember officers are people.

Never use for: personal matters, or releasing anyone's personal details.

Check spelling and accuracy before posting. Never conduct police business from a personal account.

301.2 Prohibited content

Four categories. If a post falls in any, don't.

Internal channels exist for grievances. Use them.

301.3 Streaming

No live streaming on duty or in uniform. Ever.

301.4 Accountability

You are responsible for what you post, on duty or off. Officers aware of a violation are obligated to report it.

Violations follow the standard disciplinary process (Policy 601). Severity scales with the nature of the breach.

Condensed from eighteen overlapping categories in the previous edition.

Policy 302 - Arrest and Charging

302.1 Definitions

302.2 Charging

THE RULE Charge from the criminal charge list. Accurately.

Maximum 3 charges per arrest, total. Not three of each - three altogether. Charges stack cumulatively within that limit and the caps above.

Where more than three apply, charge the three most serious and note the remainder in the report summary. The uncharged conduct is still documented; it simply isn't sentenced.

This overrides per-target charging. A shooting with four victims is charged as three counts of attempted murder maximum, with the fourth noted in the report.

Attempted murder is charged per person injured or per distinguishable target, subject to the three-charge cap above.

Loss of life charges - murder and manslaughter require a High Command member and a judge or DA present before sentencing.

Where no judge or DA is available: charge and process normally. The suspect may appeal to a judge afterward. Arrests do not deadlock waiting for a judiciary.

Incorrect sentences are reported to Command immediately. Never release a jailed person without direction from the DOC Lead or High Command.

302.3 Legal representation

A suspect may request an attorney. Miranda applies. If they request one, you must make a genuine attempt to provide one - they may contact counsel from the prison.

302.4 Probation and parole

Both statuses

• Anklet fitted at processing
• Weapon licence revoked for the status duration
• No firearms
• No drugs except prescribed, with documentation carried
• Subject to anklet tracking

Parole only

• No aircraft except Angel 1 for medical emergency
• No association with known gang members, or with anyone on parole or probation

Probation only

• No association with known gang members or anyone on parole

Anklet tampering is a felony. Probation tampering escalates to parole. Any tampering restarts the clock.

SEARCH AUTHORITY Officers may search a person on parole or probation, and property in their possession, to verify compliance.

SCOPE - the person, their possessions, and any vehicle they own or are operating.

A vehicle they are merely a passenger in is not searchable on this basis. Use Policy 303.

State the parole or probation basis on radio before searching. An unstated basis is an unreviewable one.

The previous edition extended this to any vehicle containing such a person, which overrode all of Policy 303 and made an uninvolved driver searchable for giving someone a ride.

Policy 303 - Search and Seizure

THE RULE Searching a place where someone reasonably expects privacy requires a warrant. Everything below is an exception.

A search must follow a logical progression from a legal basis. A hunch is not a basis. Reasonableness is judged by what led to the search, not by what it found.

303.1 No expectation of privacy

• Plain view - an object visible from where you're lawfully standing, whose evidentiary value is immediately apparent, may be seized
• Private searches - property seized by a private person may be handed over. You may not direct a private person to search where you couldn't.
• Sense enhancement - flashlights, photography, thermal. Enhancing your senses over what's publicly visible isn't a search.

303.2 Warrant exceptions

Valid consent depends on voluntariness: whether they knew they could refuse, their experience with police, how many officers were present, whether consequences were threatened, whether force was implied, and their age.

Weighing exigency: Is the offense serious or violent? Is the suspect armed? Is probable cause strong? Do you have cause to believe they're inside? Did you identify yourself and give a chance to surrender? Was there an investigation or arrest decision before they fled?

303.3 Residences

Presumed unreasonable without a warrant. Be prepared to justify any entry.

Permission to enter is not permission to search. It establishes lawful presence - which means plain view applies.

303.4 Vehicles

Probable cause examples: K9 alert; odor of fresh or burning marijuana; contraband or paraphernalia in plain view; statements from the arrestee about what's inside.

303.5 Impound

Impound is justified for: evading, careless driving, drag racing, unregistered or uninsured vehicles, driving without a licence or on a suspended licence, DUI where no one can drive it, and public safety hazards including abandonment.

DOCUMENT in the MDT: reason for impound, points assigned and why, and supporting photo evidence - scene photo, dispatch log, or radar.

303.6 Points and suspension

Reinstatement: serve the full period, complete an approved driving course if required, pay all fines plus $2,500 reinstatement.

Repeat suspensions run longer than the previous.

Drivers may appeal points assigned in error.

Interaction with DUI (503.3): suspensions do not stack. Where both apply, the longer period runs. A DUI adds points toward the 14 threshold for future stops but its own 2-week suspension is independent of the points total.

303.7 Warrants

THE RULE Warrants require probable cause presented to an approving authority.

APPROVAL AUTHORITY

A Sergeant+ reviews and packages every request before it goes to either. The internal review does not replace the approval.

Built to run on a judiciary as it stands up. Until then the Commissioner/FIB path carries it, and no change to this policy is needed when judges become routinely available.

Identification standard Where facial identification isn't possible, provide three independent identifiers: physical description, fingerprints, DNA or blood, distinctive marks or tattoos, casings or a registered weapon serial, a registered vehicle, or comparable evidence.

A warrant request must contain

Policy 304 - Reports

THE RULE A report a stranger can't follow is not a report.

These are minimums.

304.1 Required content

304.2 Evidence

Vehicles - color, type, plate, owner where known. Evidence sweeps required on impounds. Unregistered vehicles marked "Unregistered."

Weapons - serial plus possessor's name. Casings show the registered owner, or "Unregistered."

Blood - note that it was found. Only note a match where the profile already exists, a fresh sample was given by judicial order, or the person consented.

304.3 Finalizing

• Fines and sentences documented accurately
• Guilty or Processed checked as applicable
• Recommended fines used unless High Command or a DA directs otherwise
• Profiles updated - fresh mugshot, probation or parole dates, who fitted the anklet, weapon licence revoked for felons
• Vehicle profiles updated with photos, points, and documentation
• Points, fine, and sentence noted at the foot of the summary

CHAPTER 4 - Patrol Operations

Policy 400 - Equipment

400.1 Duty carry

THE RULE Carry all of it, every shift. Missing equipment is a strike.

400.2 Class 3 weapons

Shotguns and rifles stay at the station without direct Command clearance.

400.3 Recording

THE RULE Officers are expected to run external recording software - OBS, Medal, or equivalent - while on duty.

There is no in-game body camera requirement. The item does not record and nothing is stored server-side.

• Clips submitted to an Internal Affairs case are treated as footage
• Do not claim in-game footage exists, and do not build a report around reviewing it
• Where a complaint turns on what was said or done, your own recording is the record

The previous edition ran a full body camera policy - activation triggers, deactivation rules, supervisor footage review, and an in-car camera clause - against a system that does not exist. Removed.

Policy 401 - Vehicles

THE RULE A unit is one vehicle, regardless of how many officers are in it.

Fleet balance Patrol units must at least equal speed enforcement plus specialty combined.

Unmarked

• 1:1 ratio - one marked unit active per unmarked unit
• Two 4-door cruisers active before a 2-door is used
• LT and above. TRT may use unmarked at any time where necessary.
• Rank availability per the equipment reference

CID is exempt from the LT+ restriction. Detectives may use unmarked units at any rank, subject to the 1:1 ratio.

Vehicle standards Lightbar, push bar, dash lights, marked livery, lights all round. Other customization requires Command approval.

Specialized vehicles require adequate patrol coverage on duty. Commanding officers monitor deployment balance.

Policy 402 - Radio

THE RULE Clarity, consistency, conciseness. Nothing else belongs on the channel.

402.1 Channels

402.2 Standards

• No idle chatter on dispatch. Personal conversation goes to your phone, kept minimal.
• Paint a picture - location, description of vehicle, person, or place. Short, clear, complete.
• Keep transmissions to 6–8 seconds.

402.3 Panic button

Sends a distress signal to all on-duty officers and dispatch. Designed to work when an officer is fading in and out of consciousness.

All available units respond until the scene calls all-clear.

MISUSE False or repeated activation is misuse of department systems - a Category 1 complaint under 601.1.

The activating officer files a report explaining the activation. That requirement is the deterrent; a panic you can't justify in writing is one you shouldn't have pressed.

Policy 403 - Hostage and Barricade

403.1 Definitions

In hostage situations, the hostages' lives are paramount.

403.2 First response

Brief must cover: suspects, victims, injuries, resources needed, current perimeter, evacuation areas.

Through communication, seek: additional suspects, victims and injuries, hostage release, intelligence, time-sensitive demands, surrender.

Default posture is containment, not confrontation. Stabilize and hold until negotiators and specialized personnel arrive. Hostage situations are dynamic and may require faster action - but the presumption is patience.

403.3 Negotiation limits

Demands: 2 for the first hostage, 1 per additional hostage.

Grantable:

Never grantable: police equipment or vehicles; items returned to suspects, except during a raid.

The list above is closed. Anything not on it requires Captain+ approval.

BASE BREACH TIMER - 20 minutes, running from the point the scene is contained, not from first contact. A suspect who refuses to talk does not freeze the clock. The +10 minute demand extends it to 30, one hostage maximum.

Hostage validity

• Injured or downed hostages are released before any negotiation. Otherwise breach is authorized.
• Hostages must speak to officers and confirm they are unharmed.
• Non-speaking hostages count only at house and store robberies - never at bank trucks, bank robberies, or comparable major crimes, which require genuine civilians.

DOCUMENT - hostage statement with name and where they were taken from, attached to the report. The assisting officer files a separate witness statement.

Policy 404 - Crowd Control

THE RULE Talk first. Escalate only as the crowd escalates.

Judge the crowd and apply Policy 300.

Policy 405 - Robberies

THE RULE Open a conversation before you open anything else.

Most robberies in San Andreas are committed by people who are desperate rather than looking to hurt anyone. Establish contact and work toward:

1. Number of suspects, weapons, and resources
2. Whether hostages are held
3. How they intend to leave
4. What they actually want

Stay calm, stay professional, show empathy. Keep talking.

Unit requirements: 502.1. Hostages: 403.

Policy 406 - Impound

THE RULE A vehicle left in a live roadway is your responsibility.

Impound where a vehicle is abandoned, unattended in a hazardous position, or its owner has been arrested or killed.

Ownership is confirmed when MDT registration returns to either the driver, or an occupant who participated in the crimes underlying the impound.

Grounds and documentation: 303.5.

CHAPTER 5 - Traffic Operations

(As previously delivered - reproduced here for completeness.)

Policy 500 - Traffic Stops

THE RULE A traffic stop is a temporary detention to investigate a violation or suspected crime. It is not a search, and it is not an arrest.

500.1 Initiating

Pursuit call: location, direction, speed, vehicle description, occupant count.

• Unsafe stopping place - direct them forward.
• Park front right headlight to their rear left tail light. Pushes traffic into the next lane.

Before stepping out, radio: location, direction, vehicle description, plate, occupants, that you are exiting.

500.2 Approach

• Stand angled at the door pillar - front seat visible, eyes on the back seat, awkward angle to be shot from.
• Returning, watch the kill box. Radio back in service.

500.3 Sequence

Convey each. The wording is yours.

DOCUMENT - citations and points in the MDT with reason and supporting evidence. See 303.6.

Policy 501 - Felony Stops

THE RULE Three units minimum. Never a single officer.

Applies when there's strong reason to believe the vehicle holds someone who committed a serious crime, or one suggesting they're armed - armed robbery, assault with a weapon, carjacking, felony warrant on the registered owner.

Positioning

• First unit parks as a normal stop.
• Others stop behind the suspect vehicle, offset to the side of the first, with space between.
• Never pull in front. Exception: armored TRT vehicle where warranted.
• Spare units observe from distance.

Reassess continuously. Roles change; the command voice does not.

Policy 502 - Responding to Calls

THE RULE The per-call minimum is the floor. The +2 rule is the ceiling. Where they conflict, the minimum applies and a supervisor approves the overage on radio.

• A unit is one vehicle, 1?2 officers. Air 1 counts.
• +2 rule: units permitted = suspects + 2.

The second spare unit exists so that a hostage, victim, or recovered civilian always has an officer with them without pulling anyone off the suspects.

The rule does not scale with hostage count. Where numbers genuinely demand more, a supervisor authorizes the overage under the floor-wins clause above.

502.1 Call response

• Downed or flat-backed: get medical, then release.
• In custody having fired on PD: charge Gang Violence.

Pursuits use the standard +2. The previous edition's separate "+1 per suspect or interference vehicle" formula has been removed - interference vehicles are handled as a supervisor overage.

502.2 Backup

Never arrive alone on a call requiring 2+ units.

Exceptions: call has held a long time; suspects confirmed gone; loss of life imminent. Even then, backup is usually still right.

502.3 Evidence

One officer collects - prints, blood, casings - unless they run out of space or two collectors were arranged in advance.

Log to a report or incident and place in an evidence locker. Never left on the ground, in a personal locker, binned, or handed to anyone.

502.4 Code 3

• Emergency calls only
• Notify dispatch and say where you're responding from
• Lights and sirens don't relieve you of driving reasonably
• Warning equipment without both carries no privilege
• Stop on supervisor direction or when the emergency ends

502.5 Supervisory responsibility

The Watch Commander or field supervisor verifies the response level is correct, no more units respond than necessary, and outside jurisdictions are notified.

Monitors until stable or terminated. May direct units in or out. Terminating an inappropriate Code 3 is a responsibility, not an option.

Factors: call type, urgency, traffic and road conditions, unit locations, pedestrian density.

502.6 Non-emergency

All traffic laws. No lights, no siren.

Where an emergency is suspected but unconfirmed, proceed with caution, using lights and siren situationally. Same where a quiet approach better serves the officer or a victim.

Policy 503 - Pursuits

THE RULE PIT requires approval on radio from a certified Officer or above. Other tactics retain their approval requirements below. Failure to follow pursuit protocol is disciplinary and may mean removal pending charges.

503.1 Radio

At initiation: direction, street, vehicle description, occupants if known. Periodically: direction and street, speed, road conditions, traffic.

503.2 Tactics

EARLY-USE TRIGGERS - PIT before 3 minutes, or spikes before 10 minutes, when any apply. PIT must still be under 100 MPH:

• Vehicle swap
• Shots fired from the fleeing vehicle
• Other vehicles interfering
• Fled officers twice before
• Cannot be PIT'd - commercial, hazmat, unsafe speed

SPIKE CONDITIONS

• Announce deployment and which lanes before laying
• One set per officer. Two may lay side by side, roadway only.
• Retract immediately once the target passes
• Deploying units are assisting - they don't join the pursuit
• The vehicle must have a way to avoid the spikes - a route around, not a gap in one lane

PIT SPEED - strictly under 100 MPH. PIT at 100 MPH or above is prohibited. No escalation, no exceptions.

The previous edition raised the cap by 20 mph per prior pursuit with the same vehicle that day, to a maximum of 100. Nothing tracked per-vehicle daily pursuit counts, and the "fled officers twice before" trigger already covers repeat fleeing.

503.3 DUI

THE RULE Every DUI arrest starts with reasonable suspicion. Without it the stop fails and so does the case.

Indicators - not exhaustive: straddling the centerline, drifting lanes, illegal turn, near-misses with vehicles or objects, extremely slow or erratic driving, frequent braking, stopping for no reason.

Suspicion may also arise after an unrelated stop, at a collision, or with a driver unconscious in a parked vehicle.

Procedure: field sobriety test, then breathalyzer. Drivers must submit.

Hearing on early return, classes, or fines may be requested after one full week.

Suspensions do not stack with the 14-point system in 303.6 - the longer period runs. A DUI adds points for future stops.

Checkpoints - announce general time and area beforehand. Specific placement stays unannounced.

DOCUMENT - results or refusal, and the observations establishing suspicion.

Policy 504 - Gang Shooting Scenes

THE RULE Photograph before you engage, where cover allows.

Never break cover for a photograph.

Capture: individuals holding or firing weapons; visible injuries, weapons, contraband; context - vehicles, identifiable colors or attire.

DOCUMENT - upload as soon as practical, attach to the incident, and show the order of events: photographs, warnings, arrests.

CHAPTER 6 - Personnel

Policy 600 - Promotions

THE RULE Promotion is earned on merit and confirmed by probation.

600.1 Considerations

Time in grade · behavior · performance · activity · willingness to help · experience

600.2 Panel process

Applies to Officer, Senior Officer, and Corporal.

600.3 After promotion

Probation is monitored with periodic review. At the end, confirmation - or extension, or reversal, where concerns remain.

FTO status requires passing an assessment.

Policy 601 - Complaints and Discipline

THE RULE Every complaint is reviewed. Not every complaint is valid.

601.1 What counts

A complaint is an allegation of misconduct or improper performance that, if true, would violate department policy or law.

An inquiry that wouldn't constitute a violation even if true is not a complaint. Citizens unfamiliar with procedure often raise these.

Circumstances may escalate a Category 2 to Category 1.

601.2 Process

Initial inquiry determines validity and assigns the investigation: gather relevant information, interview the complainant, preserve evidence, locate and interview witnesses. May include a formal interview with the subject member.

601.3 Outcomes

601.4 Confidentiality

IA files sit under the exclusive control of Internal Affairs and the Chief's office. Access requires approval from the Chief or the IA supervisor.

Where an accused member or their representative knowingly makes false public statements about an investigation, the department may release enough of the file to refute them.

Resolved this revision

Not yet written

These gaps existed in the previous edition and remain. Each comes up regularly in play and currently has no policy, so officers improvise.

Technical failure mid-scene - cuff and escort desync, server restart with suspects in custody, disconnect during arrest, downed-body desync. The single largest gap.

Detention time limits - no maximum hold before charging.

DOC and booking - Channel 3 is assigned and 302.2 forbids unauthorized release, but there is no booking, property, release, or transfer procedure.

Evidence lifecycle - collection is covered. Retention, clearing, and destruction are not.

Minimum PD on duty for heist activation - not addressed anywhere.

Extraction zone policing - either write rules of engagement or state PD doesn't operate there.

New Life Rule interaction - what happens to charges when a suspect dies and respawns mid-scene.

EMS interaction - Channel 4 is assigned with no accompanying policy. When EMS must be called, whether a downed suspect can be arrested, how PD and EMS split scene authority.

Crisis and mental health calls - committed to in Policy 100, referenced in 300.6, no procedure.

Report quality standards - 304 sets minimum content, not minimum effort.