Strange Departmental Policies

[Maliz]

This isn't meant to spread hate and discontent in any way, just thought it would be kind of fun / interesting to hear some of the more strange / wierd / outright stupid policies some departments have. Here's a few for starts...

1. As I mentioned in another post, Honolulu, HI PD must keep their blue overhead lights on solid at night (presumably for "enhanced visibility" in case the public needs to flag them down).

2. This is not verified, but a former LAPD officer told me that they had to have a Sgt. respond to the scene when someone was arrested before the suspect could be taken to jail to verify that it was a "good" arrest.

3. Several departments I know of require Watch Commander's permission to operate code 3 (lights and siren).

4. All those new pursuit policies (thought I'd go ahead and kill that one at the start, since it's a whole web page on it's own).

Any other good ones?

[sflcop]

You've got to be kidding me? A watch commander to authorize a code run. Hell no... if I feel the need to run code, code it will be.

[Frank Booth]

2. This is not verified, but a former LAPD officer told me that they had to have a Sgt. respond to the scene when someone was arrested before the suspect could be taken to jail to verify that it was a "good" arrest.

Nothing strange about that. That's what happens when enough members of your department demonstrate either ignorance of, or an unwillingness to follow search and seizure laws. Requiring a supervisor to review each arrest either at the scene or otherwise in written form is what happens when you're working under a consent decree. I'd imagine they had something similar in....Pittsburg, was it??

[Rita]

According to our policy we have to wear underwear at all times while on duty. You should see the guys that want to voluenteer for underwear inspection duty on the females.

[retdetsgt]

Originally posted by sflcop
You've got to be kidding me? A watch commander to authorize a code run. Hell no... if I feel the need to run code, code it will be.

It's a liability thing. Technically, we aren't supposed to run code unless authorized by the dispatcher. Of course, no one pays any attention to it, but if they crash, they're hanging out a mile. I personally protested that rule a number of times, but got nowhere.

[Sleuth]

The one that made me retire:

I was assigned to the Mexican Border, driving a unmarked pickup truck, tracking smugglers across the desert when the memo came out:
"All Special Agents are to wear suits at all times unless undercover."

We wore boots, jeans, and tee shirts in the 100 degree heat. I had the time in, I had the age, I was OUT OF THERE!"

(It was recinded later.)

[Delta_V]

Re: Strange Departmental Policies

Originally posted by Maliz

1. As I mentioned in another post, Honolulu, HI PD must keep their blue overhead lights on solid at night (presumably for "enhanced visibility" in case the public needs to flag them down).

That's because a good portion of them drive their POVs on duty. I don't think the officers driving marked units have to keep their overheads on solid at night--at least none that I saw when I was there did.

[nobody33]

Supervisor approval on Code 3 runs, and 1 unit max running code 3 in the city at a time. Regardless of the call, even on officer down. We run only 1 man units. So basically we go to everything with no code, except some shootings, and officer needs help calls. I wonder what the liability is when we let someone bleed out while waiting at stop lights...

[Frank Booth]

We wore boots, jeans, and tee shirts in the 100 degree heat. I had the time in, I had the age, I was OUT OF THERE!"

(It was recinded later.)

Maybe they were trying to get rid of you...

[kirch]

My brother is a campus cop in a medium-sized (medium for WI, that is) city. Despite being a fully sworn officer, he is not supposed to make traffic stops -- including OWI -- off campus without the OK of the city's OIC.

One night he was driving back to campus after dropping a blood sample in the mail and saw a driver that was obviously impaired. We're talking bouncing off the curbs stuff here. He tried to get the city to OK him to make a stop but the OIC wasn't available. He made the stop anyway and hooked the guy up.

The next day, he caught he11 from the chief for violating the department policy. In retrospect, he says he'd do the same thing. He'd rather take a tongue-lashing from the chief than live with himself if he ignored a drunk who ended up killing someone.

[K9 Police]

Originally posted by nobody33
Supervisor approval on Code 3 runs, and 1 unit max running code 3 in the city at a time. Regardless of the call, even on officer down. We run only 1 man units. So basically we go to everything with no code, except some shootings, and officer needs help calls. I wonder what the liability is when we let someone bleed out while waiting at stop lights...

If true....thats scary.

K9

[Sleuth]

Fank, they couln't - I could have stayed another 7 years!

One advantage Local, County, even State officers have over Feds: Their political leaders all read the same papers and watch the same news as the troops. But there is no air inside the beltway around DC. Too many folks in DC HQ have been there most of their lives, and have forgotten their role to support the field troops.

The suit thing came after a visit by a HQ type to the FBI HQ, where everyone wore suits. He though this looked good, but sent the memo to everyone, not just the guys at HQ. This is the same HQ that ordered our new trucks with rugs on the floors, and plastic seats. We needed cloth seats (to avoid butt burns) and plastic floors. There was a disconnect between the field troops and the HQ folks - just like in the Army.

One time, we had a Commissioner who like the troops. He made all the bureaucrats mad by visiting the troops, not the bosses, in the field. But we loved him. And HQ paid attention when the Commissioner said the field troops needed something!

[Frank Booth]

Fank, they couln't - I could have stayed another 7 years!

I mean maybe they came up with the suit rule so you'd leave voluntarily instead of doing your 7 more year.......they did recind it just after you left....

[SW4747]

A sgt has to respond to the scene of an arrest in NYC too.

As far as this "Code 3", i guess that means using your lights and siren. Here we can use them whenever we feel like it. No approval needed.

[Delta_V]

Originally posted by SW4747
i guess that means using your lights and siren. Her we can use them whenever we feel like it.

Yeah, but are they actually effective in NYC??