Osceola County Patrol Operations Policy

Osceola County Sheriff's Office Policy and Procedures

• Policy number 406.0 addresses Patrol Operations.
• It was effective as of 12/18/24.
• The policy aims to establish operational guidelines for the Patrol function.
• It seeks to maintain a highly visible patrol force that is responsive and proactive for the community.

Definitions Related to Patrol Operations

• Actual Hazards are objects or areas presenting an obvious threat to members' personal safety, such as construction areas, road closures, severe weather, downed power lines, and sinkholes.
• Emergency Vehicle Operation involves rapid response to a priority call using emergency equipment.
• Field Interview refers to an interview by a sworn member during official duties, typically focused on obtaining information about criminal, suspicious, or traffic-related incidents, and conducted outside traditional police settings.
• Missing Disabled is defined as a missing person of any age with proven physical/mental disability or senility, posing potential danger to themselves or others.
• Missing Endangered is a missing person of any age under circumstances suggesting their physical safety may be in danger.
• North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a bi-national organization between the US and Canada responsible for aerospace warning and control for North America, including attack detection, validation, and warning.
• Online Report is an internet-based reporting application by the Sheriff's Office enabling residents and visitors to report incidents.
• Potential Hazards include objects or areas, like traffic/road conditions, unattended dogs, weapons, and known violent offenders, which may cause injury to a member.

Patrol Procedures: Organization and Chain of Command

• The Patrol function offers continuous law enforcement and public service emergency response within the jurisdiction.
• The chain of command and organization details are documented in Policies 109.0 (Command and Control) and 202.0 (Organization).

Roll Call Briefings

• Mandatory roll call briefings are required on the platoon’s first day of scheduled work, typically at the start of a shift.
• Briefings can be canceled by a Platoon Lieutenant or higher.
• Roll call briefings may include information on:
• Unusual situations or occurrences within the community
• Major investigations
• Actual or potential hazards relayed from Communications or other members
• Status changes of wanted persons, stolen vehicles, and major investigations
• Assignments and scheduling changes
• New or amended directives
• Training

Response Levels to Calls for Service

• Priorities are:
• In-progress calls take precedence over all other calls
• Crimes against persons precede property crimes
• Residential property calls precede business property calls
• Communications members should not hold calls if units are available, without direction from a Sector Sergeant or Platoon Lieutenant.
• Calls for service receive priority status to ensure proper response namely:
• Code 3 (High-risk, in-progress) calls require emergency rapid response by a sworn member to prevent loss of life/serious injury or involve in-progress felony offenses
• These calls require a primary and at least one backup unit
• They are dispatched over multiple talk groups and the closest available unit/backup dispatched regardless of unit availability
• Communications notifies the Sergeant/Platoon Lieutenant if primary/backup units don't respond, but a Supervisor can release members from other calls or cancel backup units
• Normal Response Calls require a routine response without life-threatening danger
• Requiring Backup is a medium-priority and the most common type
• Communications notifies the Sector Sergeant/Platoon Lieutenant if units do not respond/aren't available, but a Supervisor may release members from other calls or cancel backup units at their discretion
• Not Requiring Backup are non-priority, handled based on member/Supervisor availability, and dispatched to the primary unit
• These may be referred to Online Reporting and handled according to Policy 409.0 guidelines

Additional Considerations for Call Response

• Assistance provision and the safety of other sworn members should not be prevented by the priority call list
• The priority list should not deter a member from requesting needed assistance for officer safety.

Radio Communication Protocols

• 24-hour two-way radio capability enables continuous communication between the Communications Center and Sheriff’s Office members.
• Members use portable radios with assigned zone area call signs for identification purposes during a tour of duty.
• Radio identification numbers are used by off-duty sworn members and members not currently assigned to Patrol.
• Radio communications have to conform to Policy 211.0, Communications Operations.
• Established 10 Codes, signals, and the International Phonetic Alphabet must be used for radio communications.
• Plain English language is to be used consistent with Policy 211.0 (Communications Operations)
• The Communications Section coordinates radio channel assignments and secondary radio channels, when another agency is involved

When to Contact Communications

• Patrol-assigned sworn members are required to contact the Communications Section in these instances:
• Beginning of shift/initial status
• Any change of status
• Acknowledging a dispatched call and advising when en route
• Upon arrival at a call
• Completion of a call
• Investigative contact with a suspicious person(s) (including the stop, location, and brief description).
• During traffic stops:
• Traffic stops must be performed according to Policy 480.0 (Traffic Law Enforcement)
• Inform the dispatcher of the tag, location, vehicle description, and number of occupants.
• When changing talk groups
• Other circumstances as necessary

Patrol Deputy Duties and Responsibilities

• Primary responsibility involves providing the initial law enforcement response to calls for service in the community.
• General responsibilities include:
• Deterring crime
• Responding to calls for service
• Keeping the peace
• Investigating crimes and incidents
• Directing traffic
• Assisting citizens in need
• Enforcing the law
• Documenting criminal complaints/info as directed by the agency’s Report Writing Manual, Policy 247.0 (Field Reports), or by supervision
• Performing other tasks, duties as outlined in their job descriptions or as directed by the Sheriff/designee

Requirements for Patrol Deputies

• Report to roll call ready for duty
• Vehicles must be operational, clean, and have a full tank of gas
• Inspect assigned vehicle for safety defects, damage, and fluid levels before each tour
• Vehicle/equipment defects are to be reported to the Supervisor, and Fleet Services contacted if applicable
• Respond to assigned zones after roll call—unless directed otherwise by a Supervisor, or if no roll call, directly to zone
• Remain in assigned zones, unless:
• Relieved
• Responding to a call
• Providing backup
• Directed by a Supervisor
• Patrol members going off-duty should notify oncoming members/Supervisors of immediate hazards.
• Remain alert during their tour and respond to all assigned calls for service.
• Radio communications must be monitored, and dispatched calls acknowledged immediately
• Upon notifying Communications of being en route, members need to provide their approximate location

First-Line Supervisors Responsibilities

• Directly responsible for the supervision of members assigned to their squad.
• Duties encompass:
• Monitoring/evaluating job performance and activity
• Providing training
• Editing/evaluating reports and paperwork
• Offering advice/guidance to ensure safe and professional completion of assignments
• Responding to emergencies.
• Monitoring assignment of priority calls
• Supervisors going off-duty must notify oncoming patrol members and Supervsors of immediate hazards
• Enhancing member morale
• Assuming command at certain scenes
• Agency vehicle crashes
• Violent crimes involving serious bodily harm or death
• Natural disasters causing widespread civil disruption
• Calls involving Sheriff’s Office members as a victim or suspect
• Requests by an on-scene unit or at the direction of higher authority
• Calls resulting in news media response
• Conducting Internal Affairs investigations

Platoon Lieutenant Responsibilities

• Directly responsible for supervising first-line Supervisors assigned to their platoon.
• Duties include the same listed for First-Line Supervisors:
• Monitoring/evaluating job performance and activity
• Providing training
• Editing/evaluating reports and paperwork
• Offering advice/guidance to ensure safe and professional completion of assignments
• Responding to emergencies
• Monitoring assignment of priority calls
• Enhancing member morale
• Assuming command at certain scenes
• Agency vehicle crashes
• Violent crimes involving serious bodily harm or death
• Natural disasters causing widespread civil disruption
• Calls involving Sheriff’s Office members as a victim or suspect
• Requests by an on-scene unit or at the direction of higher authority
• Calls resulting in news media response
• Conducting Internal Affairs investigations
• Other calls as needed.

High-Risk Situations Protocol

• All members responding to a high-risk situation must adhere to established procedures per Policy 279.0 (Incident Command System).

Preliminary Investigations

• Commence when a member is aware of, or assigned duty to respond to, a crime/call for service.
• Continue until the initially assigned member achieves a successful conclusion or a transfer of responsibility doesn't jeopardize the investigation.
• Typically include:
• Providing aid/summoning aid for the injured
• Locating/identifying witnesses
• Maintaining the crime scene and protecting evidence
• Interviewing/obtaining written statements from:
• Victims
• Juvenile sexual offense victims should not provide a written statement during the preliminary investigation (guidance is in Policy 451.0, Criminal Investigations.)
• Witnesses
• Complainant(s)
• Suspects
• Direct physical control and supervision of subjects in custody must be maintained, along with monitoring consistent with Policy 451.0 (Criminal Investigations.)
• Processing the crime scene and/or arranging for evidence collection, following Policies 284.0 (Crime Scene Processing and Responsibilities) and 420.0 (Evidentiary Items)
• Affecting the arrest of suspects (with probable cause), and filing an Affidavit of Prosecution Summary (APS) with the FSAO, or NTA, consistent with Policy 247.0 (Field Reports.)
• Reporting incidents and investigative activities fully and accurately
• Obtaining preliminary information from witnesses
• Determining if an offense occurred and, if so, its exact nature
• Ascertaining and reconstructing incident circumstances
• Furnishing other field units with descriptions, methods, and direction of flight, alongside other relevant information about suspects or involved vehicles
• Observing all conditions, events, and remarks
• Searching for and recovering removed/taken property by the perpetrator only without a search warrant.

Investigations Involving On-Duty Law Enforcement

• Agency Supervisors must respond to all accusations of criminal conduct reported to the Sheriff’s Office any on-duty law enforcement officer in Osceola County.
• If the Sheriff's Office receives a report of misconduct by an on-duty law enforcement officer in Osceola County, the Watch Commander must be notified and respond, and the Sheriff notified via the chain of command.
• To preserve investigation integrity, Sheriff’s Office members cannot contact anyone associated with an alleged suspect law enforcement officer’s agency unless approved by the Sheriff/designee.

Protocol for Dying Declarations

• A member shall ride in the ambulance carrying a critically injured victim to the hospital, leaving crime scene protection to assisting members.
• This includes:
• A seriously injured person regaining consciousness can provide valuable information, so the member riding in the ambulance should be near the injured to listen for any statements
• Victim statements may be written, oral, or conveyed by an act, sign, or signal—if possible, record the conversation

Procedures for Aircraft Incidents

• In the case of a report of a stolen aircraft, Communications, the Intelligence Section Lieutenant, and the on-duty Sector Supervisor shall be immediately notified.
• In responses to Suspicious Airborne Object or Aircraft:
• The on-duty Sector Supervisor must be notified immediately
• Efforts should be made to collect thorough identifying information from the complainant about the aircraft/object
• The on-duty Sector Supervisor should use information from local airport towers and/or military bases and ensure Communications is notified and also notify the Platoon Lieutenant.
• The Platoon Lieutenant then assesses whether to notify NORAD

Follow-Up Investigation Protocol

• When practical, the member is to continue conducting investigations until all leads are exhausted and must document it in supplemental reports.
• In certain cases, follow-up responsibility may be assigned to another member; examples are:
• If the initial investigation is conducted by a member out of his normally assigned zone, the member who is responsible for the zone may be responsible for the follow-up investigation
• When the investigation requires travel an excessive distance
• When a detective or superior responds and assumes investigative responsibility

Guidelines for Call-Out Criteria

• Notification of an on-call detective’s Supervisor must be made in a timely fashion
• The supervisor who contacts the on-call detective’s Supervisor should be on-scene and ready to answer questions related to the incident
• Call-out criteria index for detective units:
• This serves as a guide and doesn't prevent members from calling detectives for advice if the Supervisor/Platoon Lieutenant can't give answers and approves contacting the detective
• The CID Bureau Major/designee may change the responsibilities of each unit
• Homicide Unit: Supervisor must be notified of:
• All homicides
• All suicides
• Attempted suicides when death is imminent
• Suspicious deaths
• Natural deaths when the next of kin cannot be located
• All infant and juvenile deaths
• All non-traffic crash-related accidental deaths (drowning, industrial deaths, fire deaths, aircraft accident deaths)
• In-custody deaths
• Any injury where death is imminent and not the result of a traffic crash
• Member involved shootings according to Policy 470.0 (Response to Resistance and Aggression)
• Members who are shot or seriously injured
• Detonation of destructive device resulting in death or where death is likely due to injuries sustained
• Special Victims Unit (SVU): Supervisor must be notified of:
• Sexual batteries occurring within 120 hours of being reported - Involving a child twelve (12) years of age or older - Where the adult victim wishes to make a report to law enforcement
• Sexual battery of a child under twelve (12), regardless of time-lapse
• All child abuse cases involving serious injury or potential re-injury
• Stranger abductions/kidnappings where the victim is seventeen (17) or younger
• Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit: Supervisor must be notified of:
• Instances of suspected/known child pornography and a suspect who has access to children or is in a position of trust
• Instances an outside agency requests assistance from the ICAC Unit
• Accusations of possessing child pornography and willingness to allow law enforcement to conduct an onsite preview
• Computer or personal communications device-based crimes against juveniles demanding immediate response
• Crimes Against Persons Unit must be notified of:
• All missing persons with evidence of foul play
• Missing Endangered or Disabled adults - After reasonable efforts to locate the missing person have been made and have failed, if the Supervisor feels the situation warrants notifying the on-call Crimes Against Persons Supervisor - If the on-call Supervisor is not contacted, reports shall be forwarded to the Crimes Against Persons Unit
• Parental, custodial, or domestic violence-related abductions
• Stranger abductions/kidnappings of adults (except located victims where sexual battery or attempted sexual battery has occurred (must be referred to the SVU).)
• Missing juveniles - Younger than thirteen (13) - If older, consider the juvenile’s history of being missing before determining if the on-call Crimes Against Persons Supervisor needs to be notified
• Any domestic violence crime, with or without injury, where there is: - An articulable threat of repeat violence - An immediate need for an arrest warrant - A need for immediate and/or extensive follow-up
• Any aggravated stalking case with a chance of violence and a need for an arrest warrant
• Escapes from the county jail
• Violent Crimes Unit (VCU): Supervisor must be notified of commercial robberies, bank robberies, armed robberies with weapons, carjackings, home invasions, all shootings and stabbings with serious bodily injury, and other investigations assigned by the CID Bureau Major/designee
• Property Crime Unit: Supervisor must be notified of:
• Suspects who talk about property-related crimes like burglary, theft, criminal mischief, auto theft, dealing in stolen property
• Cases where immediate and extensive follow-up is required and could result in an arrest
• All commercial burglaries made through the roof/walls
• Commercial burglaries where the business safe/ATM was taken/opened/recovered
• Multiple auto theft cases involving the same suspects/defendants
• Auto theft cases which require immediate/extensive follow-up
• Members requesting about vehicle identity
• Members who may request detective unit to surveil a stolen vehicle
• All dump trucks, tractor-trailers, and transport trailers thefts
• All cases where anything is trackable (AirPods, airbags, phones), OR tracking device (LoJack, OnStar) is activated during a stolen motor vehicle

Protocol for Field Interviews

• Sworn members involved in encounters with either police/citizens can ask someone for information, or investigate reasonable suspicion.
• If reasonable suspicion is present, members are to stop and detain individuals using FSS 901.151 (Stop and Frisk Law)
• The date, time, and location of the person/activity, whether suspected criminal activity is common in the area, suspicious activities/circumstances, and whether those persons may be possible witnesses
• FI Cards will record activities based on provided information with a brief explanation for the interview must be included
• When an individual is unwilling to present ID, you should attempt a voluntary fingerprint submission of Rapid ID device
• All FI Cards require completion through Spillman; Patrol Supervisor reviews hardcopies while a Crime Analysis Unit scans the fingerprint (the FI Card is destroyed following electronic version transfer)
• FI Cards must be submitted by the end of shift

Guidelines Governing Photographing Individuals

• Sworn members can photograph individuals in any area lacking expectation of privacy.
• Individuals detained under FSS 901.151 (Stop and Frisk Law) may be required to submit to a clear facial photograph at the discretion of the sworn member.
• A written reason must be made on the FI Card and articulate the reason for detention

Vehicle Operation Expectations

• Members assigned to Patrol must drive defensively, obey traffic laws, and operate their vehicles safely and courteously.
• Agency vehicles must be compliant with: Policy 380.0 (Agency Vehicles), 460.0 (Emergency Vehicle Operation) and 461.0 (Pursuit Policy)

Patrol Vehicle Equipment

• Each vehicle for patrol and traffic must have:
• Blue and red emergency lights
• Siren
• Mobile/portable radio
• An exterior spotlight
• Alley and takedown lights
• Hazard warning lights
• A public address speaker
• Metal/plexiglass partition to separate front and rear passengers
• First Aid Kit (current + non-expired supplies)
• Fire extinguisher (except patrol/traffic motorcycles.)
• Operational flashlight
• Biohazard Kit
• PPE Kit
• Flares
• Tire deflation device

In-Vehicle Audio/Video Recording Devices

• Members must comply with procedures through policy 479.0, Mobile Video Recording and Body Worn Camera Equipment.
• Members and passengers use occupant safety-restraining devices installed on each car at all times
• Arrestee Safety needs to be following policy 283.0 Arrestee Transport

Issue Equipment Guidelines

• Each Sworn member needs to have issued equipment with them in the patrol vehicle and replenish when low
• Worn/inoperable equipment needs to be replaced.
• Also required:
• Charger, flashlight with a reflective traffic wand as well as a traffic vest, latent print kits + report forms and pamphlets, Biohazard waste containers and crime scene tape

Use of Body Armor

• Body armor needs to be available to all sworn members as outlined in Policy 331.0 Uniform Standards and Sworn Dress Code
• A sworn member needs to be wearing protective armor and can not be performing law enforcement without it unless:
• A member is involved in undercover (the Supervisor deems wearing armor would compromise)
• When the Sheriff/designee determines circumstances do not require wearing

Protocol for Keychain Extrication Devices

• An extrication device that links to the keychain may be issued, and their usage should be to policy 2013-03TB Extrication.

Guidelines for Requesting a Canine Unit

• Any member can request supervision, provided canine teams are observed:
• Determine (1) misdemeanor with credible bodily harm and if (a) prosecution and (b) description and clothing of any weapon
• Secure a scent (unwashed clothing used recently by a person/ close fitting clothing.)
  • Members can not handle the scent and should indicate notification to a Incident Commander.
• Determine location, protect the area, prevent contamination.

For Members Providing Perimeter Security:

• Should be secured within the vehicle, with noise reduced
• Prevent subjects in the perimeter and prevent unauthorized entry points
• Can not leave the position For any Supervisor, the Aviation side should evaluate any possible coverage
• Establish it for to prevent further contamination
• Must evaluate and have the ability to contact any owner to seek for permission for to be inside. Provide close help and security at all times