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The Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), located at 9450 E Columbus Dr, Tampa, FL 33619, serves as a valuable resource for the Tampa Police Department.
True
In addition, the City of Tampa has its own Emergency Operations Center located at 711 E. Henderson Avenue at the GTE Federal Credit Union.
True
Priority one calls are those which are in progress, involving potential death or serious injury. It also includes those calls, which have just occurred and involve death or serious injury.
True
All pursuits will be handled priority one.
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PRIORITY ONE: It is the department’s goal to strive for an arrival time of eight minutes from the time of dispatch to the arrival of the first unit.
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PRIORITY TWO: An officer responding to a priority two police emergency will not travel at more than fifteen miles per hour in excess of the posted speed limit.
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These calls include those calls for service, which are in progress and involve the potential of major property loss or damage
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The response goal for priority two calls is twelve minutes from the time of dispatch to the arrival of the first unit.
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A police officer making a traffic stop shall inform the Communications Dispatcher, in a manner which enables the dispatcher to copy the information, that the officer is stopping a vehicle, the location, a brief description of the vehicle being stopped, and license number if available.
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Use of private driveways, gas stations (when open), or other areas providing access to business establishments shall not be used for traffic stops when reasonably avoidable.
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TRAFFIC STOP ON PRIVATE PROPERTY: No legal authority exists to use private property in these cases, and, if asked to move, the officer must comply, absent an emergency.
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Priority Two: The vehicle’s emergency equipment will be used as needed to alert other traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, to the approach of the emergency vehicle.
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Officers will not provide emergency escorts for private vehicles.
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All officers involved in the pursuit will complete the Pursuit Form TPD Form 996. The officers will document their involvement such as, initiating unit, secondary unit, paralleling unit, etc.
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A copy of the report will be forwarded to the Assistant Chief of Operations via the division commander of the affected division.
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Unmarked and low profile agency vehicles that are pursuit rated may engage in pursuits until a marked vehicle can take over as the primary vehicle.
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All other vehicles, such as undercover vehicles, covert vehicles, motorcycles, special purpose vehicles, patrol wagons, mobile crime labs and vehicles not equipped with emergency equipment shall not become engaged in pursuits.
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However, a covert vehicle may have the opportunity to covertly follow a suspect vehicle without engaging in a pursuit. If at such time the suspect vehicle flees at a high rate of speed, the officer driving the covert vehicle shall refrain from engaging in a pursuit.
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There may be times, under the most egregious circumstances it may be imperative that a suspect vehicle must be pursued. A covert vehicle and a non-pursuit rated unmarked vehicle may engage in a pursuit until such time that an authorized pursuit vehicle can take over the pursuit and relieve the covert vehicle from its involvement in the pursuit.
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Law enforcement personnel, when accompanied by non-sworn passengers shall only engage in pursuits when they are the primary unit and have initiated the pursuit.
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Non-sworn passengers include victims, witnesses, citizen riders, interns, ride-along program participants, authorized family members or other non-law enforcement personnel.
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Officers transporting prisoners shall not become involved in police pursuits.
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PURSUE FOR: Any forcible felony as defined in Florida Statutes §776.08 to include any felony which involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual;
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PURSUE FOR: Any burglary of a structure or conveyance whether or not the structure or conveyance is occupied at the time of the crime
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IF IT'S A BURG OF CONVEYANCE AND NO OTHER FORCIBLE FELONY, MUST GET PERMISSION TO PURSUE.
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if the law violation is for a burglary of a conveyance only and not an additional forcible felony, the pursuing officer shall request and receive express verbal permission via radio to continue the pursuit from the shift commander or patrol supervisor as soon as practicable.
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If no permission is received within a reasonable time from the request being made, the pursuit shall be terminated by the initiating officer.
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The decision of continuing a pursuit in which the fleeing vehicle refuses to stop will be evaluated continuously by the pursuing law enforcement officer, the shift commander and/or patrol supervisor. This evaluation will include, but not be limited to, factors considered prior to initiating a pursuit. Distance outside city limits as well as availability of assisting resources shall greatly influence a supervisor’s determination as to the continuation of the pursuit.
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Upon initiation of a pursuit, normally only the initiating police vehicle (the primary vehicle) and two back-up vehicles (secondary vehicles) will be necessary. The number of units involved may be adjusted, with supervisory approval, to fit the situation.
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The goal in aircraft assisted situations is that when the pursuit vehicles shut down their emergency equipment and back-off from the pursuit, it will lead the suspect to believe the pursuit has terminated.
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Note: Aviation intelligence shall greatly influence a supervisor’s determination as to the continuation of a pursuit.
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Upon initiation of a pursuit, affected supervisor(s) will acknowledge and monitor the pursuit making appropriate decisions as necessary. The shift commander or patrol supervisor shall respond within a reasonable time to the pursuing officer’s request to continue a pursuit for a burglary of a conveyance.
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Supervisors involved in or witnessing a pursuit will advise dispatch of status.
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Overall responsibility for the discretionary decisions concerning the continuance or discontinuance of a pursuit rests primarily with the shift commander or patrol supervisor.
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The supervisor or shift commander will respond to the termination point of all pursuits. If the pursuit is called off before termination, the supervisor will meet with all officers involved.
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If an arrest is effected outside of Hillsborough County, the arrestee(s) shall be held at the scene until law enforcement members of the agency in the jurisdiction where the arrest occurred, arrive to make the formal arrest. The arrestee(s) shall not be returned to Hillsborough County until formal procedures have been carried out.
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Participation in another agency’s pursuit is allowed if specifically authorized by a field supervisor. In these circumstances, Tampa Police pursuit policies are in effect for units that participate in another agency’s pursuit. Additionally, participation is allowed if:
- It is clearly demonstrated that the pursuing unit is unable to ask for assistance, or
- The emergency circumstances dictate the need for assistance.
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The Shift Commander monitoring the pursuit will complete the Managerial Pursuit Form as an administrative review of the pursuit’s initiation, continuance and conclusion
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The Shift Commander monitoring the pursuit shall complete or cause the completion of appropriate administrative paperwork involving the pursuit and associated criminal incident reporting. This reporting includes but not limited to: a. Daily Incident Log;
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If the pursuit’s termination is caused by a traffic crash or police intervention technique and results in less than serious injuries or property damage, the supervisor will:
- Notify the appropriate shift commander, who will determine use of additional latent personnel and resources.
- Request the response of Forensics personnel to photograph and process the scene.
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If the pursuit’s termination is caused by a traffic crash or police intervention technique and results in death or life threatening injury, immediate notification will be made to the Chief’s Executive Staff, the Police Legal Advisor, the Public Safety Information Officer, the Professional Standards Bureau, City of Tampa Risk Management, and the Traffic Homicide/Hit and Run supervisor.
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Officers initiating any police intervention technique should be reminded that the utilization of such techniques are intentional acts and shall not be documented as traffic crashes. Reporting of police intervention and circumstances involving their utilization will be documented in an Incident or Supplement Report. a. If damage to any property, police or civilian occurs, officers shall also initiate a Risk Management Information Form (TPD 609). c. In the case of such property damage and/or injury occurs as a result of police intervention; officers should secure the scene, obtain photographs and notify appropriate supervisory personnel.
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The supervisor will ensure audio/video recordings of vehicles equipped with an in-car camera system are secured and placed in evidence and/or the appropriate administrative report package.
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In the absence of a response from the Homicide Squad or Major Crimes Bureau, the on-scene supervisor will ensure the following occur: a. Attempts to contact/notify next of kin, exhausting every resource in notifying next of kin and providing them with the Medical Examiner’s Office contact information – (813) 914-4500 (per SOP 689.2). b. Attempts to contact the personal physician, if available, regarding a death certificate. c. Notification to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office (per F.S.S. 406.11 and S.O.P. 385), (813) 914-4567 (Law Enforcement Only). d. Use of the Forensic Investigations Unit and a crime scene technician for photographs/evidence collection; instances when the Medical Examiner’s Office declines jurisdiction, photographs can be taken with a Squad-assigned digital camera. e. All property belonging to deceased persons is appropriately addressed (per SOP 339). f. Report referral to the Homicide Squad, via report reference guidelines (S.O.P. 404.2).
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In the event of an industrial or workplace death, the shift commander will ensure that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is notified. During business hours, OSHA can be contacted at (813) 626-1177. For afterhours and weekend incidents, OSHA can be contacted at (800) 321-6742.
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