Standard Operating Procedures for Broward Sheriff's Office Knox Box PDF

BROWARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES 4.43 SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY (SBBC) KNOX BOX A. Purpose: 1. The Knox Box allows for rapid, non-destructive entry...

BROWARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES 4.43 SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY (SBBC) KNOX BOX A. Purpose: 1. The Knox Box allows for rapid, non-destructive entry into structures without causing unnecessary damage. The Knox Box reduces department liability when handling individual occupancy keys with no accountability. General policies and procedures related to custodial responsibility for tangible property used in BSO and owned by employees or other agencies (Board of Education, Broward Commissioners, US Customs, etc.) are addressed in Sheriff’s Policy Manual 12.2 (Custodial Responsibility). Additional procedures specifically related to Knox Boxes are addressed in this section. B. General: 1. The BSO District retains the only keys available to access Knox Boxes manufactured for BSO use, including any other related devices (padlocks, etc.). Therefore, a BSO representative must be present at any time access is needed into a Knox Box. 2. The Knox Box will contain up to five sets of master keys. If necessary, additional keys for portable areas that are often keyed differently than the main buildings will be added to the Knox Box. 3. The Knox Box will be enclosed in a weatherproof covering concealing its function. 4. Each school within BSO’s jurisdiction will have a Knox Box key that will be unique to each district. 5. The District Captain, or a designee appointed by the Sheriff, shall serve as the Knox Box Coordinator. 6. Additional Knox Box keys and other related lock box equipment must be authorized by the Knox Box Coordinator. 7. All Knox Boxes are secured with an integrity seal applied by the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) from the School Board of Broward County (SBBC). a. School Resource Officers (SROs) will conduct monthly checks of the seals to ensure it has not been Reviewed: 08/01/2023 Revised: 11/16/2023 Rescinds: 06/30/2023 Effective: 12/07/2023 4.43 Page 1 of 3  BROWARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES opened. b. For schools that are staffed by Coach Aaron Feis Guardians, it will be the responsibility of the District SRO Supervisor to conduct the monthly inspection of the Knox Box seals. c. All seal inspections will be noted on the monthly log. 8. Within 30 days of the start of each school year, the district SRO Supervisor, in conjunction with SIU, will conduct an inspection of all Knox Boxes within the BSO district for the purpose of verifying the five sets of keys contained in the box are the correct keys the will provide access to the appropriate gates and doors. The inspection will be recorded on that month’s log. C. Authorization for Use: 1. Knox Boxes will be accessed in emergency Lockdown situations. 2. The Knox Box can and will be used for routine responses where life safety issues are not in play. The Knox Box can be accessed for the purpose of alarms, burglaries, etc. 3. School personnel will not have the Knox Box key. This is strictly for law enforcement. D. Use: 1. Deputies dispatched/responding to the school will request the Knox Box key from the supervisor to gain access into the Knox Box. 2. Once a key is removed from the Knox Box to gain entry, the Knox Box shall be re-secured and locked. 3. The Knox Box shall not remain open if other keys are present in the device. 4. At the conclusion of the incident, all keys shall be re-secured inside the Knox Box. Reviewed: 08/01/2023 Revised: 11/16/2023 Rescinds: 06/30/2023 Effective: 12/07/2023 4.43 Page 2 of 3  BROWARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES 5. An Incident Report documenting access into the Knox Box will be completed. 6. The Incident Commander shall be responsible for the security and notifications relating to the use of the Knox Box contents. E. Incident Commander / Supervisor Responsibilities: 1. The Incident Commander shall email YNS- [email protected] and ensure that the SBBC designee is notified via telephone at 754-321-3500 and via email at [email protected] as soon as possible of any instance in which it was necessary for agency personnel to access SBBC facility keys stored in the SBBC Facility Knox Box. F. Loss of Key 1. In the event that a Knox Box key is reported lost or stolen, notification will be made to the District Captain, or designee and Knox Box Coordinator immediately. An Incident Report documenting the loss shall also be completed within 24 hours. The Knox Box Coordinator must email a copy of the report to the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) Chief at [email protected]. Reviewed: 08/01/2023 Revised: 11/16/2023 Rescinds: 06/30/2023 Effective: 12/07/2023 4.43 Page 3 of 3