Chapter 10 Administration PDF

CHAPTER 10 – ADMINISTRATION REV. APRIL 15, 2014 10.01 WRITTEN DIRECTIVES A. During the normal course of business in the day to day operation of the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, many functions, situations, and activities repeatedly occur. Examples of this might include the booking of priso...

CHAPTER 10 – ADMINISTRATION REV. APRIL 15, 2014 10.01 WRITTEN DIRECTIVES A. During the normal course of business in the day to day operation of the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, many functions, situations, and activities repeatedly occur. Examples of this might include the booking of prisoners, making arrest, using physical force, dispatching patrol units, and the like. The results or outcomes of these recurring activities can be either beneficial or detrimental to the success of the BCSO, depending on how such is carried out. B. In order to provide consistency and efficiency, written directives are used as a measure for directing personnel performance toward a beneficial rather than a detrimental result. Written directives are also used when it appears they would contribute to improved work quality or quantity, or where such may improve the overall working environment for our employees. Written directives likewise provide the proper direction and discretion needed by our employees to adjust to any particular situation. C. As stated elsewhere in this Manual; with the Sheriff rests the responsibility of determining office policy. D. Policies identify what is desired. They clearly set out the intended result, outcome or purpose of a function, situation or activity. If the reason for a particular policy is not clearly obvious, then the policy should also explain why a particular result is desired. It is an accepted fact that employees are better able to carry out the desires of administration when they understand the reasoning behind any given policy. E. Procedures compliment policy in that they tell how a particular policy should be accomplished. The procedures, which accompany a policy, should explicitly explain how the desired result of the policy is to be accomplished under normal circumstances. Procedures are more than guides; they give specific direction to employees. Having these coupled with the exercise of basic good judgment on the part of employees, there should be only minimal difficulties encountered at most, in accomplishing the desired results. F. Rules may be then set in place once the direction of the BCSO is established. Rules are usually prepared by management and specify certain things the BCSO would have its employees do or not do. G. Rules are the most restrictive of directives and are written to closely regulate employee behavior and performance. Rules identify certain things which must be done or must not be done. They permit no discretion on the part of the employee governed by them, unless such is specifically stated therein. Written directives of this nature are to be treated as orders. 10.02 AUTHORITY TO PREPARE WRITTEN DIRECTIVES A. Directives pertaining to the BCSO as a whole and those concerning policy and procedure will be issued only by the Sheriff or the Chief Deputy. Effective date April 30, 2014 122 B. Directives which pertain to only one division, unit or section may be issued by the appropriate administrator, director, or manager. Such writings are usually in the form of rules which guide those serving under the command of a higher authority, and shall be consistent with the authority of the person preparing same. Such directives shall not conflict with this Manual. 10.03 PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND ATTIRE/AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Sheriff’s Office employees can be recognized for exceptional, heroic and outstanding acts of service to the Sheriff’s Office and the Community. 10.04 POLICY It is the policy of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office to recognize both sworn and non-sworn employees who perform extraordinary acts of courage, heroism or who distinguish themselves by providing outstanding service to the Sheriff’s Office and/or the Community. 10.05 CATEGORY OF AWARDS A. Awards of Honor 1. Medal of Honor: This award is the highest award presented by the Sheriff’s Office. It is awarded to Sheriff’s Deputies and Detention Officers who distinguish themselves by displaying great courage in the face of immediate life threatening peril to themselves with full knowledge of the risks involved. 2. Medal of Valor: This award is presented to Deputy Sheriffs and Detention Officers for heroic deeds and exceptional conduct involving significant risk to their personal safety during the performance of their duty. 3. Life Saving Award: This award is presented to Deputy Sheriffs and Detention Officers who are directly responsible for saving a human life. 4. Purple Heart. This award is presented to Deputy Sheriffs and Detention Officers who are either killed or suffer bodily injury while encountering a hostile person(s) or situation during the performance of their duty. B. Awards of Service 1. Meritorious Service Award: This award is presented to Deputy Sheriffs and Detention Officers who distinguish themselves by their exemplary actions at a particular incident. Examples of these types of actions include judgment, courage, teamwork, investigative skills, management skills and immediate recognition and response to a law enforcement or jail activity. 2. Distinguish Service Award: This award is presented to Deputy Sheriffs and Detention Officers who distinguish themselves for exemplary service to the Sheriff’s Office 3. Community Service Award: This award is presented to Deputy Sheriffs and Detention Officers who distinguish themselves for volunteer work in the Community. Effective date April 30, 2014 123 C. Awards for Achievement 1. Good Conduct Award: This award is presented to Sheriff Deputies and Detention Officers who perform their duties and responsibilities in an effective manner for a period of five (5) consecutive years without having received any punitive disciplinary action(s). Punitive disciplinary action(s) include final administrative actions which result in reduction in rank, suspension of pay, disciplinary probation periods and written reprimands. 2. Patrol Safe Driving Award: This award is presented to Sheriff Deputies assigned to the Patrol Division upon their completing five (5) consecutive years of service without a chargeable county vehicle accident and each subsequent five (5) years during which a Sheriff Deputy has not had a chargeable county vehicle accident. 3. Instructor License Award: This award is presented to Sheriff Deputies and Detention Officers upon their receiving a TCOLE Instructor License. 4. Master Peace Officer/Jailer Certification Award: This award is presented to Sheriff Deputies and Detention Officers upon their receiving a Master Peace Officer Certification and or a Master Jailer Certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). 5. Advanced Peace Officer/Jailer Certification Award: This award is presented to Sheriff Deputies and Detention Officers upon their receiving an Advanced Peace Officer Certification and or an Advanced Jailer Certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). 6. Intermediate Peace Officer/Jailer Certification Award: This award is presented to Sheriff Deputies and Detention Officers upon their receiving an Intermediate Peace Officer and or Intermediate Jailer Certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). 10.06 NOMINATION PROCESS Request for Nomination: A. Any person who witnesses or otherwise has knowledge of an exemplary act by an employee may initiate a request for recognition by submitting written correspondence to the Sheriff’s Administration Division. B. Division, Section, and Unit Commanders shall nominate employees under their command for the various awards for service by submitting written correspondence to the Sheriff’s Administration Division. C. Awards for Achievement do not require formal nomination. Effective date April 30, 2014 124 D. Nominations received by Sheriff’s Administration shall be provided to an Awards Evaluation Committee. The Awards Evaluation Committee shall review nominations to ensure the actions taken by the nominated employee fit the criteria established for the recommended award. 10.07 AWARDS EVALUATION COMMITTEE A. The Awards Evaluation Committee is appointed by the Sheriff and will be comprised of five (5) members. It is charged with the responsibility of rendering recommendation for the various awards for the nominated employees. B. The Awards Evaluation Committee; through majority decision, recommends: 1. The award be approved or; 2. An alternate award be approved or; 3. No award is approved. C. The Awards Evaluation Committee forwards all recommendations; whether approved or disapproved, to the Office of the Sheriff for review. D. The Awards Evaluation Committee will meet on a quarterly basis. 10.08 AWARDS NOTIFICATION AND PRESENTATION A. The Awards Evaluation committee notifies each nominated employee, in writing, of the recommendation made by the committee. B. All nominations for awards, whether approved or disapproved, are to be placed in the nominated employee’s personnel file. C. Approved Awards of Honor are to be presented by the Sheriff or designated representative at a formal ceremony. D. Approved Awards for Service or Awards for Achievement are to be presented to the employee by the Division Administrator or designated representative. 10.09 DISPLAY OF AWARDS Deputy Sheriffs or Detention Officers who have received the Medal of Honor may display the medal portion of the award with the regulation uniform during the following events: A. Speaking Engagements B. Organizational special events and ceremonies C. As authorized by the Office of the Sheriff Effective date April 30, 2014 125  1. Deputy Sheriffs and Detention Officers who have received an award described above may wear the commendation bar portion on the regulation uniform. The commendation bar will be worn on the regulation uniform shirt or dress coat above the name tag. When more than one bar is worn they will be worn in rows of two with the highest category of award always being worn on the left. 2. The medal (if any) and commendation bar portion of all Awards for Service and Achievement may be purchased by the employee eligible to wear the Awards at the employee’s expense. 3. The specifications for the commendation bar portion of all awards are as follows; 4. Size: 1 ¼ inches wide by 3/9 inch high. 5. Composition: Clear plastic laminated designed on a brass backing. Effective date April 30, 2014 126