Omaha Police Department Flags Policy PDF

POLICE FACILITIES – FLAGS POLICY: It is the policy of the Omaha Police Department (OPD) to correctly display and maintain all flags. PROCEDURE: I. Half-Staff Status of United States Flags. A. The Captain or designee located at each OPD building, shall subscribe to https://halfst...

POLICE FACILITIES – FLAGS POLICY: It is the policy of the Omaha Police Department (OPD) to correctly display and maintain all flags. PROCEDURE: I. Half-Staff Status of United States Flags. A. The Captain or designee located at each OPD building, shall subscribe to https://halfstaff.org/ notifications in order to correctly display the United States (U.S.) flag at half-staff status. II. OPD Central Police Headquarters (CPHQ) Flags. A. Placement of Flags 1. Five (5) flagpoles will be maintained outside of the CPHQ building. Flags will be placed on the poles as follows: a. The National Law Enforcement Memorial Flag shall be flown on the northernmost flag pole; b. Directly to the south shall be the Nebraska State flag; c. The United States flag shall be on the middle pole; d. The City of Omaha flag shall be directly to the south of the U.S. flag; and e. The OPD flag shall be on the southernmost pole. NOTE: These flags shall normally be flown at full-staff. B. OPD Memorial Flag Procedures 1. The normal placement of the OPD flag shall be altered and the OPD Memorial flag shall be flown in its place on the following occasions: a. Upon notification of the death of any sworn employee of the OPD, retired or active; or b. Upon special orders from the Mayor or Chief of Police. EXAMPLE: Circumstances might include the death of an officer from a nearby jurisdiction. C. Flag Lowering – Death of an Active or Retired OPD Officer 1. Any employee with knowledge of the death of any active or retired employee of the OPD should notify the Public Information Officer (PIO), who shall then notify the OPD Headquarters Front Desk Duty Sergeant immediately. 2. The Front Desk Sergeant shall arrange to have two uniformed officers or designees raise the OPD Memorial flag following this protocol: a. The United States flag shall remain raised. 1  b. The Nebraska State flag, the City of Omaha flag, and the National Law Enforcement Memorial flag will be lowered to half-staff as follows: (1) The Nebraska State flag shall be lowered to a position of half-staff with its top edge aligned with the half-way point of the pole. (2) The City of Omaha flag shall be lowered to a position of half-staff with its top edge aligned with the half-way point of the pole and even with the Nebraska State flag. (3) The National Law Enforcement Memorial flag shall be lowered to a position of half-staff with its top edge aligned with the mid-points of the State and City flags. c. The OPD flag shall be lowered, removed and folded. The flag will be placed in a protective cover and stored in a safe place at the Front Desk. d. The OPD Memorial flag shall be attached to the pole and raised to a position of half-staff with its top edge aligned with the mid-points of the State and City flags and even with the National Law Enforcement Memorial flag. D. Flag Raising – Death of an Active or Retired OPD Officer 1. The flags shall be flown in this manner until 1200 hours on the seventh day following the death of the deceased, or until an order is received from the Mayor or Chief of Police. EXCEPTION: The flags shall be flown at half-staff for (30) thirty days after the death of an officer when they are killed in the line of duty. 2. At the end of the time period, the following procedure shall be followed: a. The U.S. flag shall be slowly lowered to the base of the pole and then raised to the top of the pole and securely fastened. b. The State flag shall be slowly lowered to the base of the pole and then raised to the top of the pole and securely fastened. c. The City of Omaha flag shall be slowly lowered to the base of the pole and then raised to the top of the pole and securely fastened. d. The National Law Enforcement Memorial flag shall be slowly lowered and then raised to the top of the pole and securely fastened. e. The OPD Memorial flag shall be lowered and slowly removed and folded. It shall be placed into a protective cover for storage and stored in a safe place at the Front Desk. (1) The OPD flag shall be attached and raised to the top of the pole. E. Flag Maintenance 1. The OPD Headquarters Front Desk Sergeant or designee shall be responsible for the care and storage of the flags and will notify Facilities Management if a flag needs repair or cleaning. 2  2. Facilities Management shall make the necessary arrangements to have the flag or flags cleaned or replaced. REFERENCES: I. Previous OPD Orders A. Previous General Orders: #44-86, 51-94, 73-94, 87-95, 65-00, 87-18, 63-21, and 40-24. 3