Houston Police Department General Orders 2024 PDF

Houston Police Department General Orders Table of Contents SERIES 100: ORGANIZATION...

Houston Police Department General Orders Table of Contents SERIES 100: ORGANIZATION Issue Date Page Total* 100-01................. Internal Directives 11-04-15 03 100-02................. RESCINDED 01-28-93, Circular 93-0128-001 100-03................. Definitions of Terms 07-31-19 10 100-04................. RESCINDED 03-16-88, Circular 88-0316-002 100-05................. RESCINDED 03-23-20, Circular 20-0323-052 100-06................. Department Mission, Values, Ethics, and Guiding Principles 01-31-12 02 100-07................. Standard Operating Procedures 05-09-19 02 100-08................. RESCINDED 09-15-92, Circular 92-0915-005 SERIES 200: ADMINISTRATION Issue Date Page Total* 200-01................. Requesting Legal Opinions 03-16-20 01 200-02................. Employees Facing Legal Action 06-07-13 02 200-03................. Investigation of Employee Misconduct 02-21-12 08 200-04................. Assistance to Employees Involved in Critical Incidents 08-27-21 04 200-05................. Employee Parking Regulations 04-30-18 08 200-06................. Political Activities 09-24-18 02 200-07................. Grants Administration 08-01-13 02 200-08................. Conduct and Authority 05-09-19 08 200-09................. Line Inspections 04-29-20 02 200-10................. Significant Events 05-10-23 04 200-11................. Employee Integrity and Verifications Program 01-20-23 05 200-12................. Purchasing Process 05-24-16 07 200-13................. Polygraph Examinations 06-19-15 03 200-14................. Telephone Regulations 03-26-21 04 200-15................. Employee Association Access 09-15-20 04 200-16................. Cooperative Agreements 05-20-20 02 200-17................. Travel Authorization and Reimbursement Procedures 06-27-18 06 200-18................. Citizen Claims Against the City 04-08-20 01 200-19................. Americans with Disabilities Act 11-14-17 04 200-20................. Awards and Commendations 02-05-21 28 200-21................. RESCINDED 11-09-93, Circular 93-1109-002 200-22................. RESCINDED 08-25-94, Circular 94-0825-266 200-23................. RESCINDED 01-21-94, Circular 94-0121-018 200-24................. RESCINDED 11-09-93, Circular 93-1109-002 200-25................. RESCINDED 12-12-00, Circular 00-1212-321 General Orders Table of Contents Page 1, February 13, 2024 200-26................. Workday and Workweek 05-23-18 11 200-27................. Meal Period 01-18-13 02 (O) 200-28................. Officer Funerals and Ceremonial Honors 01-21-15 02 200-29................. RESCINDED 10-13-94, Circular 94-1013-319 200-30................. RESCINDED 06-18-97, Circular 97-0618-102 200-31................. Smoking, Tobacco Use, and Electronic Cigarettes 08-02-16 01 200-32................. RESCINDED 10-17-05, Circular 05-1017-272 200-33................. Oath of Office and Promotional Oath 03-15-17 02 200-34................. RESCINDED 05-13-10, Circular 10-0513-099 200-35................. Speakers at Department Events 08-27-21 01 200-36................. Solicitation, Gifts, and Bribery 11-26-14 02 200-37................. RESCINDED 06-18-97, Circular 97-0618-102 200-38................. RESCINDED 05-18-93, Circular 93-0518-006 200-39................. Cash Handling 10-22-14 04 200-40................. Petty Cash Funds 06-22-16 09 200-41................. Department Presence on Social Media and the Internet 05-20-20 03 200-42................. RESCINDED 09-15-20, Circular 20-0915-148 SERIES 300: PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Issue Date Page Total* 300-01................. Allocation of Positions 08-12-10 01 300-02................. Transfer of Classified Employees 07-22-14 15 (O) 300-03................. Seniority 02-02-17 04 300-04................. Compensation 01-13-21 06 (O) 300-05................. Workers’ Compensation 05-02-19 10 300-06................. Training – Classified 03-28-16 06 300-07................. Overtime Compensation – Classified 03-31-20 10 (O) 300-08................. Classified Employee Efficiency Rating 03-14-19 05 (O) 300-09................. Absence from Duty – Classified 07-02-19 11 (O) 300-10................. Transitional Duty Assignment 05-01-19 09 300-11................. Discrimination, Harassment, and Other Prohibited Conduct 11-04-19 14 300-12................. Grievance Procedure 06-19-18 10 300-13................. Separation and Reinstatement 02-06-17 03 300-14................. Extra Employment 08-19-20 21 300-15................. Appearance and Grooming Standards 07-27-20 23 300-16................. RESCINDED 03-14-96, Circular 96-0314-079 300-17................. Employee Drug and Alcohol Testing 10-30-18 11 300-18................. Clothing Allowance 07-08-15 02 (O) 300-19................. Physical Fitness and Agility Program 02-20-19 02 (O) 300-20................. RESCINDED 09-29-95, Circular 95-0929-266 300-21................. Communicable Disease Policy 06-23-17 08 300-22................. Personnel Files 12-19-23 04 General Orders Table of Contents Page 2, February 13, 2024 300-23................. RESCINDED 10-04-94, Circular 94-1004-304 300-24................. Early Warning System 06-28-22 06 300-25................. Court Attendance and Compensation 07-11-16 10 300-26................. Employee Representative Council 03-26-15 06 300-27................. Standards of Productivity 08-23-18 03 (O) 300-28................. Use of Intoxicants 07-16-19 02 300-29................. Donation of Time 02-19-19 03 300-30................. Volunteering Time for Convalescing Officers 05-30-17 02 (O) 300-31................. RESERVED 300-32................. Processing Complaints and Employee Issues 04-10-17 07 300-33................. Mediation 06-19-18 08 300-34................. Strategic Officer Staffing Program 05-10-23 04 (O) 300-35................. Phase Down Program 10-17-23 04 (O) 300-36................. Exempt Time Compensation and Exempt Time Credit 05-23-18 07 (O) SERIES 400: EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS Issue Date Page Total* 400-01................. RESCINDED 06-07-93, Circular 93-0607-001 400-02................. HPD Badges and Identification Cards 02-22-21 07 400-03................. RESCINDED 06-07-93, Circular 93-0607-001 400-04................. RESCINDED 03-17-98, Circular 98-0317-079 (see GO 400-18) 400-05................. Firearms Qualification, Training, and Control 02-03-21 22 400-06................. Carrying Concealed Firearms 04-03-17 04 (O) 400-07................. Vehicle Use and Assignment 09-17-18 10 400-08................. City Vehicle Crashes 08-24-20 07 400-09................. RESCINDED 03-14-96, Circular 96-0315-081 400-10................. Unit and Radio Numbering 09-08-21 05 400-11................. RESCINDED 04-14-16, Circular 16-0414-082 400-12................. Surveillance Equipment 04-30-21 05 400-13................. Acceptable Use of Computer Systems 05-17-22 06 400-14................. Control of Police Department Property 01-27-21 05 400-15................. Office Supplies and Office Copy Machines 04-17-15 02 400-16................. RESCINDED 03-24-09, renumbered to 200-12 400-17................. RESCINDED 01-27-21, Circular 21-0127-017 400-18................. Responsibility for City and Other Government Property 10-27-15 03 400-19................. Computer Regulations 05-17-22 04 400-20................. Vehicle Allocation 07-28-15 02 400-21................. RESCINDED 05-17-22, Circular 22-0517-061 400-22................. Keys, Passwords, and Personal Identification Numbers 12-09-20 02 400-23................. Mobile Video Equipment 08-27-21 08 400-24................. Child Safety Seats 02-27-15 01 400-25................. RESCINDED 05-17-22, Circular 22-0517-059 General Orders Table of Contents Page 3, February 13, 2024 400-26................. Conducted Energy Devices 06-19-20 11 (O) 400-27................. Automated Vehicle Location System 12-16-14 02 400-28................. Body Worn Cameras 01-20-21 13 400-29................. Automated License Plate Recognition 04-09-15 06 400-30................. Radiological / Nuclear Detection and Prevention 08-21-19 04 400-31................. Remote Restraint Device 09-15-20 07 (O) 400-32................. Use of Drones 01-10-22 05 SERIES 500: ARREST AND DETENTION Issue Date Page Total* 500-01................. Effecting Arrests and Searches 05-02-19 12 (O) 500-02................. Handling and Transporting Prisoners and Other Persons 10-04-19 04 500-03................. Guarding Prisoners at Area Hospitals 11-25-19 04 (O) 500-04................. Driving While Intoxicated 10-03-18 10 500-05................. Undocumented Immigrants 02-27-20 02 (O) 500-06................. Juvenile and Young Adult Encounters 06-08-22 07 500-07................. Filing Class B or Higher Charges 05-02-23 08 (O) 500-08................. Required Booking Information and Procedures 10-04-19 08 500-09................. RESCINDED 10-04-19, Circular 19-1004-185 500-10................. Brady/Michael Morton Act Disclosure Requirements 11-04-19 03 500-11................. Publicly Intoxicated Persons 10-04-19 06 500-12................. Response to Mental Health Incidents 01-28-21 09 500-13................. Use of Interpreters and Translators 06-21-22 07 500-14................. Class C Misdemeanors 10-04-19 07 (O) 500-15................. Contact with Representatives of Foreign Governments 11-25-19 04 500-16................. Referral of Drivers for Reexamination by Licensing Authority 04-15-20 02 (O) 500-17................. Transferring Prisoners in the Field 10-04-19 03 (O) 500-18................. Traffic Violations by Legislators and Military Personnel 02-26-15 02 (O) 500-19................. Warrant Service Procedures 04-05-23 09 (O) 500-20................. Treatment of Prisoners, Suspects, and Other Citizens 04-03-17 01 500-21................. RESCINDED 11-10-94, Circular 94-1110-342 500-22................. RESCINDED 05-31-96, Circular 96-0531-133 500-23................. RESCINDED 12-11-19, Circular 19-1211-219 SERIES 600: OPERATIONS Issue Date Page Total* 600-01................. Response Management 04-07-23 16 600-02................. Beat Accountability 03-17-14 02 600-03................. General Broadcasts 03-15-17 04 600-04................. Motor Vehicle Pursuits 09-14-23 15 600-05................. Special Threat Situations 05-24-17 08 (O) 600-06................. Family Violence 03-07-18 11 General Orders Table of Contents Page 4, February 13, 2024 600-07................. Death Investigations 03-23-23 02 600-08................. Missing, Kidnapped, and Found Persons 05-12-22 07 600-09................. Crash Investigations 08-24-20 10 600-10................. Towing 11-29-16 15 600-11................. Foot Pursuits 11-22-23 05 600-12................. Emergency Notification 12-23-13 02 600-13................. RESCINDED 02-13-24, Circular 24-0213-020 600-14................. Sexual Assaults 08-01-22 05 600-15................. Incidents Involving Vulnerable Persons 05-10-23 03 600-16................. Confidential Informants and Other Sources of Information 01-21-21 16 (O) 600-17................. Use of Force 03-04-22 09 600-18................. Firearm, Soft-Impact Weapon, and 40MM Launcher Discharges 04-05-23 06 600-19................. Police Headquarters Security 08-02-16 02 600-20................. Use of Force Reporting 03-04-22 09 600-21................. Public Recording of Police Activity 02-25-20 06 600-22................. Feeding Employees During Extended Events 05-01-23 02 600-23................. Officers Signatures on State Motor Vehicle Forms 02-24-16 01 (O) 600-24................. Deconflicting Covert and Narcotics Related Operations 05-22-17 06 (O) 600-25................. Social Media Use for Investigations 06-04-20 06 600-26................. Labor Disputes 09-19-17 03 (O) 600-27................. Initial and Follow-Up Investigations 10-02-23 03 (O) 600-28................. Emergency Management 05-10-23 09 600-29................. Parking Citations 04-30-18 02 600-30................. RESCINDED 09-23-92, Circular 92-0923-005 600-31................. Burglar, Holdup, and Panic Alarms 05-02-19 05 600-32................. Ride-Along Program 09-28-23 06 600-33................. Social Services Assistance and Referrals 02-13-24 02 600-34................. High-Risk Vehicle Approaches 04-25-17 02 (O) 600-35................. RESCINDED 02-08-22, Circular 22-0208-019 600-36................. Bomb Threats, Explosive Devices, Explosions 05-23-18 09 600-37................. Hate Crimes 07-22-13 04 600-38................. Gang Crime 11-14-17 10 600-39................. Threats Against Employees, Family Members, Public Officials, and Special Events 06-19-18 03 600-40................. Police Storefronts, Community Services, and Differential Response Teams 02-08-22 03 600-41................. Weapons of Mass Destruction 08-27-18 10 600-42................. Racial Profiling Prohibited 04-24-18 05 600-43................. Animal Bites 04-25-17 05 SERIES 700: EVIDENCE CONTROL Issue Date Page Total* 700-01................. Property and Evidence Control Regulations 12-05-19 23 700-02................. RESCINDED 12-05-19, Circular 19-1205-214 General Orders Table of Contents Page 5, February 13, 2024 700-03................. RESCINDED 10-04-19, Circular 19-1004-186 700-04................. RESERVED 700-05................. SUPERSEDED (see GO 700-01) 700-06................. SUPERSEDED (see GO 700-01) 700-07................. SUPERSEDED (see GO 700-01) 700-08................. Asset Seizure and Forfeiture 12-08-23 04 (O) 700-09................. Photograph and Lineup Identification Procedures 05-09-19 09 SERIES 800: INFORMATION AND RECORDS Issue Date Page Total* 800-01................. Data Governance 07-07-21 05 800-02................. Media Relations 03-31-20 03 800-03................. Critical Incident Video Public Release 01-18-22 02 800-04................. Reception and Dissemination of Criminal Intelligence Information 06-27-18 02 800-05................. Police Publications 01-16-15 01 800-06................. CJIS Compliance 04-20-21 07 800-07................. Completion of Incident Reports 05-10-23 06 800-08................. Auto Theft Reports 01-04-19 04 800-09................. Official Document Archives 12-17-18 02 800-10................. Police Records 08-21-20 06 800-11................. TCIC/NCIC 03-04-22 09 800-12................. Records Retention 12-03-20 06 800-13................. Collection and Dissemination of Police Service Information 02-22-22 03 SERIES 900: CIVILIAN PERSONNEL Issue Date Page Total* 900-01................. Absence from Duty – Civilian 10-11-19 11 (C) 900-02................. Training – Civilian 01-19-21 06 (C) 900-03................. Employee Concern Resolution Program 12-05-12 04 900-07................. Overtime Compensation – Civilian 05-23-18 11 (C) *Note: Number of pages does not include Attachments or Forms that may accompany a General Order. (O) Applies to only (O)fficers (C) Applies to only (C)ivilians Left Blank if it applies to officers and civilians General Orders Table of Contents Page 6, February 13, 2024  ISSUE DATE: NO. @,®[n) ® f® n @ [f@® [f November 4, 2015 100-01 Houston Police Department REFERENCE: Supersedes all prior conflicting Circulars and Directives, and General Order 0 100-01, dated November 8, 1994 SUBJECT: INTERNAL DIRECTIVES POLICY 800 Information and Records 900 Civilian Personnel Employees shall abide by all internal direc- tives of the Houston Police Department. In- Numbering ternal directives are written policies and procedures established by the Chief of Po- The Inspections Division shall give each lice and published in the form of General General Order a concise title and a unique Orders, Special Orders, Circulars, and Roll number containing the series designation Call Training Bulletins. Violation of internal and the specific number of the subject with- directives may be cause for disciplinary ac- in that series. An example of a series and tion. subject number is 100-01, in which "Internal Directives" is a subject within the series This General Order and all internal direc- "Organization." tives apply to all employees, classified and civilian, unless it is otherwise indicated in Revisions the directive or it is obvious from the di- rective's content. Personnel involved in the creation and revi- sion of General Orders shall adhere to all established procedures published by the In- 1 GENERAL ORDERS spections Division including, but not limited to, the following: The General Orders are a collection of writ- ten orders of the Chief of Police that estab- a. All employees, other than Inspections lish the policies and procedures of the Division personnel, requesting a new Houston Police Department as authorized General Order or revision of an existing by section 34-23 of the City of Houston General Order shall first seek authoriza- Code of Ordinances. Changes and excep- tion to begin such a project from their tions to the General Orders may be made or assistant chief through the chain of approved by only the Chief of Police. Disci- command. The Chief of Police or a des- pline for violations of the General Orders ignated supervisor in the Employee shall be administered as outlined in the de- Representative Council may also au- partment's Corrective Action Manual. thorize an employee to begin a General Order project. General Order Series b. Once authorized to begin, employees Series Number Series Title shall contact the Inspections Division for instructions. Inspections Division shall 100 Organization coordinate and process the General Or- 200 Administration der creation or revision. 300 Personnel Management 400 Equipment and Uniforms c. Divisions that are affected by a policy or 500 Arrest and Detention that have expertise in a policy area are 600 Operations expected to perform much of the neces- 700 Evidence Control sary staff work needed to revise such @@[ft)@lf@~ (Q)ircctl@lf #100-01 ISSUE DATE: November 4, 2015 PAGE: #2 policy. When necessary, the assistant subordinates are reading the General chief of Professional Standards Com- Orders and Circulars in a timely manner. mand shall coordinate the delegation of policy revision projects among the vari- f. Because the Houston Police Depart- ous commands. ment does not provide employees com- plete sets of the General Orders in hard After processing the creation or revision of copy, employees may access the de- a General Order, the Inspections Division partment's Intranet Portal and download shall submit it to the Chief of Police via the the General Orders onto an electronic chain of command for approval. device and then print complete sets at their own expense at a non-HPD facility. Issuance and Distribution The department shall not reimburse employees for the printing of General After the Chief of Police approves and signs Orders. a General Order, it shall be published and distributed in the following manner: g. Cadets shall be provided an electronic copy of the General Orders. a. The Office of the Chief of Police shall date and distribute the General Order. Effect of General Orders The effective date of a new or revised General Order shall be the date of issu- No legal right not already provided by state ance, unless otherwise noted. law, City Ordinance or Civil Service Com- mission rule is conferred by the General b. The Inspections Division shall upload Orders. The failure by one employee to fol- the General Order to the Documents in low a General Order does not abrogate or General section of the department's In- excuse any misconduct on the part of an- tranet Portal. other employee. c. The Inspections Division shall also up- load the General Order to the Document 2 SPECIAL ORDERS Tracker, which is accessed via the Ap- plications Menu on the department's In- A Special Order is a written order, author- tranet Portal. Employees shall be ized pursuant to section 34-23 of the City of notified of documents pending their re- Houston Code of Ordinances, issued by the view using the department's email sys- Chief of Police and relating to departmental tem. For this reason, both classified and personnel assignments. civilian employees shall check their de- partmental email on a daily basis when Special Order Series at work. Series Number Series Title d. All employees are responsible for checking the Document Tracker on a 1000 Personnel frequent basis to read and understand 2000 Temporary Personnel the posted material. Assignments 3000 Permanent Personnel e. The use of the Document Tracker for Assignments the distribution of General Orders and 4000 Promotions Circulars does not replace the responsi- 5000 Reserved bility of sergeants to read the docu- 6000 Reserved ments at roll calls and to ensure their 7000 Reserved  ®@iru@ir@U @w©l@w #100-01 ISSUE DATE: November 4, 2015 PAGE: #3 Numbering Distribution and Archiving The Office of the Chief of Police shall give The Office of the Chief of Police shall dis- each Special Order a concise title and a tribute Circulars. The Inspections Division unique number containing the series num- shall upload all issued Circulars to the Circu- ber, the order of issuance, and the date. For lars section of the department's Intranet Por- example, the number 4005-092915, indicates tal. In addition, the Inspections Division shall the Special Order is within the "Promotions" upload all policy-related and other notable series, it was the 5th in the series issued that Circulars to the department's Document year, and it was issued on September 29, Tracker. The Inspections Division shall also 2015. No internal numbering of subject top- be responsible for saving Circulars int.o an ics is necessary for a Special Order. electronic format that is searchable by title, subject, or keyword. Employees may con- Issuance and Distribution tact Inspections Division for assistance in locating a specific Circular. The Office of the Chief of Police shall date and distribute Special Orders. The effective date of a Special Order or any revision shall 4 ROLL CALL TRAINING BULLETINS be the date of issuance, unless otherwise noted. Special Orders shall remain in effect Roll Call Training Bulletins are used to edu- until the date stated or until specifically su- cate employees on a specific subject such perseded. as equipment usage, officer safety, or new court decisions and shall be accompanied by a supporting lecture, video, or discus- 3 CIRCULARS sion. A Circular is an informational document is- Publication sued by the Chief of Police to announce le- gal matters, specific events, personnel Only the Chief of Police shall approve the openings, and other information that must publication and issuance of a Roll Call be communicated departmentwide. Training Bulletin. A request for the devel- opment of such a bulletin may be initiated at Circulars may also be used to announce any level within the department and shall be policy or procedural changes pending the directed to the Training Division. addition, update, or revision of the appro- priate General Order or Standard Operating · Dissemination Procedure. A Circular that announces a pol- icy or procedure is superseded by the later It shall be the responsibility of the Training issuance of the General Order or Standard Division to provide training coordinators with Operating Procedure on that subject. instructions needed to ensure that the ma- terial in the bulletin is properly presented to Numbering all employees. Training coordinators also shall act as liaisons with the Training Divi- The Office of the Chief of Police shall place sion by supplying possible training topics. a unique reference number on all Circulars. That number shall contain the date of issu- !1:!A~lf!}!f!n&. ance and the order of issuance. For exam- ple, the number 15-0820-199 indicates the Circular was issued in 2015 on August 20 and was the 199th one issued that year. Chief of Police  ISSUE DATE: NO. @@m)@W~~ (Q)[fcdJ@[f Jul 31, 2019 100-03 Houston Police Department REFERENCE: Supersedes all prior conflicting Circulars and Directives, and General Order 0 100-03, dated July 28, 2015 SUBJECT: DEFINITIONS OF TERMS POLICY All department directives shall conform to the following terminology and definitions, unless a different definition is provided with the directive. This General Order applies to all employees. 1 GRAMMATICAL USAGE Gender. Use of a specific gender is inclusive of all genders. Plurality of Words. The singular includes the plural and the plural includes the singular. Tense of Words. The present tense includes the future tense. 2 ACRONYMS AND INITIALISMS The following acronyms and initialisms are commonly used in department jargon. ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution APC Administrative Personnel Committee AVL Automated Vehicle Location AWOL Absent Without Leave AWOP Absent Without Permission B&F Office of Budget and Finance B&T Burglary and Theft Division CAD Computer Aided Dispatch CED Conducted Energy Device CFS Call for Service CIO Central Intake Office CJIS Criminal Justice Information Services CODIS Combined DNA Index System COH City of Houston CPTED Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design CSL Compensable Sick Leave CSMART Court System Management and Resource Technology CSU Crime Scene Unit (in the Houston Forensic Science Center) DA District Attorney DIMS District Attorney Intake Management System DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid DOJ U.S. Department of Justice DPS Texas Department of Public Safety @@!nl@li@~ (Q)[j@l@[j #100-03 ISSUE DATE: Jul 31 2019 PAGE: #2 ORT Differential Response Team ECO Emergency Communications Division ERC Employee Representative Council FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation FMLA Family and Medical Leave Act FTE Full Time Equivalent GPS Global Positioning System HCSO Harris County Sheriff's Office HEC Houston Emergency Center HMEPS Houston Municipal Employees Pension System HPD Houston Police Department HPOPS Houston Police Officers' Pension System HR/SC Houston Regional Intelligence Service Center /AD Internal Affairs Division ID Identification /OD Injured on Duty MCD Mobile Computing Device METRO Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas MSP Modified Sick Leave Plan NCIC National Crime Information Center N-DEx National Data Exchange NIBERS National Incident-Based Reporting System NIMS National Incident Management System NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System NOCC Narcotics Operations Control Center NPC NeuroPsychiatric Center P-Card Purchasing Card PD Personal Day PHRS Personal Hours PIP Positive Interaction Program PPS Police Personnel System PRO Personal Radiation Detector PRE Police Roll Call and Equipment PTO Paid Time Off RDO Regular Day Off RMS Records Management System SAP® Systems Applications and Products SETCIC Southeast Texas Crime Information Center SI Supervisory Intervention SOP Standard Operating Procedure SOSP Strategic Officer Staffing Program SRG Special Response Group SWAT Special Weapons and Tactics TCIC Texas Crime Information Center TCOLE Texas Commission on Law Enforcement TDL Texas Driver License TLETS Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications System TMS Talent Management System TxDOT Texas Department of Transportation  @@lfi)@[f@~ (Q)[f@J@[f #100-03 ISSUE DATE: July 31, 2019 PAGE: #3 3 DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY Assistant Director. A civilian supervisor equivalent to the rank of an assistant chief. Assistant Manager. A civilian supervisor equivalent to the rank of a lieutenant. Beat. An area within a district assigned to officers for patrol purposes. Bilingual Officer. Officers who have obtained department bilingual certification. Business Day. For department purposes, any day in which normal business operations are conducted at Houston City Hall. This is considered to be Monday through Friday and excludes weekends and City Council declared holidays. Hours vary, but typically cover the period from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Calendar Days. All days in a given time period including weekends, holidays, and days off. Calendar Year. A twelve-month period starting with January 1 and ending with December 31, and which has 365 days in non-leap years and 366 days in a leap year. Central Police Complex. The Police Department buildings and property located at or adjacent to 61 Riesner Street. Chain of Command. The line of authority extending from the Chief of Police through a single subordinate at each level of command. Citizens. Persons not employed by the Houston Police Department. City. There are two common ways of referring to the city of Houston. When the word City is capitalized, it refers to the entities that govern the city (e.g., City of Houston Legal Department, City Council, City property). When the word city is in lower case, it refers to the city of Houston as a geographic location. Civil Service Commission. For classified employees, this term refers to the Police Officers' Civil Service Commission of the City of Houston. For civilian employees, this term refers to the City of Houston, Municipal Employees' Civil Service Commission. Civilian. A civilian employee or that which pertains to a civilian employee. Civilian Employee. An employee of the Houston Police Department who is classified as a municipal employee of the City of Houston. Classified Employee. An employee of the Houston Police Department who is classified as an officer in accordance with Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code. Command Staff. An advisory board to the Chief of Police consisting of all members of the Executive Staff and all division commanders. Commander. An employee holding the rank of commander or higher (or civilian equivalent) and supervising a detail, unit, division, office, or command. @@[n)@[f@~ (Q)ir@l@lf #100-03 ISSUE DATE: July 31, 2019 PAGE: #4 Commanding Officer. An officer assigned to exercise authority over one or more organizational units of the department. Department. Unless otherwise noted, when used as a stand-alone word, "department" (lower case) refers to the Houston Police Department. Deputy Director. A civilian supervisor equivalent to the rank of executive assistant chief. Designee. All mid managers and above can appoint an official acting position or a designee to perform in their stead when they are unavailable. The term is assumed with these positions and therefore does not need to be stated. Detail. A group of employees assigned a specified mission; usually a group within a larger organizational unit of the department. Dispatcher. An employee assigned to Emergency Communications Division with responsibility for receiving and assigning calls for service. District. A geographic area within the city limits containing police beats. Division Commander. An employee holding the rank of commander (or civilian equivalent) and supervising a division. Employee. Without any limiting word or phrase, employee refers to both classified and civilian employees of the Houston Police Department. Employee Performance Rating. A supervisor's evaluation of a subordinate employee's ability to perform assigned tasks. Executive Staff. An advisory board to the Chief of Police consisting of all executive assistant chiefs; all assistant chiefs; the directors of the Offices of Legal Services , Budget and Finance, Public Affairs, Technology Services, and Planning & Data Governance; the Chief of Staff; and the HPD City Council Liaison. Exempt Employee. Employee designated by the City of Houston Human Resources Department as exempt from overtime compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Extra Employment. Any employment engaged in while off duty. This definition includes unpaid police-related work done for a charitable or nonprofit organization. A.k.a. extra job. Incident Report. An official written account of an incident, offense, or situation (either brought to the attention of or seen by an employee) that is assigned a unique incident number by the department. Incident Report Title. The identifying title of an offense, complaint, or incident used in an incident report. Indefinite Suspension. Involuntary removal of an employee from employment with the department and the City of Houston after the probationary period. @@[n)@[f@~ (Q)[f@l@[f #100-03 ISSUE DATE: Jul 31, 2019 PAGE: #5 Inspection. The regular or periodic examination of personnel regarding appearance, uniforms, equipment, duties, or operations according to standards established by General Orders or standard operating procedures. Intranet. The internal computer network linking department microcomputers to each other and to the department mainframe computer. This is a closed system accessible only through department computer terminals. This is not to be confused with the Internet. See General Orders 400-13, Police Computer Systems and 400-19, Microcomputer Regulations. Intranet Portal. The department's internal website for accessing applications, division web pages, department directives and forms, and other data and information available on the department's local/wide area computer network, the contents of which are proprietary. The use of this network or its contents is regulated by various department General Orders and other policies concerning computer access and use of information. Jail. A place for the confinement of persons accused or convicted of a crime. Length of Service. The time calculated from the date of employment by the City of Houston. Previous City of Houston service shall be added when calculating length of service. See General Order 300-03, Seniority, for additional information. Longevity. The elapsed time a person has been an employee of the City of Houston. Longevity Pay. An amount of compensation based on years of service and as authorized by state law, City Council, and/or the applicable Meet and Confer Agreement. Manager. A supervisor holding the rank of commander or civilian equivalent. When used as a job title denotes civilian status. Marked Vehicle. A police vehicle with recognizable police decals displayed and exposed emergency equipment. May. When appearing in written policies or procedures in a directive or instructive statement, the word may indicates a permissive or discretionary course of action. Medical Examiner. The person empowered by state law to investigate and determine the cause of death of a person. Mid Manager. A supervisor holding the rank of lieutenant or civilian equivalent. Minimum Staffing Levels. The staffing levels below which operation of the department would create an undue burden to on-duty staff and jeopardize the delivery of necessary police services. Nonexempt Employee. An employee who is eligible for overtime compensation. This includes either a civilian employee whose job classification is covered by FLSA overtime rules and has been designated as such by the City of Houston Human Resources Director and the Civil Service Commission, or a classified employee who holds the rank of sergeant or below. Off Duty. The status of employees when they are free of the responsibility to perform their routine duties. @@ITTJ@[fcfil~ (Q)ir@l@ir #100-03 ISSUE DATE: Jul 31, 2019 PAGE: #6 Office. An organizational unit of the department supervised by a deputy director. Officer. An employee who is classified in accordance with Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code. Without any limiting word or phrase, officer refers to any or all classified employees of the Police Department. Official Identification. Written identification issued by the department containing the employee's name and photograph. On Duty. The status of an employee who is scheduled and present for department duties. Order. A written or oral instruction or directive issued by a supervisor to a subordinate. Out of Service. The status of an employee not available for service calls. Out on Traffic. The status of an officer who is temporarily engaged in a traffic stop but is maintaining radio communication. Overtime Compensation. Compensation in the form of pay or time off for time worked in excess of an officer's regular shift or a civilian employee's workweek and in accordance with federal and state statutes, the City of Houston Code of Ordinances, and the applicable Meet and Confer Agreement. This does not apply to exempt employees. Paid Time Off (PTO). For officers, PTO incorporates and replaces the sick and vacation leave banks and specifically excludes the compensatory time off bank and holiday leave. Pay Period. A 14-calendar-day period beginning at 0500 hours on the Saturday in the week before a department payday Friday and continuing through 0459 hours on the Saturday in the week following that payday Friday. Permanent Extra Employment. Extra employment lasting more than 30 calendar days. Personal Day (PD). Incentive leave for officers, carrying no cash value, given under the department's Meet and Confer Agreement. Personal Hours (PHRS). Incentive leave for officers, carrying no cash value, and given under the department's Fitness and Training Program. Personal Leave. A general term that refers to any and all types of leave for employees. Personal Leave Hours. Specific leave hours granted as a special incentive to civilian CSL participants who used no more than 16 hours of sick time during the preceding full benefit year. See General Order 900-01, Absence from Duty - Civilian, for more information. Phase Down Program (PDP). A program with varying options for retirement in which officers who are eligible for retirement extend the payment of their accrued leave. See also General Order 300-35, Phase Down Program and the Meet and Confer Agreement. Plainclothes Officer. Generally refers to an officer who is not normally required to wear a department uniform while on duty. ®@lfil@[f@~ (Q)ircctl@ir #100-03 ISSUE DATE: July 31, 2019 PAGE: #7 Police Headquarters. The Houston Police Department Edward A. Thomas Building and property located at 1200 Travis Street. Police Officer. This is a term interchangeable with the words peace officer and officer. Police Station. A facility serving as the command center for a patrol division or patrol related function. Police Storefront. A neighborhood or business park location staffed by patrol division personnel who provide police services to the community. Police Work Room. An area in a nonpolice facility where officers may complete paperwork. Positive Discipline. Department discipline requiring approval by the Chief of Police in which an officer may elect to forfeit accrued hours from his PTO bank instead of receiving a disciplinary suspension. The number of hours forfeited must equal the number of department work hours in the time period of the disciplinary suspension based on the officer's regular assigned shift. Post. A fixed location an employee is assigned for duty. Posting. Publication of a job vacancy or an anticipated job vacancy on the Employee Services Division's or City's job posting announcement. Primary Division. The HPD division responsible for investigating the most serious offense involved in a criminal investigation. When multiple offenses occur that are of equal offense classification according to the Texas Penal Code, the primary division shall be determined by which offense occurred first. Proactive. Used to describe an investigator or a group of investigators who work covertly in response to complaints of criminal activity. Investigations conducted in this manner are considered proactive and are usually conducted by undercover investigators. Probationary Period. The period of time officers are evaluated on their ability to perform the duties for which they were employed in accordance with Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code. Also, the period of time civilian employees are evaluated on their ability to perform the duties for which they were hired in accordance with City of Houston civil service regulations. Procedure. A method of carrying out a specific function. Promotion. A change in the employment status of an employee to a position of higher classification. Rank. An employee's classification or job title. Reactive. Used to describe an investigator or a group of investigators who react to deal with a situation, violation, or offense. Investigations conducted in this manner are considered reactive. Red Book. City issued calendar used to record personal leave for employees and to document minimum staffing levels for each particular day and shift. @@[ft)@[f@~ @ircctl@lf #100-03 ISSUE DATE: July 31, 2019 PAGE: #8 Regular Assigned Division. The division to which an employee is regularly assigned according to the Employee Services Division's records. This does not include a temporary assignment. Regular Day Off. Any of the days in a given week an employee is not regularly scheduled to work. Relieved of Duty. The status of an employee who is not required or permitted to perform regular assignments. Resignation. Voluntary departure of an employee from employment with the department and the City of Houston prior to retirement. Responsible Division. The HPD division responsible for investigating a particular type of offense (e.g., Homicide Division is responsible for murder investigations and Vehicular Crimes Division is responsible for traffic fatality investigations). Retirement. The status of an employee who has ended employment with the department and the City of Houston and who is eligible to receive a pension. Eligibility varies based on the employee's pension system and number of years of service to the City of Houston and, in some cases, the employee's age. Secondary Division. An HPD division, other than the primary division, responsible for part of a criminal investigation. Selection. The process of choosing an individual to fill a vacant employment position. Senior Executive Staff. An advisory board to the Chief of Police consisting of all executive assistant chiefs. Senior Police Officer. An officer who is classified as a Grade IV officer. Shall. When appearing in written policies or procedures in a directive or instructive statement, the words will or shall indicate a mandatory or required course of action. The words will or shall carry the same power as a direct order. Shift. The working period of a group of employees scheduled to be on duty during approximately the same time of day. Also , a period of time an individual employee is expected to be present for duty. A regular assigned shift is usually 8 or 10 hours in duration. Shift Commander. This term usually refers to a lieutenant in charge of a shift. However, this definition may include a sergeant in charge of a shift when the lieutenant is absent. Should. When appearing in written policies or procedures in a directive or instructive statement, the word should indicates a strong suggestion of a course of action and a concerted effort ought to be made to complete the task, but it is not mandatory. Specialized Unit. An HPD unit requiring unique training and having a primary responsibility other than responding to calls for service and designated as such by the Chief of Police. This includes, but is not limited to, Mounted Patrol, Patrol Canine Detail, Bomb Squad, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Detail, and Marine Unit. @@[n)@lf@~ @ir@l@lf #100-03 ISSUE DATE: July 31, 2019 PAGE: #9 Straight Time. A wage-rate calculation including base and longevity pay only. Supervisor. An employee having supervisory responsibilities, either temporarily or regularly, over another employee. Supervisory Intervention (SI). A nonpunitive corrective action as defined in the department's current Corrective Action Manual. Supplemental Incident Report. A report made in addition to and relating to an original incident report. A.k.a. supplement. Suspension. The status of an employee temporarily relieved of duty for disciplinary reasons. Temporary Assignment. An assignment outside an employee's regular assigned division normally lasting 30 calendar days or less unless otherwise approved. Temporary Extra Employment. Extra employment spanning 30 calendar days or less. Termination. Involuntary removal of an employee from employment with the department and the City of Houston during the probationary period. Tour of Duty. The period of time an employee is assigned to a regular duty assignment while remaining in the same rank. Undercover. Used to describe an investigator or a group of investigators who use an assumed name or other identity disguise to gain the trust of a suspect for the purpose of obtaining information about illegal activity in order to effect an arrest. Uniform Standards Catalog. A catalog of equipment and uniforms approved by the Chief of Police. Uniformed Division. A division in the department in which all or a portion of the officers are required to wear the department's official classified uniform during normal on-duty operations. Uniformed Officer. An officer required to wear a recognizable police officer's uniform while on duty. Uniformed Services. All uniformed divisions excluding the administrative and support personnel assigned to such divisions. Unmarked Vehicle. A police vehicle with no recognizable police decals and no exposed emergency equipment. Unscheduled Leave. A leave event is unscheduled, regardless of leave type, if the leave is requested less than 24 hours prior to the start of the leave being requested unless there is an open position in the Red Book or approved by a supervisor. Wagon. A marked police unit, truck, or van used to transport arrested persons from one location to another. ®@lnl@[i@ij (Q)[jcdJ@li #100-03 ISSUE DATE: July 31, 2019 PAGE: #10 Wagon Call. An assignment issued for a police officer to convey or move individuals or property from one place to another. Will. When appearing in written policies or procedures in a directive or instructive statement, the words will or shall indicate a mandatory or required course of action. The words will or shall carry the same power as a direct order. Work Card. A form on which officers record their daily work activity (e.g., tickets issued, arrests made, and investigations carried out). Workday. For department purposes, when referring to an employee this typically refers to one of the days of the week that is not one of the employee's regular days off and not an observed City Council declared holiday. Workday can also refer to the number of hours in an employee's assigned shift. When referring to an organizational unit of the department workday refers to any day in which normal operations for the unit are conducted. Wrecker. A vehicle designed and equipped to tow another vehicle from one location to another. Art Acevedo Chief of Police  ISSUE DATE: NO. Januar 100-06 Houston Police Department REFERENCE: Supersedes all prior conflicting Circulars and Directives, and General Order 0 100-06, dated December 15, 2009 SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT MISSION, VALUES, ETHICS, AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES POLICY Improve the Quality of Community Life The department shall seek to state its mis- All employees shall strive to improve the sion, values, ethics, and guiding principles quality of community life through the provi- and to adhere to these standards and sion of superior and equitable services. communicate them to its employees. The Houston Police Department shall design Improve the Quality of Work Life and evaluate its activities on the basis of these standards. The conduct of all em- All employees shall strive to improve the ployees shall be compatible with the stated working environment for the department's mission, values, principles, and ethics. employees by engaging in open and honest communication and demonstrating a genu- This General Order applies to all employ- ine concern for one another. ees. Demonstrate Professionalism 1 DEPARTMENT MISSION All employees shall engage in behavior that is beyond ethical reproach and reflects the The Houston Police Department was estab- integrity of police professionals. lished by the citizens of the city of Houston and exists to provide services to the citizens and residents of the city of Houston. The 3 GUIDING PRINCIPLES department's mission statement describes both the fundamental reasons for existing The guiding principles of the Houston Police and general activities in which the depart- Department are as follows: ment shall engage. a. Life and individual freedoms are sacred. The mission of the Houston Police Depart- ment is to enhance the quality of life in the b. All persons should be treated fairly and city of Houston by working cooperatively equitably. with the public to prevent crime, enforce the law, preserve the peace, and provide a safe c. The role of the police is to resolve prob- environment. lems through the enforcement of laws and not through the imposition of judg- ment or punishment. 2 VALUES d. The neighborhood is the basic segment Preserve and Advance Democratic Values of the community. All employees shall uphold this country's e. Because law enforcement and public democratic values as embodied in the U.S. safety reflect communitywide concerns, Constitution, state law, and city ordinances, the police must actively seek the in- and shall dedicate themselves to the pres- volvement of citizens and residents in all ervation of liberty and justice for all. aspects of policing.  ISSUE DATE: January 31, 2012 PAGE: #2 f. The fundamental responsibility of the Whatever I see or hear of a confidential na- department's employees is to provide ture or that is confided to me in my official quality services to the citizens and resi- capacity will be kept ever secret unless dents of the city of Houston. revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty. I will never act officiously or g. The department's employees are its permit personal feelings, prejudices, ani- most valuable asset. mosities, or friendships to influence my de- cisions. With no compromise for crime and h. Employee involvement in department with relentless prosecution of criminals, I activities is essential for maintaining a will enforce the Jaw courteously and appro- productive working environment. priately without fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or i. Employees shall be treated fairly and violence, and never accepting gratuities. I equitably in recognition of basic human recognize the badge of my office as a sym- dignity and as a means of enriching their bol of public faith, and I accept it as a public work lives. trust to be held so Jong as I am true to the ethics of the police service. I will constantly j. The department and each of its com- strive to achieve these objectives and ide- mands, offices, and divisions shall strive als, dedicating myself to my chosen profes- to reflect the ethnic and cultural make- sion...law enforcement. up of the community it serves. 5 OATH OF OFFICE 4 LAW ENFORCEMENT CODE OF ETHICS Classified employees shall conduct them- It is expected that all employees' conduct selves in accordance with the Oath of Office be compatible with the department's Law to which each officer has sworn as follows: Enforcement Code of Ethics as follows: /, (Name), do solemnly swear that I will faith- As a Jaw enforcement officer, my fundamen- fully execute the duties of police officer of the tal duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard city of Houston, Texas, and will to the best of Jives and property; to protect the innocent my ability preserve, protect, and defend the against deception, the weak against op- Constitution and Jaws of the United States pression or intimidation, and the peaceful and of this state and city, so help me God. against violence or disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all people to lib- See General Order 200-33, Oath of Office erty, equality, and justice. I will keep my pri- and Promotional Oath, for additional in- vate life unsullied as an example to all; formation. maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self- restraint; and be constantly mindful of the 6 RELATED GENERAL ORDERS welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I 200-08, Conduct and Authority will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the 200-33, Oath of Office and Promotional land and the regulations of my department. Oath t!U/1!11/1/( Charles A. McClelland, Jr. Chief of Police  ISSUE DATE: NO. @@mJ@[f~~ (Q)[f@@[f Ma 9, 2019 100-07 Houston Police Department REFERENCE: Supersedes all prior conflicting Circulars and Directives, and General Order 0 100-07, dated January 10, 2012 SUBJECT: STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES POLICY Standard operating procedures (SOPs) shall be followed by all commands, divisions, offices, and units performing like tasks and functions in order to ensure uniformity of police services. All Command Staff members shall develop and issue SOPs for all functions performed under their direct command. All employees are responsible for knowing, understanding, and following the SOPs applicable to their assignment. This General Order applies to all employees. DEFINITIONS Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Written directives for a command, office, division, or unit. SOPs carry the same authority as the General Orders. Written Directive. Any department approved written document used to articulate to employees certain expectations and restrictions to their duties, performance, and conduct. 1 DEVELOPING, COMPILING, AND ISSUING SOPS Command Staff members shall adhere to all of the following when developing, compiling, and issuing SOPs: a. All SOPs shall be developed in compliance with the SOP Guidelines and related resources available on the HPD Intranet Portal. b. Division and unit level SOPs require review and approval by the concerned assistant chief. c. Command and office level SOPs require review and approval by the Executive Staff member assigned to the concerned command or office. d. Command Staff members shall ensure the Office of Technology Services has the current electronic version of their respective SOPs for placement on the HPD Intranet Portal, unless a commander determines the SOPs for his command or division should not be on the Portal. e. Command Staff members shall ensure the Risk Management Division has the most current electronic version of their respective SOPs. SOP Review and Update In November of each year ending in an odd number, all Command Staff members shall review and, if necessary, update the SOPs under their direct command to ensure consistency with  @@ITT)@lf'@~ @ir@J@lf' #100-07 ISSUE DATE: May 9, 2019 PAGE: #2 laws, ordinances, policies, and responsibilities. However, an SOP can be updated prior to the odd-numbered-year review, if needed. See section 2, Policy Conflicts, for additional requirements. Any new or revised SOPs require approval as stated above. 2 POLICY CONFLICTS Laws and ordinances always take precedence over department policy. A written directive supersedes any prior conflicting written directive, unless stated otherwise. Each Command Staff member shall keep apprised of new laws, ordinances, and policies affecting their areas of responsibility. If a change affects an SOP, the Command Staff member shall revise the concerned SOP. 3 SOP ACKNOWLEDGMENT Within two days after transferring to or assuming a new assignment, each employee shall read the current SOPs applicable to the employee's assignment. Supervisors shall ensure that each employee under their direct supervision is shown how to locate the SOPs applicable to the employee's assignment on the HPD Intranet Portal or the division's server. If after reading the applicable SOPs an employee has any issues, concerns, or questions, the employee shall meet with his supervisor to address these matters. Each employee shall sign an Acknowledgment of Receipt and Review of Standard Operating Procedures form, which is available on the HPD Intranet Portal. The original Acknowledgment form shall be kept by the originating command, office, or division in accordance with General Order 800-12, Records Retention. 4 SOP RECORDS It is the responsibility of each command, office, or division producing an SOP to retain all of its current and historical SOPs in accordance with General Order 800-12, Records Retention. SOPs related to evacuations carry a retention period of three years. All other SOPs carry a retention period of "until superseded plus five years." The retention schedule for each command, office, or division shall include an entry for SOPs. Each command, office, or division is responsible for responding to subpoenas and open records requests to produce their respective current or historical SOPs. cevedo Chief of Police  ISSUE DATE: NO. ®@ITTJ@[Fili}~ (Q)[F@@[F March 16, 2020 200-01 Houston Police Department REFERENCE: Supersedes all prior conflicting Circulars and Directives, and General Order 0 200-01, dated February 7, 2012 SUBJECT: REQUESTING LEGAL OPINIONS POLICY Requests for legal opinions from the Harris County District Attorney's Office, the City of Houston Legal Department, or the County Attorney's Office may be made by only the Chief of Police, the Deputy Director of Legal Services, or their designees. This General Order applies to all employees. 1 REQUESTING LEGAL OPINIONS FROM ENTITIES OUTSIDE OF HPD Employees needing legal opinions from entities outside the department shall submit a written request via their chain of command to the Chief of Police. The request shall contain the following information: a. Analysis of the problem b. Background information c. Possible solution(s) d. Expected result e. Request for official legal opinion The Office of Legal Services shall evaluate the request and advise the Chief of Police. Upon review, the Chief of Police, the Deputy Director of the Office of Legal Services, or their designees may request a legal opinion from the appropriate official. The above policy does not apply to the everyday practice of an officer contacting the appropriate office in furtherance of filing charges on a suspect. 2 REQUESTING LEGAL OPINIONS FROM LEGAL SERVICES Requests for legal opinions from the Office of Legal Services shall be made in writing by the affected division commander through the chain of command to the Chief of Police. r Acevedo Chief of Police  ISSUE DATE: NO. June 7 2013 200-02 Houston Police Department REFERENCE: Supersedes all prior conflicting Circulars and Directives, and General Order 0 200-02, dated March 6, 2006 SUBJECT: EMPLOYEES FACING LEGAL ACTION POLICY 2 PENDING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION Employees notified of any civil or criminal Employees who become aware they are action pending against them as a result of under investigation for any criminal matter their employment with the City of Houston, by any lawfully authorized agency other shall immediately inform the Chief of Police than the department's Internal Affairs shall in writing. Employees shall also notify the immediately notify the Chief of Police in Chief of Police in writing of any pending writing. criminal action against them that is not a re- sult of their employment with the City of Employees charged with a crime shall moni- Houston. tor the status of their criminal charges and immediately notify Internal Affairs if there Officers shall notify the Chief of Police in are any changes. Employees who are re- writing of any civil action that arises from lieved of duty shall follow the procedures as their actions at any extra employment or outlined in General Order 200-03, Investi- while taking action in their capacity as a gation of Employee Misconduct. peace officer. This General Order applies to all employees. 3 LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN CIVIL ACTIONS 1 PROCEDURES Employees involved in civil actions resulting from their employment with the City, have When employees are notified that a civil or the right to representation by the City Legal criminal action is pending against them as Department or an attorney of their choice. described in the above Policy statement, they shall notify the Chief of Police in writ- Employees shall inform the Chief of Police ing. The employee's original letter along of their choice of legal counsel in their noti- with copies of all documentation shall be fication letter. Employees shall use the No- immediately sent to the Chief of Police tice of Legal Action correspondence letter through the employee's chain of command. (available on the department's Intranet Por- tal) as an example of the written notification A copy of the employee's letter along with to the Chief of Police. the originals of any papers served on the employee shall be immediately hand deliv- Employees shall include the following infor- ered to the department's Legal Services. mation in their notification letter to the Chief The employee should keep back-up copies of Police: date, time, and method by which of all papers. they were served; their shift, current as- signment, regular days off, office telephone The Chief of Police shall notify the City of number, and department issued cellular Houston Legal Department so a response telephone number; and an affirmative can be made within 20 calendar days, as re- statement requesting City Legal Department quired by law. Only the Chief of Police shall representation or a statement that they will forward requests for representation or legal retain their own legal counsel and will not documents to the City Legal Department. use the City Legal Department. Employees  ISSUE DATE: June 7, 2013 PAGE: #2 shall submit copies of the citation and cita- Employees receiving traffic citations shall tion page with the notification letter. immediately notify their assistant chief in writing via their chain of command and for- ward a copy of the citation with the corre- 4 NOTICE OF ARREST OR CITATION spondence. Employees who are the subject of an arrest action shall immediately notify the Com- 5 RELATED GENERAL ORDERS mand Center of their location and the charge. Employees shall notify the Chief of 200-03, Investigation of Employee Mis- Police in writing upon their release from conduct custody. 200-11, Employee Integrity Program  ISSUE DATE: NO. Februar 21 2012 200-03 Houston Police Department REFERENCE: Supersedes all prior conflicting Circulars and Directives, and General Order 0 200-03, dated March 1, 2011 SUBJECT: INVESTIGATION OF EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT POLICY ing; or otherwise opposing conduct prohib- ited by policy. The department shall investigate all inci- dents of alleged misconduct brought to its Types of Complaints attention. All employees, regardless of rank, assignment, or function, are required to co- Formal Complaint. A complaint in writing, operate in the investigation of complaints. signed and notarized by a complainant, or a The department's disciplinary system shall complaint made by a peace officer. be governed in accordance with all applica- ble state and federal law and shall be Informal Complaint. Oral or unsigned guided by the Houston Police Department complaint. Corrective Action Manual. Classes of Complaints This General Order applies to all employees. IAD/CIO shall classify all complaints in ac- cordance with the following: DEFINITIONS Class I Complaints. Alleged violations of /AD Commanders. The commander of In- federal or state laws or local ordinances, or ternal Affairs Division/Central Intake Office alleged use of excessive force (e.g., hitting, (IAD/CIO), the assistant chief of the Profes- slapping, kicking, striking with an object, sional Standards Command, the executive causing pain, or some other excessive force assistant chief of Strategic Operations, and resulting in bodily injury). All Class I com- the Chief of Police. plaints shall be formalized and forwarded to IAD/CIO. If there are any questions as to Reasonable Opportunity. This shall be how a complaint is to be classified, supervi- generally construed as to allow sufficient sors shall contact IAD/CIO. time to locate counsel or a representative, review the interrogatories and related doc- Class II (D) Complaints. Complaints involv- uments, and obtain advice. However, this ing alleged violations of department policies always depends on time and circum- or those that are not criminal in nature. The stances. employee's immediate supervisor or another supervisor from the employee's division Retaliation. Conduct or decisions that a usually investigates these complaints. reasonable employee would view as mate- rially adverse and whose purpose or effect Class II (X) Complaints. Expedited cases is to discourage employees from exercising typically involving allegations administrative their rights under policy or under the law. in nature (e.g., missed court or failure to These rights include filing a complaint under qualify) and normally involving one em- policy; filing a complaint with an external ployee. government agency such as the Equal Em- ployment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); Dispositions of Complaints assisting another employee in the filing of a complaint; providing information during an Exonerated. Incident occurred, but was investigation or testifying in a legal proceed- lawful and proper.  @@[n)@[rcfil~ (Q)(I'@@[I' #200-03 ISSUE DATE: February 21, 2012 PAGE: #2 Never Formalized. Complainant did not 2 EMPLOYEE PROCEDURES submit a formal sworn statement. All complaints coming to the attention of an Not Sustained. The evidence was insuffi- employee shall be reported to the em- cient to either prove or disprove the allega- ployee's immediate supervisor. tion. Retaliation in any form is strictly prohibited. Sustained. Evidence is sufficient to prove Any employee found to have retaliated the allegation. Any sustained allegation, re- against any employee or non-employee gardless of its classification, may form the shall receive disciplinary action up to and basis for disciplinary action. including indefinite suspension. Unfounded. Allegation is false or not fac- Employees who receive information about or tual. observe incidents involving unnecessary or excessive use of force, misconduct, viola- tions of criminal statutes, or abuse of author- 1 CLASS II (X) INVESTIGATIONS ity by any other employee shall first take im- mediate action to protect citizens. Employees Expedited Class II investigations should be who receive such information shall report the used when discipline is the most appropri- incident to their immediate supervisor. If ate response to an employee's continued there is a need to protect the confidentiality of performance deficiency. The Houston Po- the information, reporting employees may lice Department Corrective Action Manual bring the matter directly to IAD/CIO. provides a list of administrative violations that may be resolved using an expedited If a complainant is anonymous, the em- Class II investigation and can be expanded ployee receiving the anonymous complaint to include misconduct when certain condi- must certify under oath the complainant tions are met. was in fact anonymous. Supervisors have broad discretion whether to resolve complaints using Supervisory In- 3 SUPERVISOR PROCEDURES tervention (SI) or Class II investigations except when expressly limited. Discretion, First-line supervisors shall take an active to the extent that prudence and good order role in the development, motivation, and dictate, is encouraged. Likewise, it is en- when necessary, discipline of employees couraged to use expedited Class II investi- they supervise. Supervisors have broad gations in circumstances, other than ad- discretion when implementing the discipli- ministrative type violations, when the nary process. employee acknowledges culpability and accepts responsibility for all of the alleged All complaints (except those going directly misconduct. to IAD/CIO) shall be referred to a supervi- sor. The supervisor shall record all com- Usually, Class II investigations are con- plaints (except as specified in the following) ducted by the employee's immediate super- including complaints from third party wit- visor. If the immediate supervisor is the nesses, and forward them as provided by complainant or a person who has any per- this General Order. When receiving com- sonal involvement regarding the alleged plaints, supervisors shall: misconduct, then any other supervisor with- in the division shall be assigned to conduct a. Accept complaints from third party wit- the Class II investigation. nesses to an incident. Any third party  ISSUE DATE: February 21, 2012 PAGE: #3 non-witnesses attempting to make a When supervisors discover possible infrac- complaint shall be referred directly to tions by employees not within their com- IAD/CIO. The IAD/CIO commander may mand, they should consult with the em- determine whether to accept a com- ployee's immediate supervisor or a plaint from persons other than the ag- supervisor within the employee's chain of grieved party. command before initiating a Class II com- plaint. b. Accept and record phone-in complaints that involve allegations of serious mis- Supervisors have the right, duty, and re- conduct (Class I). Other phone-in com- sponsibility at any time to inquire as to the plainants shall be advised to make the facts of a circumstance or situation in order complaint in person in order that a no- to make management, operational, adminis- tarized statement can be obtained with trative, or organizational decisions. A 48- the complaint. Supervisors may also hour notice is not required before discuss- advise complainants they can mail ing the original infraction with an employee. their notarized statement with specific details of the incident directly to However, if the inquiring supervisor be- IAD/CIO. comes the complainant in a Class I or 11 complaint, the same inquiring supervisor c. Forward all mailed written complaints to may not further investigate such alleged IAD/CIO for processing. violation. d. Record complaints on the Issue Record Additionally, if the inquiring supervisor be- Form (IRF). Upon receipt and recording comes the complainant in a Class I or 11 of complaints, supervisors shall immedi- complaint, the same inquiring supervisor ately notify their commander. may not participate in the process of rec- ommending discipline for the violation. e. Immediately notify IAD/CIO, pursuant to General Order 300-32, Processing Supervisors should keep in mind that job Complaints and Employee Issues, if performance and productivity issues do not they receive a Class I complaint under equate to disciplinary issues. Concerns re- either of the following circumstances: garding an employee's job performance and productivity, or lack thereof, should not 1. The investigation of the complaint be handled through the disciplinary proc- would be hindered by a delay. ess. Job performance and productivity is- sues should be addressed by implement- 2. The complaint involves a felony or a ing appropriate management techniques breach of the peace that is occurring (e.g., scheduled and unscheduled job per- or just occurred. formance reviews). Discovered violations of department policy while addressing job If an involved employee is present at the performance or productivity concerns complaint scene, supervisors shall not allow should be handled through the disciplinary the employee to leave until authorized by process. IAD/CIO. An employee's immediate supervisor or a 4 INVESTIGATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES supervisor discovering an infraction shall determine whether to proceed through the All Class I allegations against an employee formal complaint process as a Class I or II shall be investigated by IAD/CIO, except by complaint or as an SI. order of the commander of IAD/CIO.  ISSUE DATE: February 21, 2012 PAGE: #4 All Class II allegations against an employee access to the file of the investigation to only shall be investigated by the employee's di- those persons deemed necessary. The as- vision, unless otherwise determined by the sistant chief of Professional Standards commander of IAD/CIO. Command, the executive assistant chief of Strategic Operations, and the Chief of Police The commander of IAD/CIO shall have the shall be notified when a complaint is desig- authority and discretion to assign the crimi- nated confidential. They may review any file nal aspects of a Class I complaint to the at their discretion. The IAD/CIO commander appropriate criminal investigative division may report any matter directly to the Chief of for investigation. Police; however, the assistant chief of Pro- fessional Standards Command, and the ex- The concerned employee and the com- ecutive assistant chief of Strategic Opera- plainant shall be notified in writing by the tions must be notified as soon as possible. assigned investigator whenever a complaint has been received and filed. However, if an Progress Reports /AO commander designates the complaint confidential, the employee shall not be noti- At any time, the commander of IAD/CIO, fied. the assistant chief of Professional Stan- dards Command, or the executive assistant Internal Affairs Division chief of Strategic Operations may require progress reports regarding any complaint IAD/CIO shall serve as a fact-finding entity against an employee being investigated by for investigations of employee misconduct. the department. IAD/CIO shall classify all complaints brought to the attention of the department as either a Class I or II complaint. 5 PREINTERROGATION PROCEDURES IAD/CIO shall notify employees and com- If the complainant to an incident does not plainants of the disposition of Class I and II verify the complaint in an affidavit, an inves- complaints upon receiving the final decision tigation may still be conducted. However, from the Chief of Police. If a complaint is the employee cannot be required to re- deemed confidential, notification shall be spond to an interrogation. made at the discretion of an /AD com- mander. Division commanders shall notify Employees who are the subject of the fol- employees and· complainants of SI disposi- lowing types of complaints may be required tions. to respond to an interrogation. No employee, regardless of rank, assign- a. When a peace officer is the complain- ment, or function, shall contact or interfere ant. (No affidavit is necessary.) with IAD/CIO personnel or other department investigators regarding ongoing administra- b. If a third-party witness of police miscon- tive or criminal investigations of any em- duct is a complainant. ployee. Any inquiries regarding these matters shall be directed to the Professional Stan- If employees inquire, they must be told the dards Command or Strategic Operations. identities of all investigators taking part in their interrogation. Confidential Complaint If the investigator or the employee intends The commander of IAD/CIO may designate to record the interrogation, prior notification a complaint as confidential and may restrict must be given to the other party.  ISSUE DATE: February 21, 2012 PAGE: #5 48-Hour Notice ing interrogations regarding investigations of non-criminal misconduct. Supervisors have the right, duty, and respon- sibility at any time to inquire as to the facts of Counsel's Presence a circumstance or situation in order to make managerial, operational, administrative, or Accused employees are not permitted to organizational decisions. Therefore, a have counsel present during an interview