Policy Text
Policy
401Fremont Police Department
Community Service Officers
401.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Community Service Officers(CSOs) will be utilized to perform various functions that do not
necessarily require the assignment of a Police Officer to accomplish department duties effectively
and economically.
Utilization of Community Service Officers in Patrol will allow Police Officers greater freedom
to direct efforts toward more urgent and/or higher priority law enforcement calls for service.
Community Service Officers will assist Patrol Officers in crime prevention, improving community
relations, and generally meeting organizational goals and objectives. They will also assist in
maintaining minimum personnel staffing in other areas of the department.
Community Service Officers will also be responsible for assignments that include non-patrol duties
when the assignment improves service to the community and is more efficient.
401.2 DUTIES
Community Service Officers will be assigned to the following categories of service requests:
(a)Abandoned Vehicles and Abandoned Bicycles
1.For abandoned vehicles, CSOs can issue warning notices, initiate tows, and
abatements
(b)Animal Control - Assist as necessary with the approval of the Patrol Supervisor or
Watch Commander
(c)Burglaries - Cold burglaries or burglaries that have just occurred after responding
officers have determined there is no longer a threat present
1.Investigate and document residential, commercial, garage, and auto burglaries
2.Document additional loss or other supplemental information
3.Appropriately process crime scenes for evidence, including latent print recovery,
digital scene photographs, etc.
(d)City Regulations/Ordinances (non-hazardous)
(e)Crime Prevention - Supplement preventive patrol
(f)Found Children or Elders - Investigate, conduct area search, transport
(g)Lost Property
(h)Found Property (including marijuana and excluding firearms and suspected narcotics)
(i)Missing Persons or Incorrigible Juveniles
(j)Outside Assists - Conduct subpoena services and notifications (not including death
notifications)
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Fremont Police Department
Community Service Officers
(k)Administrative Assignments - Missing Persons Detective, Mobile Evaluation Team,
Volunteer/Alarms Coordinator, Parking Compliance, and Traffic Enforcement, per the
Specialty Assignments policy.
(l)Thefts - Cold
(m)Identity Theft
(n)Traffic Collisions
1.Non-injury collisions
2.Hit and run with no suspect
3.Assist with traffic control, tows, diagrams, statements, etc.
(o)Crowd or Traffic Control (non-violent situations) - Public events, fire, flooding, and
house moving
(p)Traffic Enforcement - Parking and equipment violations
(q)Transporting - Non-hazardous persons or property, e.g., juveniles, vehicles, etc.
(r)Vandalism - Cold
(s)Vehicle Theft - Cold
(t)Other - Security checks, community presentations.
When taking a report, a Community Service Officer may complete the initial report even when
information or evidence indicates a suspect's identity, providing the incident is cold (not active)
and no immediate suspect contact is anticipated. In such cases, the completed report shall be
forwarded to a police officer or detective for follow-up investigation. If, during the course of the
initial investigation, it appears likely that contact with the suspect may occur, or that enforcement
action may be required, the CSO shall immediately request the response of an officer to the scene.
Community Service Officers are trained in fingerprinting and collection of evidence and may be
used to assist officers at crime scenes, when necessary and practicable.
Community Service Officers may be assigned to assist in other areas consistent with the needs
of the department.
401.3 COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER CRIME SCENE SPECIALIST
In addition to their normal roles as CSOs, selected Community Service Officers will serve as Crime
Scene Specialists and will receive special training in the examination of crime scenes and the
collection and preservation of physical evidence.
Their selection will be in accordance with the Specialty Assignment policy, and they will function
in accordance with the Crime Scene Investigators policy.
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