30493516.pdf

\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER TITLE ACCREDITATION City Commission Meeting Security None PRIOR REVISIONS PROPONENT UNIT 05/20/08 Patrol Support Bureau ATTACHMENT: 0 NUMBER ISSUE DATE REVISION DATE TOTAL PAGES 40.25 07/01/98 03/13/19 2 I. PURPOSE: This procedure establishes guidelines for maintaining order at City Commission meetings. II. POLICY: The Police Department will assign an officer to provide security at all City Commission meetings. Police action during a commission meeting shall be at the direction of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Commission. The only exception will be when there is an immediate threat of violence. Prior to working the assignment, Officers will obtain the City Commission special detail security access cards from the Lieutenants’ office or the Special Events Division. Attached to the access cards is a reference guide of the City Commission rules. III. PROCEDURE: Unless the officer perceives an immediate threat of violence or destruction of property which requires immediate action, the following procedure will be used to remove an individual who refuses to relinquish the podium or disrupts the meeting. A. Sergeant-at-Arms: The City Manager or the City Manager’s designee shall be sergeant-at-arms of the Commission meetings. The City Manager shall carry out all orders and instructions given by the presiding officer for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the Commission meeting and the Commission meetings. The City Manager will carry out all orders given by the presiding commissioner for the purpose of maintaining order and decorum at the Commission meeting and the following policy will provide guidance in handling disruptions: 1. Individual refused to relinquish the podium after being allowed to address the Commission: The Mayor will inform the individual that their time to address the Commission has expired and the Mayor will direct the individual to leave the podium. 2. Individual causes disruption in the Commission meeting site: The Mayor will inform the individual causing the disruption to cease disruptive activity. If the disruption fails to stop or the person refuses to leave the designated City Commission podium area: i. The Mayor will inform the individual causing the disruption that their actions are contrary to the orderly running of the meeting and that the individual is to cease such action or the Sergeant-at-Arms (City Manager/designee) will be instructed to remove the individual from the meeting site. ii. The Mayor will revoke the individual’s participation to attend the meeting and direct that the individual leave the meeting site. The Mayor will inform the individual that if the individual is directed to leave and fails to do so, the individual will be subject to arrest for trespass.\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT iii. Final Action: In substantially the following words: As the Mayor, I inform you that your actions are inconsistent with the orderly function of this meeting and fails to comply with the lawful order of the Chair. I am instructing the Sergeant-at-Arms (City Manager/designee) to have you removed from this meeting site, and if deemed necessary by the Sergeant-at-Arms, to remove you from this building. B. Police Officer: Unless exigent circumstance exists or there is an immediate threat of violence, the Police officer will not take any action. If the person fails to leave, the Sergeant-at-Arms will then direct the police officer to remove the individual from the meeting. 1. The Police Officer will then advise the individual to leave. i. If the individual complies, no further action will be taken. ii. If the person does not, s/he will be placed under arrest, physically removed, charged with Trespass (and any other applicable criminal charges), and booked into the Alachua County Jail. a. A “notice to appear” or “adult civil citation” will not be used. b. Person(s) under the age of 18 will be processed according to procedures established for juveniles. c. Requests for assistance (including prisoner transport) shall be made through the radio dispatcher. d. If the Police Officer needs to leave the commission meeting to process an arrest, the Police officer will request a replacement from an on-duty supervisor and not leave until a replacement arrives. Exceptions may be allowed if the delay in the replacement’s [officer] arrival causes a more severe problem than having the meeting unstaffed for a short time. e. The incident shall be documented in an Incident/Investigation Report, which will be completed and submitted prior to the end of the officer’s work day. 2. The Police Officer shall stop anyone who attempts to go behind the dias (area where commissioners sit) from the public seating area, unless the Mayor or Manager give prior authorization. If a person enters behind the dias from the door behind the dias, wait until instructed to remove the person or obvious danger. 3. Disturbances in Lobby/Auditorium: Should the Police Officer receive a report of a disturbance in the lobby or auditorium, the officer shall call it in to CCC on the radio, and not instruct the reporter to call 911, so as to expedite response. __________________________ By Order of Signed Original on File in the Accreditation Unit __________________________ Tony R. Jones Chief of Police 2