61665396.pdf

\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER TITLE ACCREDITATION Travel Policy CALEA 33.1.3 PRIOR REVISIONS: PROPONENT UNIT 10/24/19 Fiscal Division ATTACHMENT: NUMBER ISSUE DATE REVISION DATE TOTAL PAGES 17.2 07/01/1998 10/14/2024 3 I. PURPOSE: This Order establishes a procedure for requesting and conducting travel. II. POLICY: The Gainesville Police Department will permit employees to travel when it is in the interest of the City to do so. III. PROCEDURE: A. Approval: Travel requires advance approval. 1. Incidental Travel: Travel must be pre-approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor using a Leave Authorization form. i. This does not include Special Purpose Travel as described in of this Section III, A, 4, below. ii. Incidental travel does not require a travel expense/advance report. 2. In-State: Travel shall be authorized by the Department/Division Head. i. Travel over $2,500 shall also be authorized by the City Manager/designee. ii. All travel, other than Incidental Travel described in Section (III.A.1) above, requires a travel expense report and prior approval. 3. Out-of-State: Travel shall be authorized by the Chief or designee, regardless of the dollar amount. 4. Out-of-County: Travel must be approved by the Chief/ Designee 5. Special Purpose Travel: Police investigative trips and other such travel may be verbally approved by the appropriate supervisor. B. Travel Expenses:\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT 1. Registration Fees: Fees for conferences, courses, schools, and seminars are payable upon approval of an advance registration. 2. Lodging: Expenses for lodging at a single occupancy rate are payable upon approval. Lodging receipts should provide a detailed listing of all expenses incurred. i. Police Department employees shall have the own room when traveling; or, may share a room / dwelling as long as the employee has their own bedroom with a door. (i.e., suite hotel room or rental house). 3. Meals: Departmental employees shall receive meal allowances based on rates, which includes gratuities, established by the City’s travel policy. i. Included Meals: If any meals are included in the seminar, school, or conference, there will be no per-diem allowance provided for those meals. ii. Overnight: Depending on when a member departs, overnight trips normally entitle members to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Members may receive an advance for these allowances, in their paycheck, as long as the travel approval paperwork was submitted in a timely fashion. Otherwise, the payment may be after the travel occurred. iii. Day Travel: Members may receive some meal allowance for day travel (out of county), depending on when the member departs and returns (see City Travel Policy). The meal allowance will be paid as reimbursement through payroll. C. Payments: 1. Prepayments to vendors are the normal procedure, but approved travel authorization for total expected travel and training cost must be made prior to making such advance payments. These prepayments should be paid using a City issue credit card. i. Travel and/or training, which has an associated cost, must be submitted to the Assistant Chief prior to travel dates. ii. In-state: Expense requests must be received by the Assistant Chief at least two weeks prior to the trip. Requests made after the two weeks shall state the reasoning as to why the request was late (example: pop-up training). iii. Out-of-State: Expense requests must be received by the Assistant Chief at least four weeks prior to the trip. Requests made after the four weeks shall state the reasoning as to why the request was late (example: pop-up training etc.). 2. Prepayment for items with a pre-determined cost (e.g., airfare, registration fees, lodging) are authorized if the total travel costs are approved. 2\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT i. The traveler shall be responsible for providing timely notification of cancellations of prepayments. ii. Prepayments shall be treated as advances to the employee until properly reported on the travel expense report. D. Travel Expense Reports: Each Department member who travels for the Police Department is required to complete and sign a report containing a full accounting of expenses incurred and all advance payments. 1. The travel expense report shall be filed as soon as practicable in Workday. 2. Receipts are required for airfare, lodging, registration, and other travel expenses. 3. Course/seminar descriptions, airline ticket vouchers and calendars of events, must be attached to the travel expense report. E. Vehicles: 1. Department members will not use personally owned vehicles to travel on or engage in business trips, unless authorized by the Chief. 2. While using City owned vehicles during business trips, members will not permit civilians to ride in vehicles. NOTE: Exceptions to this rule may be made if the driving activity pertains to business and the civilian passenger is involved with the business event. _________________________ By Order of Signed Original on File in the Accreditation Unit __________________________ Nelson Moya Chief of Police 3