62647899.pdf

\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER TITLE ACCREDITATION Field Service Technician (FST) Section- CALEA: 45.3 Scope and Purpose PRIOR REVISIONS 04/23/2018, 07/11/2022, PROPONENT UNIT 03/30/2023 Field Service Technician Section Patrol Operations Bureau ATTACHMENT: 1 NUMBER ISSUE DATE REVISION DATE TOTAL PAGES 45.3 04/23/2018 12/23/2024 8 I. PURPOSE: This Order establishes and defines the Department’s policy on Field Service Technician Section. II. POLICY: GPD shall respond to and investigate selected calls for law enforcement service by non-sworn personnel assigned to the Field Service Technician Section. This unit shall operate under the supervision of the Patrol Operations Command. III. DEFINITIONS: Field Service Technician (FST): An unarmed non-sworn position, which provides various non- emergency law enforcement services in response to incidents and activities, including but not limited to non-violent, non-confrontational calls for service, as well as conducting non- emergency law enforcement investigations. [CALEA 45.3.1.a] Field Service Technicians will not be dispatched to calls outside the city limits of Gainesville. IV. PROCEDURE A. Duties, Role and Scope of Authority: 1. FSTs will handle calls for service which involve non-confrontational situations and a suspect is no longer on scene. Category of call to be responded to shall include, but not be limited to: i. Burglary. ii. Thefts. iii. Criminal Mischief. iv. Frauds/Forgery/Uttering. v. Damaged property. vi. Follow-up to include recovery of property/evidence.\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT vii. Lost/found, abandoned property/vehicles. viii. VIN verifications. ix. Traffic related calls to include traffic direction, traffic crash investigations, issuing traffic citations, and/or assisting motorists with disabled vehicles. x. Performing traffic direction and control at special details. xi. Provides C.P.R. at vehicle crash scenes when applicable. xii. Performing parking enforcement to include parking citations mandated by City Of Gainesville ordinances. xiii. Crime scene investigations to include: lifting fingerprints, taking measurements, photography, and evidence collection. xiv. Participating in judicial proceedings by giving depositions, testifying at trials and hearings, preparation and review of cases, pre-trial conferences, etc. xv. Performing community relations by interacting with citizens, giving assistance or directions, providing explanations or reasons for reports to citizens. xvi. Performing other duties to meet agency needs as determined by the Chief. xvii. Assist Citizens calls may be handled at the discretion of the FST if the assistance required meets the above criteria. At no point is the FST to give legal advice or interject their opinion to a citizen. 2. Field Service Technicians may respond as Support Units (traffic direction, crime scene logs, and help with looking for missing person when safe to do so, etc.) with the request/approval of a supervisor 3. The Supervisor of the FST Section is responsible for the supervision of the School Crossing Guards. B. Prohibited Acts: FST will not respond to or become involved with any calls where suspect(s) are present, reasonably thought to be in the immediate area (with respect to time and distance), or recently departed with the potential to return to the scene (also with respect to time, distance mode of travel, and intent to return/continue the incident). Exception: FSTs may be dispatched to Hit and Run calls in which the suspect left the scene. FSTs will not respond to any crime that is in-progress. [CALEA 45.3.1.b] Categories of law enforcement service to which Field Service Technicians WILL NOT respond to: 1. Abductions/kidnapping/hostage/barricaded subject(s). 2\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT 2. Aggravated Assault/Battery. 3. Alarms. 4. Animal calls not trained or equipped to handle (vicious dogs, snakes, injured animals, except to standby for animal control). 5. Arrest warrant executions. 6. Arson or suspicious fires. 7. Baker Acts. 8. Bomb threats. 9. Disturbances. 10. Drug/narcotics calls (overdose, selling, possession, etc.) 11. Drunks or calls involving intoxicated person(s) and Marchman Acts. 12. Escapees. 13. Field stops/detainment. 14. In-progress crimes. 15. Juvenile problems with potential threat (armed, fighting, etc.) 16. Loud parties. 17. Murder, suicide 18. Neighborhood checks/security checks. 19. Panhandlers. 20. Prisoner transport/guarding. 21. Prowlers. 22. Robberies. 23. Sex Crimes 24. Shoplifting/suspect(s) present or immediate apprehension possible. 25. Shootings. 26. Sick/injured person(s), unknown circumstances. 27. Stand-by. 3\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT 28. Suspicious person(s)/vehicle(s)/circumstance(s). 29. Trespass in-progress or suspect in area. 30. Unwanted guest(s). 31. Wanted suspect(s). 32. Giving legal advice. 33. Civil dispute resolution. C. Guidelines for handling walk-ins and calls by phone. 1. FSTs may handle calls by phone that fit the criteria established for the FST in this section. 2. FSTs may handle calls from walk-ins that fit the criteria established in this section. D. Road Patrol Allocation and Duty Assignments FSTs are assigned to work within the city limits. There is no minimum staffing requirements. E. Chain of Command: The Chain of Command for the FST Program is as follows: 1. Patrol Operations Bureau Commander; 2. Patrol Operations Deputy Commander; 3. FST 3; 4. FST 2; 5. FST 1. F. Training: 1. FSTs shall abide by the rules set forth in General Order 33.3 Civilian (Non- Sworn training). 2. FSTs shall attend applicable roll call and in-service trainings. G. Selection Process. 1. Applicants must have completed High School or GED Equivalence and have a valid Florida Driver's License. 2. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen and have no felony convictions or misdemeanor convictions involving perjury or false statements. 4\n\n--- Page 5 ---\n\nGAINESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT 3. Applicants must have an acceptable background, including, but not limited to, as follows: 1. No outstanding warrants. 2. No felony, convictions, or misdemeanor convictions involving moral character, false statements, or perjury. 3. Pass polygraph examination. 4. Meet drug usage standards and pass drug screening test. 5. Acceptable driving record as detailed in the position posting. 6. One (1) year of related work experience in public contact. 7. Thirty (30) credit hours from an accredited college or university, and graduation from a State or Federal Law Enforcement/Corrections Officer Certification Program or successful completion of Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC) approved training which satisfies the requirement of Florida State Statute 316.640 and encompasses the essential functions for Field Service Technician I ,or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience, which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities. H. Equipment: 1. General: Refer to General Order 41.6 Authorized Duty Equipment. 2. Evidence Collection Equipment: 1. Each FST will be trained and equipped to collect the basic evidence found in most crime scenes. 2. The primary equipment necessary for collecting evidence are the camera and latent fingerprint identification equipment. Each FST will be issued an evidence collection kit consisting of latent fingerprint brushes, powders, tape, lift cards, and other general items. 3. This equipment will allow the collection of physical evidence at crime scenes which can then be sent to the Forensics Unit or other special crime laboratories as necessary. I. Vehicles: FSTs will operate a GPD vehicle with amber and blue or amber only emergency lights mounted on a roof rack. The vehicles are marked with a decal on each front door that identifies the driver as a Field Service Technician and its visual impact clearly differentiates the FST from the uniform patrol of