GGPDE_1031_-_Line-of-Duty_Deaths_2843366

Policy 1031Garden Grove Police Department Policy Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2024/02/15, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Garden Grove Police DepartmentLine-of-Duty Deaths - 1Line-of-Duty Deaths 1031.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to members of the Garden Grove Police Department in the event of the serious injury or death of a member occurring in the line of duty and to direct the Department in providing proper support for the member's survivors. The Chief of Police may also apply some or all of this policy in situations where members are injured in the line of duty and the injuries are life-threatening. 1031.1.1 DEFINITIONS Definitions related to this policy include: Line-of-duty death - The death of an officer during the course of performing law enforcement- related functions while on- or off-duty, or a non-sworn member during the course of performing assigned duties. Survivors - Immediate family members of the deceased member, which can include spouse, children, parents, other next of kin, or significant others. The determination of who should be considered a survivor for purposes of this policy should be made on a case-by-case basis given the individual's relationship with the member and whether the individual was previously designated by the deceased member. 1031.2 POLICY It is the policy of the Garden Grove Police Department to make appropriate notifications and to provide assistance and support to survivors and coworkers of a member who dies in the line of duty. It is also the policy of this department to respect the requests of the survivors when they conflict with these guidelines, as appropriate. 1031.3 INITIAL ACTIONS BY COMMAND STAFF (a)Upon learning of a line-of-duty death, the deceased member's supervisor should provide all reasonably available information to the Division Lieutenant and Communications. 1.Communication of information concerning the member and the incident should be restricted to secure networks to avoid interception by the media or others (see the Public Information Officer section of this policy). (b)The Division Lieutenant should ensure that notifications are made in accordance with the Officer-Involved Shootings and Deaths and Major Incident Notification policies as applicable. (c)If the member has been transported to the hospital, the Division Lieutenant or the authorized designee should respond to the hospital to assume temporary responsibilities as the Hospital Liaison. Garden Grove Police Department Policy Manual Line-of-Duty Deaths Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2024/02/15, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Garden Grove Police DepartmentLine-of-Duty Deaths - 2(d)The Chief of Police or the authorized designee should assign members to handle survivor notifications and assign members to the roles of Hospital Liaison (to relieve the temporary Hospital Liaison) and the Department Liaison as soon as practicable (see the Notifying Survivors section and the Department Liaison and Hospital Liaison subsections in this policy). 1031.4 NOTIFYING SURVIVORS Survivors should be notified as soon as possible in order to avoid the survivors hearing about the incident in other ways. The Chief of Police or the authorized designee should review the deceased member's emergency contact information and make accommodations to respect the member's wishes and instructions specific to notifying survivors. However, notification should not be excessively delayed because of attempts to assemble a notification team in accordance with the member's wishes. The Chief of Police, Division Lieutenant or the authorized designee should select at least two members to conduct notification of survivors, one of which may be the Departmentchaplain. Notifying members should: (a)Make notifications in a direct and compassionate manner, communicating as many facts of the incident as possible, including the current location of the member. Information that is not verified should not be provided until an investigation has been completed. (b)Determine the method of notifying surviving children by consulting with other survivors and taking into account factors such as the child's age, maturity and current location (e.g., small children at home, children in school). (c)Plan for concerns such as known health concerns of survivors or language barriers. (d)Offer to transport survivors to the hospital, if appropriate. Survivors should be transported in department vehicles. Notifying members shall inform the Hospital Liaison over a secure network that the survivors are on their way to the hospital.Notifying members should remain at the hospital while the survivors are present. (e)When survivors are not at their residences or known places of employment, actively seek information and follow leads from neighbors, other law enforcement, postal authorities and other sources of information in order to accomplish notification in as timely a fashion as possible. Notifying members shall not disclose the reason for their contact other than a family emergency. (f)If making notification at a survivor's workplace, ask a workplace supervisor for the use of a quiet, private room to meet with the survivor. Members shall not inform the workplace supervisor of the purpose of their visit other than to indicate that it is a family emergency. (g)Offer to call other survivors, friends, or clergy to support the survivors and to avoid leaving survivors alone after notification. (h)Assist the survivors with meeting child care or other immediate needs. Garden Grove Police Department Policy Manual Line-of-Duty Deaths Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2024/02/15, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Garden Grove Police DepartmentLine-of-Duty Deaths - 3(i)Provide other assistance to survivors and take reasonable measures to accommodate their needs, wishes, and desires. Care should be taken not to make promises or