Policy Text
Policy
401Garden Grove Police Department
Policy Manual
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/08/26, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Garden Grove Police
DepartmentBias-Based Policing - 1Bias-Based Policing
401.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This policy provides guidance to department members that affirms the Garden Grove Police
Department's commitment to policing that is fair and objective.
Nothing in this policy prohibits the use of specified characteristics in law enforcement activities
designed to strengthen the department's relationship with its diverse communities (e.g., cultural
and ethnicity awareness training, youth programs, community group outreach, partnerships).
401.1.1 DEFINITIONS
Definitions related to this policy include:
Bias-based policing or improper profiling - An inappropriate reliance on actual or perceived
characteristics such as race, ethnicity, national origin (including limited English proficiency),
religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, economic status, age, cultural
group, disability, or affiliation with any non-criminal group (protected characteristics) as the basis
for providing differing law enforcement service or enforcement (Penal Code § 13519.4). This
includes explicit and implicit biases (i.e., conscious and unconscious beliefs or attitudes towards
certain groups).
401.2 POLICY
The Garden Grove Police Department is committed to providing law enforcement services to the
community with due regard for the racial, cultural or other differences of those served. It is the
policy of this department to provide law enforcement services and to enforce the law equally,
fairly, objectively and without discrimination toward any individual or group.
401.3 BIAS-BASED POLICING PROHIBITED
Bias-based policing is strictly prohibited.
However, nothing in this policy is intended to prohibit an officer from considering protected
characteristics in combination with credible, timely and distinct information connecting a person or
people of a specific characteristic to a specific unlawful incident, or to specific unlawful incidents,
specific criminal patterns or specific schemes.
401.3.1 CALIFORNIA RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT
Members shall not collect information from a person based on religious belief, practice, affiliation,
national origin or ethnicity unless permitted under state or federal law (Government Code §
8310.3).
Members shall not assist federal government authorities (Government Code § 8310.3):
(a)In compiling personal information about a person’s religious belief, practice, affiliation,
national origin or ethnicity.
Garden Grove Police Department
Policy Manual
Bias-Based Policing
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/08/26, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Garden Grove Police
DepartmentBias-Based Policing - 2(b)By investigating, enforcing or assisting with the investigation or enforcement of any
requirement that a person register with the federal government based on religious
belief, practice, or affiliation, or national origin or ethnicity.
401.4 MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES
Every member of this department shall perform his/her duties in a fair and objective manner and
is responsible for promptly reporting any suspected or known instances of bias-based policing to
a supervisor. Members should, when reasonable to do so, intervene to prevent any biased-based
actions by another member.
401.4.1 REASON FOR CONTACT
Officers contacting a person shall be prepared to articulate sufficient reason for the
contact, independent of the protected characteristics of the individual.
To the extent that written documentation would otherwise be completed (e.g., arrest report, field
interview (FI) card), the involved officer should include those facts giving rise to the contact, as
applicable.
Except for required data-collection forms or methods, nothing in this policy shall require any officer
to document a contact that would not otherwise require reporting.
401.4.2 REPORTING OF STOPS
Unless an exception applies under 11 CCR 999.227, an officer conducting a stop of a person
shall collect the data elements required by Government Code § 12525.5 and 11 CCR 999.226 for
every person stopped and prepare a stop data report. When multiple officers conduct a stop, the
officer with the highest level of engagement with the person shall collect the data elements and
prepare the report (11 CCR 999.227).
If multiple agencies are involved in a stop and the Garden Grove Police Department is the primary
agency, the Garden Grove Police Department officer shall collect the data elements and prepare
the stop data report (11 CCR 999.227).
The stop data report should be completed by the end of the officer's shift or as soon as practicable
(11 CCR 999.227).
401.4.3 DISCLOSURE AND DOCUMENTATION OF TRAFFIC OR PEDESTRIAN STOP
An officer conducting a traffic or pedestrian stop shall state the reason for the stop prior to
questioning the individual related to a criminal investigation or traffic violation unless the officer
reasonably believes that withholding the reason for the stop is necessary to protect life or property
from imminent threat, including but not limited to cases of terrorism or kidnapping (Vehicle Code
§ 2806.5).
Officers shall document the reason for the stop on any citation or report (Vehicle Code § 2806.5).
Garden Grove Police Department
Policy Manual
Bias-Based Policing
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/08/26, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Garden Grove Police
DepartmentBias-Based Policing - 3401.5 SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Supervisors should monitor those individuals under their command for compliance with this policy
and shall handle any alleged or observed violations in accordance with the Personnel Complaints
Policy.
(a)Supervisors should discuss any issues with the involved officer and his/her supervisor
in