Policy Text
CHAIN OF COMMAND
EFFECTIVE DATE: 08/01/89 STANDARD NO. 025 REVISED: 01/10/18
REPLACES: SOP Chain of Command 03-02.1-2 Rev. 01/01/03; Rev. 09/30/11; Rev. 01/03/16;
OBJECTIVE: To establish guidelines for channels of authority for its employees.
POLICY: It is the policy of the Homestead Police Department (HPD) to provide a formal
structure through which a logical arrangement of work, organizational structure,
and clear-cut channels of authority are established.
SCOPE: All employees of this Department will be governed by the below described
procedures.
I. ORDER OF RANK:
A. The order of rank within the HPD shall be as follows:
Chief of Police
Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Police Officer or Detective
Non-Sworn/Civilian Employees
II. PROCEDURES:
A. Any and all requests, complaints, suggestions or reports of occurrences or irregularities
regarding policies, procedures, oral or written, of HPD shall be directed through
channels as follows:
1. Every employee of the Police Department shall direct any and all requests,
complaints, reports or suggestions to his/her immediate supervisor in writing.
Interdepartmental stationary/e-mail shall be used for such communications
unless prepared forms are provided.
2. If the complaint is against the employee’s immediate supervisor, the officer may
direct his/her initial communication to the officer next higher in rank in that
division.
3. Any employee of this Department who feels threatened in any manner or feels
that the integrity of the Department is in jeopardy is authorized to report this
situation directly to the Chief of Police without reporting first to his/her
supervisory officer.
Chain of Command – SOP# 025
4. It shall be the duty of all employees of the Department receiving such
communications from a subordinate to reply in writing as soon as practical; and,
in any case, not longer than three (3) days after receipt of such communication.
5. Any employee receiving a reply from his/her immediate supervisor in answer to
such communication that is not satisfactory may, after notification of his/her
immediate supervisor, direct a communication to the employee next higher in
rank in that division.
6. Such communication may be carried as far as the Office of the Police Chief so
long as each succeeding level of command within the division has been given
written notice and a reply returned. EXCEPT AS MAY BE OTHERWISE
PROVIDED BY REGULATIONS, SUCH COMMUNICATIONS SHALL NOT BE
DIRECTED TO ANY OFFICE, MEDIA OR PERSON OUTSIDE THE
HOMESTEAD POLICE DEPARTMENT WITHOUT THE EXPRESSED
PERMISSION OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE. Communications shall be defined
as oral or written, and any duplication, reproduction, or photograph thereof.
7. Employees of the Department shall be free to seek advice, counsel with or obtain
the assistance of other employees of this Department in their presentation of a
complaint at any command level, as long as all employees involved in such
complaint restrict their activities to the provisions of the “Chain of Command“
procedure.
8. All employees of the Police Department shall be required to take direct orders
from any supervisor.
9. A command employee or a supervisory employee shall retain command powers
over all subordinates within the Department, but shall exercise such command
powers over subordinates outside their usual command only in situations where
the police purpose or the reputation of the Department is in jeopardy or being
jeopardized.
10. Nothing in the foregoing shall be construed as restricting the Chief of Police or
designated employee of the command staff from communicating with any
employee of this Department at any time. Further, any employee so specifically
directed by the Chief of Police shall not be restricted by any of the foregoing
provisions.