Policy Text
POLICY AND PROCEDURE DEVELOPMENT
EFFECTIVE DATE: 02/01/96 STANDARD NO. 048 REVISED: 08/18/17
REPLACES: SOP Policy and Procedures Development 16-02.1-2 – Rev. 01/01/03; Rev. 08/18/11;
OBJECTIVE: To provide officers with guidelines to draft Department Policy and Procedures if
there is an identifiable need.
POLICY: Using the guidelines set forth in this directive, an officer may draft Department
Policy and Procedures in accordance with identifiable needs. The below
procedures will provide an officer with guidelines to draft Department Policy and
Procedures.
SCOPE: All employees of this Department shall be governed by the procedures set forth
below.
I. GENERAL:
A. There is a continuing need within the Department to develop Policy and Procedures to
ensure consistent operation for all personnel. Policy and Procedures are issued under
the authority of the Chief of Police and are permanent standards for Department
employees to follow. The need for Policy and Procedures may be identified at both the
employee and administrative level. Department personnel should have the ability to
draft Policy and Procedures for the review and approval of the Chief of Police.
II. PROCEDURES:
A. Any Department employee, who identifies a need to develop a written directive, may
discuss this need with a supervisor and draft Policy and Procedures for review by the
Chief of Police. Policy and Procedures may consist of four (4) sections:
1. OBJECTIVE – Briefly discuss the history behind the need for implementation of
this policy.
2. POLICY – Briefly state the intent of the policy. Policy consists of principles and
values, which guide the performance of a Departmental activity. Policy is not a
statement of what must be done in a particular situation; rather it is a statement
of guiding principles, which should be followed in activities, which are directed
toward attainment of objectives.
3. SCOPE – Briefly identify the employees governed by the procedures.
4. PROCEDURE – A procedure is a method of performing an operation or a
manner of proceeding on a course of action. It differs from policy in that it directs
action in a particular situation to perform a specific task within the guidelines of
policy.
B. In order to establish a standard policy for presenting proposed revisions or addendums
for the Policy and Procedures Manual, the following procedure will be utilized.
Policy and Procedure Development – SOP# 048
1. A rough draft of the proposed revision or addendum will be written in the Policy
and Procedures Manual format as described above and forwarded, via chain of
command, to the command staff.
2. The command staff will review the proposed revisions or addendums and
distribute the proposal to the S.O.P. Committee for their review, opinions, and
recommendations.
3. A second draft will be prepared by the S.O.P. Committee and forwarded to the
Chief of Police for review. This draft will contain:
a. The initial request for change.
b. Existing policy.
c. The proposed policy revision.
d. All staff responses.
4. Upon receiving the proposed documentation from the Chief of Police, the S.O.P.
Committee will incorporate any changes made by the Chief of Police for final
distribution.
5. The S.O.P. Committee will meet on a quarterly basis to review current policy and
procedures to determine if any changes are necessary.