Policy Text
KISSIMMEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDER
General Order 406 – Traffic Law Enforcement / Stopping and Approaching Vehicles
Page 1 of 14 TITLE: TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT / STOPPING AND
APPROACHING VEHICLES 406
EFFECTIVE: 07/01/2015 REVISED: 10/31/2025 SCOPE : ALL EMPLOYEES
REVIEW AUTHORITY: SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION CAPTAIN
CFA STANDARDS: 14.07M (A-E), 18.01 (A-C), 18.02M (A-D)
406.01 Conducting Traffic Stops 406.10 Step-Out Traffic Enforcement
406.02 Executing a Traffic Stop 406.11 Citations
406.03 Signaling the Violator to Stop 406.12 Traffic Violations by Special Violators
406.04 Violators Who Refuse to Stop 406.13 Criminal Traffic Offenses
406.05 Vehicle Positioning and Light Use 406.14 Invalid Driver Licenses
406.06 Approaching the Violator 406.15 Re-Examination
406.07 Officer Conduct during Traffic Stops 406.16 Traffic Law Violations
406.08 Issuance of Citations 406.17 Speed Detection Equipment
406.09 Felony Stops 406.18 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program
Policy: Officer Safety is paramount when stopping motorists. Officers must take all steps and
precautions necessary to assure their safety and wellbeing, as well as the safety of the motorist and
the public.
406.01 Conducting Traffic Stops: The following steps for stopping and approaching a traffic
violator are intended to provide maximum safety f or the officer, the violator, and other highway
users. Varying conditions regarding the engineering of the particular roadway, the urgency to stop
the violator, the existing volume of traffic, and environmental conditions may dictate adjusting or
modifying these procedures .
In general, only vehicles equipped with identification markings should be used for routine traffic
stops. Other special enforcement vehicles may be used at the discretion of competent authority,
but any vehicle used for a traffic stop m ust have at a minimum:
a. Red or blue emergency warning lights [CFA 14.07M – A]; and
b. A warning siren and public address system (with loudspeaker). [CFA 14.07M – B, E]
406.02 Executing a Traffic Stop: When the officer observes a violation and decides to ma ke a
traffic stop; they should position the police vehicle behind the violator to initiate the stopping
KISSIMMEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDER
General Order 406 – Traffic Law Enforcement / Stopping and Approaching Vehicles
Page 2 of 14 procedure. The officer should notify the Communications Unit (Dispatch) of the following, and in
this order:
a. A traffic stop is being initiated;
b. The location;
c. The state of issue and tag number of the violator vehicle;
d. A vehicle description; and
e. The number of occupants observed in the vehicle.
The officer should try to wait until they receive confirmation from Dispatch that they are aware of
the off icer's activity prior to continuing the traffic stop. The officer should be thoroughly familiar
with the area, and anticipate the best location to stop the violator. Consideration should be given
to locations with:
a. Ample space;
b. Good lighting;
c. Maximum visibility distances for any approaching traffic;
d. Availability of areas where the violator may use side streets or other areas to pull out of
the traffic pattern; and
e. Traffic flow and inconvenience to area business or residences.
406.03 Signalin g the Violator to Stop: The officer should signal the violator to stop by activating
the emergency lights, but not additional white lights or “hazard” lights. [CFA 14.07M – A, C] Spot
lights, takedown lights, and high -beam headlights should not initially b e activated because these
lights may blind the operator and interfere with their ability to operate the vehicle. [CFA 14.07M
– D]
Hazard lights should not be activated until the police vehicle is stopped because they can be
confused for directional signal s. If a violator does not respond to the lights, the officer may briefly
activate the siren. [CFA 14.07M – C]
If the violator still does not respond, the officer may use the public address system to order the
violator to stop or engage the siren in contin uous mode. The violator should be signaled and
directed to the right side of the roadway close to the curb or onto the shoulder (when engineering
permits). On multi -lane roads, the officer should ensure the safety of the violator during lane
changes by cha nging from lane to lane with the violator until the right side of the roadway is
reached. [CFA 14.07M – E]
KISSIMMEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDER
General Order 406 – Traffic Law Enforcement / Stopping and Approaching Vehicles
Page 3 of 14 Should the violator stop abruptly in the wrong lane or in any other undesirable location , they should
be directed to move to a safer location. Whene ver possible, officers should use the public address
system to instruct the violator to move to a safer location. The