Policy Text
DEFINITIONS:
AFFIDAVIT - A written statement of facts made under oath.
ARREST WARRANT - An order of arrest signed by a judge. Arrest warrants are
executed by sworn law enforcement officers only.
CONTRABAND - An item that is illegal to possess, produce or distribute.
EXECUTIONER - Person who performs a task or carries out what is required.
EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES - Something arising suddenly out of the current
event; any event or occasional action or remedy; a sudden and unexpected happening
or an unforeseen occurrence or condition.
MEMORY - The electronic holding place for instructions and/or data; may also be
referred to as a SIM card.
PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT (PDA) - Devices usually containing phone, address
lists, photographs and other data; and may also be referred to a “smart phones” and
tablet computers.
PLAIN VIEW - Officers may seize evidence / contraband in plain view without a warrant.
Officers, however, must be legally present and will have to justify that the facts and
circumstances necessitated the seizure without a warrant.
PORTABLE VIDEO AND/OR PHOTO RECORDING DEVICE - Any device capable of
capturing still photographs and/or video/audio recordings such as cell phones, smart
phones, tablet computers, digital and analog cameras, digital and analog video
recorders.
PROBABLE CAUSE - Knowledge of facts and circumstances as would warrant an
officer of reasonable caution to believe that a person has committed a crime or that
evidence of a crime will be found at a certain place.
REASONABLE SUSPICION - Circumstances which reasonably indicate that such
person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a violation. It lies
somewhere between mere hunch and probable cause.
REMOVABLE MEDIA - Discs, CDs, DVD, cartridges and tapes that store data and can
be easily removed.
REMOVABLE MEDIA CARD - Small data storage media which are more commonly
found in other digital devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, cameras and
PDAs.
VALIDITY OF INFORMATION - Is the information current and reliable.
SEARCH WARRANT - An order, in writing, issued by a judge, directing a law
enforcement officer to search a particular, person, place or thing for contraband, fruits of
a crime or other evidence.
USB STORAGE DEVICE - Small storage devices accessed using a device’s USB port.
They may store large volumes of data files. They are easily removed, transported and
concealed.
PROCEDURE: