Policy Text
Policy
200Mountain View Police Department
Mountain View PD Policy Manual
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2019/12/16, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Mountain View Police
DepartmentOrganizational Structure and Responsibility - 1Organizational Structure and Responsibility
200.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The organizational structure of this department is designed to create an efficient means to
accomplish the Department's mission and goals, and to provide for the best possible service to
the public.
200.2 DIVISIONS
The Police Chief is responsible for administering and managing the Mountain View Police
Department. In addition to the Office of the Police Chief (Administration), there are three divisions
in the Police Department as follows:
•Field Operations Division
•Special Operations Division
•Support Services Division
The responsibilities, functions and programs provided by each division are detailed in the City of
Mountain View's budget document. The Department's structure is illustrated in its organizational
chart.
200.3 COMMAND PROTOCOL
200.3.1 SUCCESSION OF COMMAND
The Police Chief exercises command over all personnel in the Department. During planned
absences the Police Chief will designate a Police Captain to serve as the acting Police Chief.
Except when designated as above, the order of command authority in the absence or unavailability
of the Police Chief is as follows:
(a)Police Captain
(b)Police Lieutenant
(c)Police Sergeant
(d)Police Officer
The Officer in charge of any non-planned assignment shall be the first officer to arrive on the
scene. He/she shall remain in charge until relieved by a higher-ranking officer who shall specifically
advise the officer that he/she is being relieved. When two officers of equal rank are at a scene
and a conflict exists as to who is in charge, the officer in charge shall be the one assigned to Field
Operations with the most seniority in grade.
When specialty unit personnel are requested, they shall assume control of the investigation or
scene until their services are no longer required.
Mountain View Police Department
Mountain View PD Policy Manual
Organizational Structure and Responsibility
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2019/12/16, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Mountain View Police
DepartmentOrganizational Structure and Responsibility - 2200.3.2 UNITY OF COMMAND
The principles of unity of command ensure efficient supervision and control within the Department.
Generally, each employee shall be accountable to one supervisor at any time for a given
assignment or responsibility. Except where specifically delegated authority may exist by policy or
special assignment (e.g., K-9, SWAT), any supervisor may temporarily direct any subordinate if
an operational necessity exists.
This primary supervisor is the person responsible for preparing the employee's evaluation and
holds an appointed or designated supervisory title or supervisory rank designation. Members
may be assigned a functional supervisor during a specific time frame or shift, during the absence
of the primary supervisor, or for a specific task or function. In such case, the member shall be
accountable to the first-line supervisor in charge of the assignment or incident.
When two or more components within the Department are engaged in a joint operation, the person
in charge shall be clearly identified to all participants at the beginning of the operation.
200.3.3 CHAIN OF COMMAND
The chain of command is the clear line of authority from the Police Chief to every member in order
to facilitate effective decision-making, accountability and organizational communication. Members
shall utilize, recognize, and respect the chain of command in all actions.
The chain of command may be bypassed when immediate action is required, when time is of the
essence, when use of the chain of command would unduly hinder the efficient performance of the
employee's assigned duty, or when specifically authorized by policy. When the chain of command
is bypassed, it shall be the responsibility of the member bypassing the chain of command to notify
the bypassed supervisor within a reasonable amount of time.
200.3.4 SPAN OF CONTROL
The number of members under the immediate control of a supervisor must be manageable to
achieve direction, coordination, and control. The exact number of personnel supervised by any
one supervisor shall be dependent on the nature of the job being performed, the complexity of the
task, the size of the area to be supervised, the experience level of the members, and other factors
that may influence the work environment. Each supervisor shall continually review the number
of personnel under their command and communicate to his/her supervisor circumstances when
appropriate limits are potentially exceeded.