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ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SPECIAL ORDER Effective Date: June 5, 2019  Amends NEW Special Order Number: 127.0 Distribution: All Personnel Review Month: October Reviewing Authority: SSD / Community Relations Subject: Safe Place Initiative This order consists of the following: 1. Purpose 2. Definitions 3. Procedures 1. Purpose The purpose of this Special Order is to provide guidance on the implementation of the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) Safe Place Initiative . The mission of the OCSO Safe Place Initiative is to provide the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) community with easily accessible safe places throughout unincorporated Orange County they can turn to if they are the victims of crime. Through the Safe Place Initiative, OCSO will provide decals to facilities, local businesses, and other organizations within unincorporated Orange County to post as a symbol of safety for the victims of LGBTQ crime. While this program cannot guarantee personal saf ety, anyone who seeks solace in a location that is a part of the Safe Place Initiative can be assured that if they are a victim of a crime, law enforcement will promptly be called and they can wait at that location until the appropriate law enforcement ent ity arrives . 2. Definitions A. Accessible Area - the areas within the requesting business that are open to the public and that are accessible to the victim of a crime to use the telephone and/or wait for the arrival of law enforcement. B. Registered Business - a requesting business that has successfully been enrolled in the Safe Place Initiative, having received a favorable off-site vetting, passing cursory inspection, and executed the necessary agreement, as outlined in this policy. C. Requesting Business - a facility, local business, or other organization within unincorporated Orange County that is requesting participation in the OCSO Safe Place Initiative. D. Requesting Person - the owner, manager, or other individual associated with a business that has the autho rity to enter into agreements on the requesting business's behalf. 127.0, Page 2 of 4 E. Safe Place Coordinator - an individual from Crime Prevention assigned to coordinate the Safe Place Initiative program . As used in this policy, this term also refers to a designee of the Sa fe Place Coordinator. F. Safe Place Decal -the official Safe Place Initiative graphic art that has been placed on an adhesive sticker or other item suitable for display. G. Safe Place Vetting Form - an agency -approved form that documents the efforts put into vetting a requesting business, including the off-site vetting process, the cursory inspection, and the executed agreement, as described in this policy . 3. Procedures A. A requesting business seeking to participate in the OCSO Safe Place Initiative should pro vide the following information, which will be forwarded to the Safe Place Coordinator: 1. Name of the requesting business 2. Address of the requesting business 3. Name of the requesting person 4. Email address of the requesting person 5. Contact phone number of the reque sting person B. Within fourteen (14) days of receiving the required information from the requesting business, the Safe Place Coordinator will contact the requesting person and confirm the receipt of the request to join the Safe Place Initiative. An automated email generated at the time of submission will satisfy this requirement. C. Prior to scheduling a meeting with the requesting person, the Safe Place Coordinator shall conduct an off -site vetting of the requesting business to confirm it is suitable for parti cipation in the Safe Place Initiative. The Safe Place Vetting Form should be used to document the off -site vetting process. When vetting the requesting business, the Safe Place Coordinator should use good judgment, generally allowing for participation in t he program. The following factors, while not exhaustive, should be considered: 1. Whether the requesting business is currently involved in, or was previously involved in, nuisance abatement. Current involvement in nuisance abatement proceedings will generally result in a denial from participation in the program until the completion of the proceedings. Past involvement in nuisance abatement proceedings need not result in a denial, but should be considered if other negative factors are present. Information on nu isance abatement involvement is available from the Nuisance Abatement Coordinator. 2. Whether the requesting business has a known affiliation with a hate group or groups. Known affiliation with a hate group or groups will generally result in a denial from pa rticipation in the program. Known affiliations with a hate group or groups can be determined by contacting the CFIX / Intelligence Section. A lack of affiliation with a hate group or groups may be presumed 127.0, Page 3 of 4 if the business is a well-known, public business (e.g., McDonalds, etc.) that has no publicly known affiliations with a hate group or groups. D. After conducting off -site vet