24-4

GENERAL ORDER 24 -4 TRAFFIC DIRECTION AND CONTROL 1 P L A N T C I T Y P O L I C E D E P A R T M E N T General Order Title TRAFFIC DIRECTION AND CONTROL General Order Number 24-4 Effective: 01/01 /1996 Revised: 04/02/2025 Amends / Rescinds: 04/24/2023 CFA: PURPOSE The purpose of this directive is to estab lish guidelines for directing the movement of vehi cles and pedestrian traffic. Traffic direction and control, in broad terms, includes all functions, proce dures, appara tus, markings, etc., designed to promote and insure the safe and efficient movement of vehi cles and pedestri ans. The require ment for traffic direc tion and control exists at many lo cations within the traffic net work, at many times and under many different circumstances. At some locations , the need for traffic direction and control is essentially continu ous: at others, the need exists only at dis crete but predict able times. Exam ples of this latter set of require ments would include scheduled special events, rush hours, and school openi ng and clos ing times. At still other locations, the need for traffic direc tion and control services will arise unpredict ably in response to special circum stances. Exam ples of this type would include the need to provide for traffic direc tion and co ntrol in the vicinity of traffic crashes, fires, and traffic haz ards caused by adverse weather con ditions. This Department has an impor tant role to play in carry ing out traffic direc tion and con trol. However, neither this Department nor any la w enforce ment agency is solely responsi ble for the traffic direction and control func tion. Such responsi bility is shared with traffic engineer ing and other govern ment offi cials. This Depart ment will carry out its responsi bilities for traf fic direc tion and co ntrol in concert with other authorities, by providing and managing ap propriate members and other re sources, in num bers and kinds ade quate to deal with reasona ble expecta tions con cerning the need for traffic direction and con trol s ervices. INTENT It is the intent of the Plant City Police Depart ment for all certified members to insure the safe and effi cient movement of vehicles and pedes trians, where conditions or emergency situations require. Certified members of the Departmen t involved in traffic control or direction will be r espon sible for providing infor mation and an swering citizen inquires in a manner consistent with effec tive duty perfor mance. DEFINITIONS RULES AND PROCEDURES A. The Department will main tain a close working relation ship with traffic engi neering authori ties and other appropriate officials to plan and imple ment traffic direction and control services for the community. 24-4.1 TRAFFIC DIRECTION AND CONTROL FUNCTION DISCUSSION GENERAL ORDER 24 -4 TRAFFIC DIRECTION AND CONTROL 2 B. Because any cer tified law en force ment member , civilian community service officer (CSO) or sponsored police recruit of this De partment may be called upon to carry out traffic direction and control functions in response to unanticipated needs, the Department will provide train ing in the basic skills and knowledge required for those functions. C. In conjunction with Traffic Op erations, a Traffic Analysis will be done periodically to provide analyses of traffic direc tion and con trol needs of the communi ty. T his should be done at least annually to identi fy and antici pate to the extent possible the number and kinds of re sources required. D. In allocating resources to pro vide for identi fied traffic direction control needs, the Depart ment will strive to maximize the cost effective ness of the choices made. Specifically, un manned traf fic control devices, signals and other apparatus will be used wher ever they are capable of satisfying the identified service requirements. A sponsored police recrui t may accompany another certified law enforcement member to carry out those traffic control functions judged to require human interven tion to ensure safety and efficiency, but where a need for enforcement authori ty is not anticipat ed. Certi fied law en forcement members will be assigned to carry out identified traffic direc tion and control func tions at those times and places where law enforcement authority is deemed necessary or non -certified personnel are not available. A CSO is authorized and may be assigned to carry out traffic direction and control without being accompanied by a certified police officer. E. The OIC/UPD or designee will conduct a sur vey, at least annually, in coopera tion with the traffic operations author ities, and records, to id entify locations and times where point control is needed to en sure the safe and efficient movement of vehicles and pedestri ans. Addition al special surveys will be conducted, as needed, when traffic crash or en force ment data suggest unsafe condi tions exist at certain locations, or when there are significant changes to the traffic net work (such as roadway construction). F. The Department will conduct a sur vey, at least annually, to identify locations and times where parking control is needed to ensure the safe and efficient movement of vehicles. The specific require ments associated with each such location and time