Policy Text
P
ROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
THE PURPOSE OF THIS GENERAL ORDER IS TO PROMOTE THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE STANDARD OF HONESTY AND
ETHICS IN PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT . ALL DEPARTMENT MEMBERS , WHETHER SWORN , NON‐SWORN, PAID OR
NON‐PAID, SHALL CONFORM WITH THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED HEREIN .
1. Policy
A. Truthfulness Policy
Members shall be truthful in all matters relating to their duti es. Members shall not
make false statements in testimony, written reports, or other o fficial documents, or
when questioned or interviewed.
B. Refusal To Make Statements And/Or Making False Statements Durin g Departmental
Administrative Investigations
If requested to make a statement in the course of an official D epartment
Administrative Investigation, members shall make full and compl ete statements.
Refusal to make statements, or making false statements during D epartmental
Administrative Investigations will result in disciplinary actio n, regardless of the
ultimate disposition of the underlying charges or allegations.
C. Cooperation During Criminal Investigation
Members of this Department may be ordered to cooperate with oth er agencies and
units of this Department that are involved in criminal investig ations. If a member
who is a witness fails to comply with such order, the member ma y be
administratively charged with insubordination. If a member ass erts a fifth
amendment right to remain silent, an administrative investigati on will focus on that
member as a suspect in the underlying charges.
D. Internal Investigations By Other Law Enforcement Agencies
Department members shall cooperate with other law enforcement a gencies
conducting internal investigati ons. If any person conducting a n internal investigation
for another law enforcement agency requests an interview with a member of this
Department, the request must be directed to the commander of In ternal Affairs.
2 3/00 ሺNEW 1/99ሻ All members interviewed by internal affairs investigators from other law
enforcement agencies shall make full, complete, and truthful st atements.
E. Obstructing An Investigation
Members shall not take any action which would interfere with, d elay, obstruct,
distort or unduly influence any official investigation, crimina l, civil, or
administrative, conducted by this Department or any other gover nment agency.
Any member who knowingly gives false evidence, withholds eviden ce, or interferes
in any way, during such an investigation, or requests or encour ages another to do so,
shall be deemed to have obstructed the investigation.
F. Tampering With Evidence
Members shall not fabricate, withhold or destroy evidence of an y kind.