Policy Text
PURPOSE SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF OPERATIONS
527.05
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS
05-13-93
To establish guidelines for the amount of time to be spent on preliminary investigations.
POLICY
That officers assigned to the Office of Operations continue preliminary investigations to the point where
delay in the investigation would not materially jeopardize the investigation.
PROCEDURE
A. The scope of preliminary investigations can constitute an entire investigation or be limited by:
1. investigative policy.
2. officers' workload assignments.
B. Officers shall conduct a thorough investigation to include:
1. establishing the violation of law.
2. thorough identification and interviews of all victims, witnesses, and responsible parties.
3. collection and preservation of any evidence.
4. taking appropriate enforcement action.
C. A report shall be:
1. accurate and completed during the work shift.
2. submitted for supervisory review and approval. (Where a report is associated with an
arrest it shall be submitted to a supervisor before going home.)
D. Necessary reports shall be taken by officers and Community Services Officers.
E. An officer may refer a complainant to a call expeditor or the report writers per G.O. 130.02.
F. GUIDELINES FOR PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS
1. To strike a balance between the need of answering calls for service and the amount of
time expended on preliminary investigations, officers shall limit preliminary
investigations to one hour unless supervisory approval is obtained. NOTE: When
determining the length of time on a preliminary investigation, the report writing time need
not be included.
2. Preliminary investigations causing travel outside the sector shall necessitate:
a. supervisor approval.
b. the supervisor notifying the supervisor of the sector to which the officer is
responding.
G. SECTOR SERGEANTS:
Sector Sergeants shall:
1. when practical, allow officers to carry an investigation to its logical conclusion.
2. balance the absolute need of maintaining adequate levels of police service and the
compelling need to complete the investigation.
3. take the following factors into consideration when authorizing extended preliminary
investigations:
a. calls for service
b. available personnel resources
c. severity of the crime
d. necessity of immediate apprehension
e. potential location of apprehension
f. likelihood of apprehension
g. loss of evidence
h. loss of witnesses
i. availability of call expeditor and/or report writers.
4. keep the Watch Commander advised of any extended investigation and the amount of
personnel resources committed to it.
O.O.O. 527.05
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