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Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/11/25, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Monica Police Department Transporting Persons in Custody - 1 Santa Monica Police Department Santa Monica Police Department Policy Manual Transporting Persons in Custody 902.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE This policy provides guidelines for transporting persons who are in the custody of the Santa Monica Police Department. See the Handcuffing and Restraints Policy for additional guidance. 902.2 POLICY It is the policy of the Santa Monica Police Department to provide safe, secure, and humane transportation for all persons in custody. 902.3 OPERATIONS DIVISION COMMANDER RESPONSIBILITIES The Operations Division Commander should establish related procedures for: • Safely transporting persons who have their legs restrained. • Seating placement of persons being transported in vehicles with and without safety barriers. 902.4 OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES Persons in custody should be transported in a vehicle properly equipped to transport passengers. They should be appropriately restrained and positioned during transport. Officers transporting a person in custody should: (a) Search all areas of the vehicle accessible to a person in custody before and after each transport. (b) Immediately search persons in custody after arrest, when receiving the person from the custody of another officer, and before transferring the person. Refer to the Custodial Searches Policy before conducting any search other than a field search. 1. Whenever p racticable, a search should be conducted by a sworn officer of the same gender as the person being searched. If a sworn officer of the same gender is not reasonably available, a witnessing officer should be present during the search. (c) Provide Public Safety Communications Center with any required notifications (e.g., start time, mileage, end time). (d) Properly secure all property. (e) Use audio/video equipment (when properly equipped) to observe and record any person in custody during transport (see the Mobile Audio/Video and Body -Worn Camera policies for additional guidance). (f) Make a reasonable effort to prevent inappropriate conversati ons between persons being transported (e.g., demeaning or insulting language) or conversations between a person being transported and someone outside the vehicle. Policy 902 Santa Monica Police Department Santa Monica Police Department Policy Manual Transporting Persons in Custody Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/11/25, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Monica Police Department Transporting Persons in Custody - 2 (g) Plan travel times and routes to avoid situations that might impede transportation (e.g., heavy traffic, unfavorable road cond itions, extreme weather) when reasonably practicable. (h) Make a verbal welfare check with a person in custody at least every 10 minutes. Provide sufficient visual observation and audio communication during the transport of: 1. Individuals in auxiliary restraints . 2. Individuals in leg restraints. 3. Individuals wearing a spit hood. 4. Individuals who are a suspected suicide risk. (i) Verify that the vehicle's security devices (e.g., window and rear-door child-safety locks) are activated. (j) Assess uncooperative persons who cannot or will not sit upright for a medical condition (see the Medical Aid and Response Policy for additional guidance): 1. If no medical condition exists, alternative transportation should be arranged (e.g., a special transport van). 902.5 TRANSPORT RESTRICTIONS When transporting multiple persons, officers: (a) Should not transport persons in custody together. Persons in custody should be transported individually when practicable, or within their own compartment of a multiple -compartment vehicle, unless supervisor ap proval is received based on unusual circumstances. 1. Juveniles and adults shall not be transported together. 2. Persons with known hostilities toward each other, such as mutual combatants or rival gang members, shall not be transported together. 3. Persons of diff erent genders should not be transported together. (b) If segregating individuals is not possible, transporting officers should be alert to inappropriate physical or verbal contact and take appropriate action. 902.6 TRANSPORT VANS A sworn officer trained on the safety and restraint systems of a transport van should be present during the transport van's use for transporting a person in custody. 902.7 TRANSPORTING PERSONS IN CUSTODY WHO HAVE A DISABILITY When transporting a person in custo dy who has a disability, a transporting officer should request assistance as necessary to transport the person in a reasonable and safe manner. The transporting officer should ensure that any special equipment (e.g., canes, wheelchairs, prosthetics) is tra nsported to the person's destination in a way that does not threaten the safety or security of the person in custody or the officer. Santa Monica Police Department Santa Monica Police Department Policy Manual Transporting Persons in Custody Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/11/25, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Monica Police Department Transporting Persons in Custody - 3 Officers transporting a person who has a disability should consult with the person in custody and use good judgment in determining what, if any, restraining devices may be appropriate based