Policy Text
San Francisco Police Department 3.02
L. GENERAL ORDER 07/20/94
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
This order clarifies and standardizes the meanings of certain terms commonly used
throughout the Department. The following terms will be interpreted in all
Department communication according to these definitions, except when another
definition is specifically stated.
I. POLICY
City and County
Commission:
Chief:
~eartment:
Bureau:
Division:
District:
Section:
Unit:
Squad:
Sector: DEFINITION
The City and County of San Francisco.
The Charter of the City and County of San
Francisco.
The Police Commission
The Chief of Police.
The San Francisco Police Department
A primary subdivision of the Department.
A primary subdivision of a bureau.
An administrative area composed of patrol
sections, sectors and beats commanded by a
captain.
A geographic subdivision of a district or
an organizational sub-unit of a division.
A subdivision of a section or a synonym for
any organizational subdivision.
A group of officers supervised by a sergeant.
An area of motorized patroL
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An area of foot patrol. Beat:
Post:
Member: A fixed location to which a member is
assigned.
Any sworn officer or non-swom employee of
the San Francisco Police Department.
Persons appointed to the Department as full-
time, regularly salaried police officers under
Section 830.1 of the California Penal Code,
Supervisory Officec An officer, usually a sergeant, assigned to
directly supervise subordinates.
Commanding Officer: An officer, usually holding a rank of captain,
in charge of any unit of the Department.
In the absence of a commanding officer, the
senior-ranking officer present for duty in a
unit.
Commissioned Offi- An officer holding the rank of lieutenant or
higher.
Non-Commissioned Officer: An officer holding the rank of sergeant.
Patrol Special Offke~ A private patrol person appointed by the
Police Commission under Section 3.536 of
the Charter as 'the owner of a Patrol Special
Beat.
Assistant Patrol
SpecialOffkE
Week: A private patrol person appointed by the
Chief of Police to assist a Patrol Special
OfficQ
Seven (7) successive twenty-four (24) hour
periods commencing at 0001 ho& Sunday,
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Day:
Watch:
ShaW Will/ Must:
May:
Should:
Policy:
Procedure:
Chain of' Command:
Superior Officer:
Reserve OH~E The twenty-four (24) hour period
commencing at 0001 hours and ending at
2400 hours the same date.
A tour of consecutive hours within a day or
overlapping into another day.
Mandatory.
Permissive.
Permissive, but recommended.
Overall plan, general goal, philosophy.
A uniform process by which tasks are
accomplished.
Hierarchy of authority.
A commissioned or non-commissioned
officer in charge of subordinates.
Part-time police officer appointed by the
Chief of Police pursuant to 830.6 P.C