Policy Text
Revisions or additions are highlighted 1 (11/20/2025 ) ST. PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDER
Subject: MUTUAL AID
Index as: Cooperating Agency Mutual Aid
Exercising Police Authority Pinellas County Mutual Aid Agreement
In-progress Crime Assistance Voluntary Cooperation
Jurisdiction
Accreditation Standards: 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 3.1.2, 46.1.3, 81.2.4 , CALEA Communications 6.3.1
Cross Reference: G.O. II -06, Take -home Vehicle Program
Chapter 23, Florida Statutes (Florida Mutual Aid Act)
§ 1006.12(2)(d) , Florida Statutes (Safe -school officers at each public school)
§ 768.28 , Florida Statutes (Waiver of sovereign immunity)
Pinellas County Combined Mutual Aid Agreement
Replaces : G.O. III-03, Mutual Aid Agreement ( April 10, 2023 )
This Order consists of the following sections:
I. Purpose
II. Policy
III. Definitions
IV. Provision of Law Enforcement Services
V. Notification and Documentation
VI. Media Statements and Press Releases
VII. Terms and Procedures of the Agreement
I. PURPOSE
A. This Order estab lishes guidelines and procedures involving the exercise of police authority outside the City limits
and across jurisdictional boundaries within Pinellas County.
B. This Order is based upon an agreement signed by all law enforcement agencies within the County to request and
render assistance. Should other agencies be assisting within the City limits, they will base their operations on the
same agreement.
II. POLICY
A. It is recognized that:
1. Criminals are mobile and easily operate in more than one community.
2. Appropriate enforcement of laws on contiguous ways serves the public interest and increases respect for law
enforcement.
3. Natural and man -made disasters can easily cross jurisdictional boundaries. DATE OF
ISSUE EFFECTIVE DATE NUMBER
April 2023 Immediately III-03
Distribution: All Employees
General Order III -03
Revisions or additions are highlighted 2 (11/20/2025 ) 4. No single law enforcement agency can hope to co mmand sufficient resources to handle all possible
emergencies or investigations.
5. Any exercise of police authority under the Mutual Aid Agreement must conform with the policies, procedures
and General Orders of the City of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Police Department.
B. The law enforcement agencies of Pinellas County have formulated a comprehensive agreement for mutual aid and
for exercising police authority across jurisdictional boundaries. It is the intent of this agreement to embody a spi rit
of interagency cooperation.
C. The employment rights of personnel assigned under a written agreement for law enforcement services will not be
abridged.
III. DEFINITIONS
A. Contiguous Way – Any street, road, or other traveled way, including the right -of-way thereof, that is adjacent to or
that forms the boundary between signatories of the Pinellas County Combined Mutual Aid Agreement .
B. Cooperating Agency – A law enforcement agency that is a party to the Pinellas County Combined Mutual Aid
Agreement . The St. Petersburg Police Department is a cooperating agency.
C. Exercising Police Authority – The arrest or detention of a person, the use or threatened use of lawful force, t he
conducting of a search, the taking or seizing of any property, the issue of a command under color of authority, or
other exercise of authority specificall y granted to a law enforcement Officer .
D. In-progress Crime Assistance – Initiation of an exercise o f police authority by an on - or off-duty Officer after viewing
a felony or a misdemeanor involving a breach of peace occurring within the jurisdiction of another cooperating
agency.
E. Law Enforcement Emergency – Any disturbance, riot, natural or man -made di saster, rescue operation, large scale
evacuation, explosion, terrorist activity, hostage/barricaded subject situation, an incident requiring the utilization of
specialized units, and/or any other situation which exceeds the capability of the local agency t o counteract
effectively.
F. Officer – A sworn Law Enforcement Officer with powers of arrest granted by a cooperating agency.
G. Voluntary Cooperation – The request from, or to, a cooperating agency for assistance in dealing with any violation
of Florida Statutes; backup services during patrol activities; inter -agency task forces or operations such as, but not
limited to DUI wolfpack s; or joint investigat ions such as, but not limited to, drug violations.
H. Voluntary Investigation – The investigation of criminal activity that occurred within the jurisdiction of an Officer ’s
employing agency that flows into the jurisdiction of another cooperating agency.
IV. PRO VISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES
A. Exercise of police authority within the jurisdiction of another cooperating agency is limited to:
1. Investigating a traffic crash and enforcing traffic laws on contiguous ways.
a. When a traffic crash occurs on a contiguous way, an on -duty uniformed Officer from the adjacent
municipality may commence necessary first aid and traffic control. The on -scene Officer will contact the
jurisdiction in which the crash occurred. If that juris diction declines to dispatch an Officer to the scene, the
Officer on the scene will proceed to investigate the crash, to issue any and all necessary citations, notices
to appear or to effect arrests, collect and preserve evidence, and/or to take such actio n as