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\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS SUBJECT Rules of Conduct CHIEF OF POLICE Signature on File Proudly Policing Since 1826 Nationally Accredited 1986 NUMBER ORIGINAL ISSUE CURRENT REVISION TOTAL PAGES 46 07/15/1985 07/16/2025 35 AUTHORITY/RELATED REFERENCES City of Tallahassee Administrative Policies & Procedures City of Tallahassee Core Values City of Tallahassee Service Standards Collective Bargaining Agreements Department Mission Statement and All General Orders ACCREDITATION REFERENCES CALEA Chapters 1, 22, 26, 82 CFA Chapters 2, 7 KEY WORD INDEX Acts of Misconduct Procedure III Employee Responsibilities Procedure V Fair and Impartial Policing Appendix Two General Responsibilities and Guidelines Procedure I Interpersonal Relationships Procedure IV Law Enforcement Code of Ethics Appendix One Work Standards Procedure II POLICY The City of Tallahassee and the Department expect a high level of professional and personal conduct from all members, regardless of rank or assignment. Each member is responsible for maintaining trust, loyalty, and commitment to the City of Tallahassee, the Department, and the citizens whom we serve.\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEFINITIONS Axon Draft One: Narrative generation tool powered by camera audio, developed by Axon. Draft One transcribes audio from body-worn cameras and uses AI to produce police report narratives. Close Personal Relationship: When two individuals are dating, cohabiting, and/or having a sexual relationship. Department Facility: The Department building, out buildings, parking areas, and adjacent grounds of the Tallahassee Police Department, to include areas secured by fencing, and those areas not secured by fencing. Materially adverse effect: An effect, including, but not limited to, those which: 1. Appreciably or significantly compromise the department-related work performance, objectivity, judgment, professionalism, business reputation, or the business manner in which a member may conduct himself or herself, or 2. Causes the department to suffer significant public disdain and/or a loss of public esteem. Member: A Department employee or volunteer. Nepotism: Patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics, or favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship. Officer: A member who is a certified police officer as described in FS Chapter 943. Off-duty: When members are not engaged in on-duty or secondary employment activity. On-duty: When members are working their regular duty assignment or any special assignment compensated by the Department. Public Safety Associate: Other public safety/criminal justice associates which may include, but is not limited to: other first responders (e.g, fire department personnel, emergency medical personnel, etc.), members of task forces from other agencies, members from other law enforcement agencies, agency volunteers, or representatives from support organizations. Relative: any individual who is related to the official or employee as father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son in-law, daughter-in-law, brother- GENERAL ORDER 46 PAGE 2 of 35 RULES OF CONDUCT JULY 16, 2025\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepbrother, stepdaughter, stepsister, half-brother, or half-sister. Secondary Employment: Employment where a member works for an entity other than the Department, and a condition of the employment is the actual or potential use of law enforcement powers by the employed member. Shall: Indicates the described action is mandatory. Should: Indicates the described action is not mandatory, but preferred. PROCEDURES I. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND GUIDELINES A. Members are responsible for exhibiting a high spirit of cooperation and shall take appropriate action to aid any law enforcement officer in danger. B. Members shall at all times take appropriate action in accordance with Department orders, rules, and procedures. C. The Department is responsible for facilitating documented ethics training for all members, at a minimum, biennially. 1. New members are provided ethics training as part of their new hire orientation. 2. The City of Tallahassee (COT) provides annual ethics refresher training for all members. 3. All members are required to review and acknowledge the COT’s ethics statement as part of the Annual Critical Policy Review. D. The Department is responsible for facilitating training on Fair and Impartial Policing (i.e., bias policing prohibition) to include legal aspects, for all officers. 1. Initial training occurs during recruit in-house training. 2. Annual refresher training occurs during in-service training, and may be delivered via: a. A dedicated training block on Fair and Impartial Policing (FIP), or GENERAL ORDER 46 PAGE 3 of 35 RULES OF CONDUCT JULY 16, 2025\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT b. Incorporation of FIP into other training blocks addressing officer/citizen contact (e.g., traffic stops, response to resistance). 3. Verbal Defense and Influence (VDI) training may augment FIP training. E. Members do not have an expectation of privacy within the workplace, and members should be cognizant of the following: 1. The Department recognizes the need for members to occasionally store personal items in Department-controlled areas such as lockers, desks, COT vehicles, and file cabinets. 2. These and similar places may be inspected or otherwise entered with or without notice: a. To meet operational needs (e.g., inspections), b. As part of an internal investigation, or c. As otherwise directed by the Chief of Police or designee. F. Violations of this written directive subject a member to progressive discipline as outlined in General Order 20 (Corrective Action Procedures). II. WORK STANDARDS Members are expected to abide by the following work standards. A. Accountability 1. Members are directly accountable for their actions through the chain of command to the Chief of Police. 2. Members shall be accurate, complete, and truthful in all matters. 3. Members shall accept responsibility for their actions without attempting to conceal, divert, or mitigate their true culpability. B. Conduct Toward Others 1. Members shall be respectful, courteous, and civil at all times in their GENERAL ORDER 46 PAGE 4 of 35 RULES OF CONDUCT JULY 16, 2025\n\n--- Page 5 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT relationships with one another and the community, except when the furtherance of a legitimate duty dictates otherwise. 2. When necessary to address people or give orders in the performance of a legitimate duty, members shall do so in an ordinary, business-like language and speak affirmatively and emphatically, as the circumstances require. C. Reporting for Duty 1. Members shall report for duty in a state of physical and mental readiness to perform their assigned job tasks. 2. Unless otherwise directed by proper authority, members shall promptly report for duty at the time and place specified, properly attired and equipped. 3. Members shall give careful attention to orders and instructions. D. Absence from Duty COT Administrative Policies and Procedures and the current collective bargaining agreement govern absence from duty. E. Relief from Duty Members are to remain at their workstation, post, or assignment and on-duty until properly relieved by another member or until dismissed by proper authority. F. Break from Duty 1. Except as noted in subsection 2 below or as otherwise directed by a supervisor or commander, members shall adhere to the break and meal period protocols of Chapter 706 (Working Conditions) COT Administrative Policies and Procedures. 2. Officers assigned to the Patrol Operations Bureau shall adhere to the break and meal period protocols of PTL-13 (Meals and Breaks). G. Perfo