go-61.pdf

\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS SUBJECT Weapons, Firearms, and Less-lethal Firearms CHIEF OF POLICE Signature on file Proudly Policing Since 1826 Nationally Accredited 1986 NUMBER ORIGINAL ISSUE CURRENT REVISION TOTAL PAGES 61 09/21/1999 10/31/2025 28 AUTHORITY/RELATED REFERENCES City of Tallahassee Administrative Policy 705, Alcohol and Drugs FS 776.06 (2) (a), Use of Force – Less-lethal Firearms and Munitions FS Chapter 790 Weapons and Firearms General Order 7, Conducted Energy Weapons General Order 11, Communicable Disease Control General Order 57, Training Programs and Courses General Order 60, Response to Resistance General Order 63, Officer-Involved Action Resulting in Serious Injury or Death TRN 7, Conducting Training TRN 9, Defensive Tactics TRN 12, Firearms Range Protocols ACCREDITATION REFERENCES CALEA Chapters 1, 4, 33 CFA Chapters 4, 10 KEY WORD INDEX Approved Weapons, Ammunition, and Accessories Appendix Four Failure to Qualify and Remedial Training Appendix One Firearms Safety and Security Procedure IX General Guidelines Procedure I Officer Reporting of a Firearm Discharge Procedure X Range Procedures and Safety Protocols Appendix Three Responsibilities – Department Procedure II Responsibilities – Officer Procedure III Responsibilities – Supervisor Procedure IV Responsibilities – Training Section Procedure V\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT Training, Proficiency and Qualification Procedure VII Training, Proficiency and Qualification – TAC/SRT Procedure VIII Unintentional Discharge Protocols Appendix Two Use of Officer-Owned Firearm for Official Duties Procedure XI Weapons Protocols Procedure VI POLICY The Department shall establish standards and protocols for the utilization of Department-issued and Department-approved weapons, firearms, holsters, ammunition, as well as Department-issued less-lethal firearms and ammunition. Officers are responsible for adhering to established protocols in training, carrying, utilizing, and qualifying with their assigned weapons and firearms. DEFINITIONS Administrative Duty: A Department assignment which would not necessitate an officer to carry a firearm or drive a marked police vehicle in the performance of duties. Back-up Handgun: Any Department-issued handgun carried: 1) concealed as a secondary handgun when on-duty or 2) instead of the officer’s duty handgun due to their assignment in the High-Risk Offenders Bureau. A back-up handgun is an optional firearm. CJSTC: Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. Corrective Input: An immediate review of an officer’s performance, subsequent to their failure to qualify with a Department-issued or Department-approved firearm and prior to their second attempt to qualify. This review may include an analysis of the officer’s target and recommendations to correct a deficiency observed by the instructor during the officer’s first qualification attempt. Department-approved: Approved by the Chief of Police or designee. Duty Firearm: Any Department-issued firearm intended to be carried or utilized by an officer while on-duty or engaged in secondary employment. Firearms Training: Instruction and drills designed to enhance proficiency with a firearm. Holster: Department-issued or approved holster. Impact Weapon: A tool used by officers to overcome resistance by transferring energy via blunt force into a targeted region of a person’s body. GENERAL ORDER 61 PAGE 2 of 28 WEAPONS, FIREARMS AND LESS-LETHAL FIREARMS OCTOBER 13, 2025\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT Less-lethal Firearm: A Department-issued firearm utilizing less-lethal munitions (i.e., any projectile designed to stun, temporarily incapacitate, or cause temporary discomfort to a person without penetrating their body). OC Spray: Department-issued Oleoresin Capsicum Spray (an aerosol with small particles of crushed peppers suspended in a water-based solution). Off-duty: When officers are not engaged in on-duty or secondary employment activity. Off-duty Handgun: Any Department-issued or approved handgun that is carried while the officer is not engaged in on-duty or secondary employment activity. On-duty: When officers are working their regular duty assignment or any special assignment compensated by the Department. Optional Firearm: Any firearm issued by the department in addition to the primary handgun (e.g., patrol rifle, shotgun, back-up handgun). Optional firearms are not mandatory. Personal Firearm: Any firearm not issued by the department, which a member wishes to carry off-duty in a law enforcement capacity and has been approved by the training unit. This firearm shall not be carried while the officer is engaged in on-duty or secondary employment activity. Primary Handgun: The Department-issued handgun for officers while on duty or engaged in secondary employment (Department-issued Glock G17 Gen 5). The duty handgun is a mandatory firearm. Proficiency: The demonstration of proper and safe weapon, firearm, or less-lethal firearm operation, to include its care, maintenance, accuracy, capabilities, and limitations. Also includes, as warranted, knowledge of disassembling and assembling the weapon, firearm, or less-lethal firearm. Additionally, for firearms and less-lethal firearms, demonstrate proper and safe loading and unloading, malfunction clearance methods, drawing and holstering, and shooting skills and abilities (including qualification). Qualify/Qualification: Obtaining a passing score on a Department-approved firearm or less-lethal firearm course of fire. Remedial Training: An individualized training session designed to correct a shooting or weapon-handling problem either identified by an instructor, supervisor, or required because the officer failed to qualify on two successive attempts during the same mandatory qualification period. The session may include diagnostic and corrective exercises specific to the officer’s deficiency. GENERAL ORDER 61 PAGE 3 of 28 WEAPONS, FIREARMS AND LESS-LETHAL FIREARMS OCTOBER 13, 2025\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT Secondary Employment: Employment where officers work for an entity other than the Department, provided that a condition of employment is the actual or potential use of law enforcement powers by the employed officer. Serious Injury: Injury to a person which creates a substantial risk of death, causes serious permanent disfigurement, or results in permanent loss or impairment of the function of a body appendage or organ. Shall: Indicates the described action is mandatory. Should: Indicates the described action is not mandatory, but preferred. Shoulder Firearm: Department-issued rifles and shotguns. Shoulder firearms are optional firearms. Special Investigation: A comprehensive and documented compliance review of Department member-involved incidents where there has been no specific policy violation allegation. Training Venue: A designated location for Department-sanctioned training or qualification. Temporary Modified Duty (TMD): A short-term work assignment that modifies the member’s normal job duties, allowing them to engage in work for the Department while recovering from an injury or illness (previously referred to as light duty). Unintentional Discharge: When an officer fires a Department-issued or Department-approved firearm (except a marking cartridge firearm) without the intent to do so, regardless of the circumstances. Weapon: Includes: Department-issued/-approved impact weapon, Department- issued Oleoresin Capsicum Spray, and the Department-issued Taser Energy Weapon. Does not include: a weapon of necessity, a firearm, or a less-lethal firearm. Weapon of Necessity: Any object, regardless of the intent of its original function, used by an officer as an improvised weapon when objectively reasonable. PROCEDURES I. GENERAL GUIDELINES A. Sworn members are authorized to carry and utilize weapons, firearms, and less-lethal firearms for a Department purpose