Policy Text
\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDERS
SUBJECT
Traffic and Parking Enforcement
CHIEF OF POLICE
Signature on File
Proudly Policing Since 1841 Nationally Accredited 1986
NUMBER ORIGINAL ISSUE CURRENT REVISION TOTAL PAGES
76 03/07/2013 04/24/2023 28
AUTHORITY/RELATED REFERENCES
City of Tallahassee Ordinances, Chapter 20, Traffic and Vehicles
FS Chapters 316, 318, 320, 322
General Order 6, Arrests and Alternatives to Arrest
General Order 13, Traffic Enforcement Measuring Devices
General Order 46, Rules of Conduct
General Order 53, Impaired Driving Enforcement
General Order 64, Vehicle Impounding
IEA-4, Special Events Unit
OSB-2, Traffic/Traffic Homicide Unit
OSB-3, Community Service Technician Program
PTL 21, Traffic Crash Investigations
PTL 22, Fatal Traffic Crashes
ACCREDITATION REFERENCES
CALEA Chapter 61
CFA Chapter 18
KEY WORD INDEX
Arrest Procedures Procedure II
Biased Policing – Training and Review Procedure X
Citation Procedures – General Procedure III
Citation Procedures – Traffic Crash Procedure IV
General Guidelines – Traffic Enforcement Procedure I
General Guidelines – Parking Enforcement Procedure XVIII
Parking Citation – Issuance Procedure XVII
Parking Citation – Dismissal Procedure XXI
Parking Citation – Member Responsibility Procedure XIX\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
Parking Citation – Voidance Procedure XX
Referrals for Driver Reexamination Procedure XI
Special Circumstances – Locations Procedure VII
Special Circumstances – Persons Procedure VI
Special Circumstances – Violations Procedure VIII
Traffic Citation – Number Issuance Procedure XII
Traffic Citation – Dismissal Procedure XV
Traffic Citation – Member Responsibility Procedure XIII
Traffic Citation – Voidance Procedure XIV
Traffic Enforcement Practices Procedure IX
Traffic Stop Procedures Appendix One
Transmitting Enforcement Data to DHSMV Procedure XVI
Warning Procedures Procedure V
POLICY
The Department shall establish uniform traffic and parking enforcement
procedures to promote the safe and efficient movement of vehicle and pedestrian
traffic, and members are responsible for adhering to applicable laws, statutes,
ordinances, and directives during traffic and parking enforcement activity.
DEFINITIONS
Biased Policing: The inappropriate consideration of specified characteristics
while enforcing the law or providing police services. Specified characteristics
includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnic background, national origin, gender,
gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, age, disability,
political status, or any other legally protected characteristics. (CFA Definition)
The selection of an individual(s) for enforcement action based in whole or in part
on a trait common to a group, without actionable intelligence to support
consideration of that trait. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnic
background, national origin, gender, sexual orientation/identity, religion,
economic status, age, cultural group, or any other identifiable characteristics.
(CALEA Definition)
Certified Civilian: A member of the Community Service Technician Program
who successfully completed CJSTC 1133 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program
for Civilians.
Dismissal: The act of cancelling a Florida Uniform Traffic Citation or Parking
Summons after its issuance.
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Florida Uniform Traffic Citation: The official form issued or approved by the
State of Florida for use by law enforcement officers to charge persons with a traffic
law violation.
Good Cause: The term used to designate the threshold needed for voidance or
dismissal of a Florida Uniform Traffic Citation (e.g., citation printer malfunction,
error on handwritten citation).
High-Risk Traffic Stop: A traffic stop where officers employ extra officer safety
protocols due to an increased risk based upon information known or suspected
about any of the vehicle occupants (e.g., wanted for the commission of a felony,
known to be armed or violent).
Marked Police Vehicle: A Department vehicle outfitted with special designs or
patterns indicative of a police vehicle, and equipped with emergency lights and
siren.
Shall: Indicates the described action is mandatory.
Should: Indicates the described action is not mandatory but preferred.
Traffic Stop: The lawful detention of a driver for the purpose of investigating a
traffic or criminal violation or suspicious activity, generally accomplished through
the use of a police vehicle’s emergency lights and, when warranted, siren.
Unmarked Police Vehicle: A Department vehicle not outfitted with special designs
or patterns indicative of a police vehicle, but equipped with emergency lights and
a siren.
Voidance: The act of cancelling a completed or partially completed Florida
Uniform Traffic Citation or Parking Summons prior to its issuance, or the act of
cancelling a lost or stolen citation or summons.
PROCEDURES
I. TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT – GENERAL GUIDELINES
A. Only sworn members and certified civilians are authorized to enforce
traffic law violations.
1. A plainclothes member operating an unmarked police vehicle shall
not conduct a traffic stop unless the actions of the driver are a clear
danger to others and no marked police vehicle is readily available.
2. A uniformed member operating an unmarked police vehicle may
GENERAL ORDER 76 PAGE 3 of 26
TRAFFIC AND PARKING ENFORCEMENT APRIL 24, 2023\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT
conduct traffic stops.
3. A certified civilian may not conduct traffic stops but may:
a. Issue non-criminal citations if he/she has reasonable and
probable grounds to believe that a person involved in a traffic
crash investigation committed an offense under Florida State
Statute chapters 316, 320, or 322 in connection with that crash.
b. Issue parking citations.
c. Seek assistance from a sworn member if he/she has reasonable
and probable grounds to believe that a person committed a
criminal traffic violation.
B. The detention of a vehicle passenger is lawful and authorized when the
passenger is the focus of a traffic violation, is reasonably believed to
have committed, be committing, or preparing to commit a criminal
violation, or when other legal authority exists.
C. Officers are responsible for adhering to the traffic stop procedures in
Appendix One of this written directive in conducting unknown risk or
high-risk traffic stops.
D. Enforcement actions available to a member incidental to a non-criminal
traffic law violation include the following:
1. Citation,
2. Written warning, or
3. Verbal warning.
E. Enforcement actions available to a sworn member incidental to a
criminal traffic law violation include the following:
1. Physical arrest, or
2. Citation issuance (except for a felony violation or a violation of FS
316.193).
F. When a sworn member makes a physical arrest of a person for a criminal
traffic law violation, the sworn member is responsible for the completion
of a Florida Uniform Traffic Citation (UTC) for the criminal charge.
GENERAL ORDER 76 PAGE 4 of 26
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G. Reasonable judgment and appropriate discretion are required of
members in deciding the appropriate enforcement action for the person
stopped for a traffic law violation, and:
1. Members should issue a UTC whenever probable cause exists that
a moving, non-moving, pedestrian or bicycle infraction has occurred,
2. Members shall not take any traffic enforcement action based upon
biased policing, and
3. Members have no authority to arrest a person for a moving, non-
moving, pedestrian or bicycle infraction.
H. In their interactions with persons during traffic stops, members shall
adhere to the applicable protocols in General Order 46 (Rules of
Conduct):
1. Work Standards (Procedure II), and
2. Fair and Impartial Polici