Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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1.4 Organization: Authority and Responsibility
1.4.3 Duties of Supervisors (Revised: 8/1/14)
For purposes of this section, supervisory personnel shall include captains, lieutenants, sergeants,
designated officers or supervisors in -charge and any other members assigned by competent
authority to perform supervisory functions.
A. General Responsibilities
Subject to direction from the Chief of Police and in accordance with the lines of authority
designated in the Depar tment organizational chart, a supervisor has direct control over
subordinate members of the Department. In addition to general and individual
responsibilities of all personnel of the Department, a supervisor is responsible for the
following:
1. Command ‒ the direction and control of individuals under his/her command to
assure the proper performance of duties and adherence to established rules and
regulations, policies and procedures of the Department.
2. Loyalty and Esprit de Corps ‒ its developm ent and maintenance.
3. Discipline and Morale ‒ its development and maintenance.
4. Intradepartmental Action ‒ the promotion of harmony and cooperation with other
units of the Department.
5. Organization and Assignment ‒ distribution of duties to assure pr ompt
performance of Department functions and those of the command. To this end,
supervisors shall immediately familiarize themselves with all business transacted
since their last tour of duty.
6. Reports and Records ‒ preparation of required correspondence and reports and
maintenance of records relating to the activities of the command to ensure that
information is communicated up and down the chain of command.
7. Maintenance ‒ to ensure that facilities, equipment, supplies and material assigned
to the command are correctly used and maintained.
B. Specific Responsibilities
Supervisors are specifically responsible for the following:
1. Supervisory personnel shall, without delay and when appropriate, communicate
orders to their subordinates.
2. Supervisor y personnel shall issue clear, concise orders to their subordinates and
shall, through inspection, ensure their proper execution.
3. Supervisory personnel shall not issue orders that are in conflict with the policies
and procedures, general or specific ord ers or rules and regulations of the
Department.
4. Supervisory personnel, when issuing orders or giving direction, shall continually
make every effort to maintain uniformity of overall operations.
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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5. Supervisory personnel shall ensure their subordinates ob ey orders, observe rules
and regulations, and adhere to Department policies and procedures.
6. Supervisory personnel shall exercise their authority without bias or prejudice.
7. Supervisory personnel shall exercise direct command over subordinate members
outside their usual command in situations where the police purpose or the
reputation of the Department is jeopardized, followed by notification to the
appropriate Division Manager.
8. Personnel who are temporarily filling the position of a supervisor are vested with
all authority and responsibility of that supervisor; however, except in an extreme
emergency, the member shall not interfere with or countermand previous orders
from the absent supervisor.
9. Supervisory personnel shall be held responsible for all activities occurring within
their assigned responsibilities and during their tour of duty.
10. Supervisory personnel shall require each member to perform assigned duties,
lending assistance only as needed.
11. Supervisory personnel shall forward, through the chain of command, all written
requests for transfers, grievances or suggestions submitted by their subordinates.
Any such matters covered by collective bargaining agreements shall be handled in
accordance with the provisions of the cur rent agreement.
12. On-duty supervisory personnel shall be available at all times by radio, telephone
or cellular phones , if applicable. In cases where radio, telephone or cellular
phones are not practical, notice shall be left with station personnel in th e ECC
where the supervisor may be reached.
13. Supervisory personnel shall routinely instruct their subordinates on the contents of
the Department rules and regulations, general and special orders and any other
Departmental directives.
14. Supervisory pers onnel shall take measures to ensure that, in their absence, their
area of responsibility is commanded by another competent member.
15. Supervisory personnel may place a subordinate member in a temporary
supervisory position.
16. Supervisory personnel shall routinely make such assignments as may be necessary
to carry out the function of the Police Department.
17. On-duty supervisory personnel shall prevent unnecessary loitering of members
not on police business.
18. Supervisory personnel shall not permit sub ordinates to take meals or breaks in
such a manner as to jeopardize the police purpose or image.
19. Supervisory personnel shall report all serious crimes or unusual occurrences to
appropriate personnel as outlined in Departmental General Orders.
20. Super visory personnel shall personally respond to incidents of a serious or
unusual nature unless their presence at the station would be of more value under
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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the circumstances, in which case they shall assign a competent officer to take
command at the scene of t he emergency.
21. Supervisory personnel shall respond to calls where members of their command
are involved in a controversy or traffic collision.
22. Supervisory personnel shall be responsible for the prompt service of all official
notices, summonses or su bpoenas that may be sent to them by proper authority.
23. Supervisory personnel shall accord prompt recognition, respect, courtesy,
sincerity and patient attention to every citizen.
24. Supervisory personnel shall take custody of and deliver to their Divis ion
Commander the identification, badge(s) and weapons of all suspended
Department members and the property issued to members who leave the
employment of the Department.
25. Superv