Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
4.10 Children and Infants
4.10.2 Child Restraint (Revised : 11/7/19 )
In circumstances where an officer must transport a child and/or infant, the child and/or infant
MUST be secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint (safety seat or booster seat) in the
back seat of a vehicle until they are at least eight years old and weigh at least 60 pounds (CVC §
27360). In transporting a child and/or infant, special consideration must be taken for the size and
body structure of a child and/or infant. If the safety seat is not properly secured during transport,
the child could su ffer severe and/or possible fatal injuries in the event of a crash/collision. All
children under 60 pounds and less than eight years old must be transported in a specific child
safety seat.
A. When transporting a child/infant, an officer must utilize a vehicle without the safety
barrier (prisoner cage) if possible. However, in an emergency situation, a child/infant
could be transported in the front seat of a patrol car, facing forward. Preferabl y, the child
and/or infant should be transported in either an SUV, pick -up truck or unmarked vehicle.
B. Once the appropriate type of safety seat is determined, the officer should secure the seat
to the middle or passenger -side backseat of the vehicle, p er the criteria attached to the
child safety seats, and then secure the child and/or infant in the seat. If properly installed,
the child safety seat should be stationary.
C. Three Types of Child Safety Seats
1. Infant Safety Seat – for children from birth to a maximum of 20 pounds. The
safety seat must be rear facing. Never use an infant seat if there is an active
passenger side air bag. The safety seat in this circumstance shall be placed in the
rear center passenger area.
2. Convertible Safety Seats – for children from birth to 40 pounds follow the safety
seat instructions for recommended weight and height that allows the older child to
be placed in a forward -facing position.
3. Booster Seats – recommended for children who have outgrown their convert ible
safety seats but are not yet ready for the lap/shoulder belt combination. The
lap/shoulder belt works best when a child has reached 60 to 80 pounds.