Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
1
4.15 Traffic Law Enforcement
4.15.5 Enforcement Practices (Issued: 3/04/08)
A. Normal traffic enforcement involves visible traffic patrol by officers who observe and
handle traffic violations during the performance of their normal duties.
1. Area Patrol ‒ involves traffic enforcement within an officer’s assigned area of
responsibility
2. Line Patrol ‒ involves traffic enforcement along and concentrating on a particular
section of roadway
3. Directed Patrol ‒ specific enforcement eff orts in an area or at a specific location,
depending on the nature of the violation being targeted (e.g., failure to yield to
pedestrians in a crosswalk).
B. Stationary observation, either covert or overt, may be used as a technique to make
observations about the flow of traffic in a particular location.
1. Officers are encouraged, when completing reports or doing other activities that
will keep them out of service for a short while, to park their patrol vehicles in a
conspicuous location whe re just the presence of the vehicle will serve to remind
drivers of the need to comply with traffic laws.
2. Enforcement that requires the use of a covert location is less accepted by the
motoring public but may, at times, be the only way to resolve a par ticular
concern.
C. Marked police vehicles will generally be used to conduct traffic stops.
1. Vehicles both marked and unmarked, used to effect traffic must be equipped with
emergency lights, siren and a police radio.
2. Unmarked vehicles may not be used for the enforcement of traffic laws, except
where permitted to enforce violation of CVC § 23109, “Speed Contest” or in
reference to any felony charge.
3. Plain -clothes officers will not normally conduct traffic stops, unless a serious
violation is observ ed or circumstances are present, which exposed the public to
danger as outlined in the above.
a. Plain -clothes officers conducting traffic stops will advise the ECC of the
stop, location, vehicle license number and the fact that they are in plain
clothes.
b. The ECC will dispatch a uniformed officer to the location as the back -up
officer.
c. Plain -clothes officers will clearly identify themselves to the violator and
handle the enforcement actions.
D. Use of Vehicle and Roadside Safety Checkpoints
1. Vehicle checkpoints should only be used to:
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
2
a. Perform vehicle equipment checks
b. Perform sobriety checks
c. Search for wanted felons or fugitives who have been reported as both
possibly within the region of the University and considered armed and
dangerous
2. Vehicle checkpoints will be authorized by the on -duty Watch Commander and
will be performed via the use of traffic cones, flares and within a clearly
established and designated area.
3. Officers shall wear traffic vests and use traffic flashlights (flas hlights required if
in hours of darkness).
4. Safe area routing will be designated so that vehicles can leave the affected area
when appropriate.
5. Specific criteria will be developed prior to the function, and those criteria will be
consistently applied throughout the operation of the checkpoint/roadblock. As an
example, two appropriate standards would be:
a. All vehicles will be visually checked.
b. All vehicles procedurally checked in sequence by number (as in every
third vehicle).