Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
4.19 Prisoner Transportation: Transport Operations
4.19.4 Prisoner Transportation (Issued: 6/25/07)
A. Automobiles
1. Prisoners shall be properly restrained and transported in the back seat of a patrol
vehicle equipped with a safety barrier between the officer and the prisoner. The
prisoner shall be placed in a position to allow the transporting officer the greatest
degree of visibility and control of the prisoner. In most circumstances, the
prisoner shall be placed in the rear , right -hand seat of the transport vehicle. The
positioning of the prisoner shall allow the prisoner the greatest amount of comfort
while providing maximum security. To reduce the possibility of positional
asphyxia, the prisoner shall be transported in a s eated, upright position.
2. In vehicles not equipped with a safety barrier the prisoner shall be placed in the
right rear seat of the vehicle with the second officer occupying the left rear seat.
Single officer units shall not transport a prisoner without a safety barrier.
3. Proper restraining devices (i.e., handcuffs or leg restraints) shall be used to
restrain the prisoner. They shall be applied tightly enough to prevent them from
slipping off. Handcuffs shall be double -locked. Prisoners are never to be secured
to any part o f the vehicle.
4. Prior to transporting a prisoner(s), officers shall notify the dispatcher of the
number of suspects, the location, the destination and whether they are female,
male or juvenile. When transporting a prisoner of the opposite sex of the offi cer,
the starting and ending mileage with vehicle number will be given to Dispatch to
record.
5. More than one prisoner may be transported together. However, a female prisoner
may not be transported with a male prisoner, and a juvenile may not be
transport ed with an adult.