Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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5.10 Traffic Crash Investigations: Crash Reporting and Investigation
5.10.11 Police Department Employee Crash Reviews (Revised: 2/22/08)
A. Crash Review Board
To ensure a thorough review of all Police Department on -duty personnel -involved
vehicle crashes a review board will be convened both to establish facts and to prevent
future crashes. Except in police vehicle versus bicycle, skater or pedestrian crashes, the
Chief of Police may waive the review board if there was con tact only and the contact
resulted in no damage (no scuff marks, scrapes, marks, etc.) to any vehicle or property
and there were no injuries to any party. The completed police investigation, review board
report (if any) and any related forms and reports sh all be forwarded to the Chief of Police
through their respective Division Manager for review.
1. Procedures
a. The Division Manager, upon learning of an on -duty, employee -involved
vehicle crash will empanel a review board consisting of members of
equivalen t or higher rank than the involved member, in accordance with
the provisions of this order.
b. The board shall have access to all materials available on the crash.
(1) These materials shall be furnished by the respective Division
Manager to the chair.
(2) If the board, after reviewing all available materials, needs
additional information, such requests for additional information
shall be directed to the respective Division Manager through the
chair of the review board.
c. Members involved in cras hes under review may choose to appear at the
review board meeting for the purpose of addressing the board, if they so
desire. Board discussions and deliberations shall be in private.
d. Review board meetings will generally be held within five working days of
the crash subject to review.
(1) Members involved in collisions subject to review will be notified
of the date, time and place of the review board’s meeting to review
their collision.
e. After the board has reviewed the matter, they shall submit their d ecision in
writing including one of the following findings:
(1) Not Preventable – driver was not responsible for this crash
(2) Preventable – Crash was the result of the driver’s negligence or
inattentiveness and was it preventable or avoidable.
f. The cha ir of the review board shall prepare a typed summary of the
board’s findings including the vote of each board member. Simple
majority (two votes) shall prevail in crash review findings.
g. Dissenting votes shall be contained in the findings, along with the
dissenter’s name and any reasons given by the dissenter. Any review
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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board member dissenting may also attach a timely, separate dissention
statement if he/she chooses to do so.
h. Review board findings shall be finalized in writing within 24 hours after
the review board reaches its decision and forwarded to the respective
Division Manager. The Division Manager will review the member’s
personnel file for previous history of traffic collisions and make the
necessary recommendations to the Chief of Police, via a memorandum,
with his/her findings of whether or not the accident was preventable. Upon
the Chief’s concurrence, the involved member and member’s supervisor
will be notified of the board’s findings. Notification to involved
employees shall be without unn ecessary delay.
i. Review board findings are not binding, but advisory in nature. A Division
Manager and/or ultimately the Chief of Police may choose to disregard the
findings of the review board.
j. The Chief of Police will review all findings and:
(1) If discipline greater than a written reprimand is to be issued,
review these findings prior to the imposition of any disciplinary
action
(2) Initiate an Internal Affairs investigation when other policy
violation(s) may exist.