1-401 Sworn Rank Structure
- Summary: Outlines the ranking system from Chief of Police to Police Officer.
- Effective Date: 07-01-2013
Chief of Police: The Chief of Police is the highest-ranking sworn position within the MPD. In his/her absence, the Chief may appoint a designee to assume the duties of the Chief.
Assistant Chief: The Assistant Chief is appointed by and superseded in rank by the Chief of Police. In his/her absence, the Assistant Chief may appoint a designee to assume the duties of Assistant Chief.
Deputy Chief: Deputy Chiefs are appointed by and superseded in rank by the Assistant Chief and Chief of Police. In his/her absence, a Deputy Chief may appoint a designee to assume the duties of Deputy Chief.
Inspector: Inspectors are appointed by the Chief of Police and are superseded in rank by the Assistant Chief, and Deputy Chiefs. In his/her absence, an Inspector may appoint a designee to assume the duties of Inspector.
Commander: Commanders are appointed by the Chief of Police and are superseded in rank by Deputy Chiefs and Inspectors. In his/her absence, a Commander may appoint a designee to assume the duties of Commander.
Lieutenant: Lieutenant rank is achieved by Civil Service promotion and is superseded in rank by Commander.
Sergeant: Sergeant rank is achieved by Civil Service promotion and is superseded in rank by Lieutenant.
Police Officer: Police Officer rank is achieved through the Civil Service employment process and is superseded in rank by Sergeant.
1-401.01 Civilian Structure
- Summary: Defines the civilian hierarchy, including Directors, Managers, and Supervisors.
- Effective Date: 09-13-2025
- Last Review Date: 09-13-2025
Policy Change Notice:
Roles
Bureau Chief: Bureau Chiefs are the non-sworn equivalent of a Deputy Chief and report to the Assistant Chief and the Chief of Police. Bureau Chiefs shall receive all of the same courtesies and respect afforded to Deputy Chiefs, and may be referred to as a Deputy Chief in relation to the bureau to which they are assigned.
Director: Directors are appointed by the Chief of Police and are superseded in rank by the Chief, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chiefs and Inspectors. Directors are the civilian equivalent of a Commander. In their absence, a Director may appoint a designee to assume the duties of Director.
Manager: Manager is a position achieved through the civil service employment process and is the civilian equivalent of Lieutenant, depending on their civil service job classification or grade level. Managers are superseded in rank by Directors.
Supervisor: Supervisors are positions achieved through the civil service employment process and are the civilian equivalent of a Lieutenant or Sergeant, depending on their civil service job classification or grade level. Supervisors are superseded in rank by managers.
Non-Supervisory Civilian Personnel: Job classifications, grades and promotional lines are determined by the Civil Service Commission. All civilian personnel report directly to their immediate assigned supervisor.
1-402 Chain of Command
- Summary: Explains the chain of command and member accountability.
- Effective Date: 12-28-2001
Policy
All employees must be aware of their relative positions within the MPD. They should know whom they are accountable to and whom they are responsible for.
1-402.01 Employee Authority and Responsibility- Accountability
- Summary: Mandates accountability for delegated authority.
- Effective Date: 12-28-2001
Policy
All MPD employees are accountable for their use or failure to use delegated authority.
1-403 Insubordination
- Summary: Defines insubordination, emphasizes adherence to the chain of command, and outlines consequences for noncompliance.
- Effective Date: 01-01-2026
- Last Review Date: 09-15-2023
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for employees of this agency to follow concerning acts of insubordination.
Policy
The organizational rank structure of this Department lists the Chief of Police as the leading authority within the chain of command. This authority is delegated downward to the next level of authority and continues throughout the entire chain to the lowest level. It is mandatory that members of this department understand the rank structure and carry out their duties and responsibilities as directed by their supervisors. Any form of insubordination, unless otherwise justified, will not be tolerated and will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Procedures/Regulations
Obey Lawful Orders
Members must always obey lawful orders, directives and corrective actions, given by supervisors or their designees, upon issuance (in accordance with P&P 5-102 [III-A]).
- If compliance is not feasible because of the following reasons, the member receiving the order shall respectfully request an opportunity to discuss the situation, in private, with the supervisor issuing the order:
- The order would jeopardize the member’s health or safety,
- The order would violate any federal, state, county, or municipal laws or involve the breach of any of the rules, regulations, policies or procedures of this Department,
- The member has information that may adversely affect the intent of the order.
- The member has received conflicting orders.
- The member shall explain to the supervisor the reason for their concern regarding a violation of the law, health or safety concern, etc.
- In the event the discussion between the supervisor and the member fails to resolve the conflict, the member issued the order shall be allowed to make contact with a higher-ranking supervisor (next level of authority within the chain of command) for clarification purposes.
- These procedures do not give subordinate members the authority to challenge all orders issued by a superior member. Any abuse of these provisions will be considered insubordination.
Acts of Insubordination
- Acts of insubordination may result in:
- Being relieved of duty (as approved by a Deputy Chief or higher)
- Immediate suspension of off-duty employment privileges (P&P 3-801)
- Discipline, up to and including termination
- Violations of the Professional Conduct policy (P&P 5-102) directed toward a supervisor may be considered acts of insubordination.
Delegated Authority
All members will be held accountable for their use of delegated authority.
1-404 Neglect of Duty
- Summary: Prohibits deliberate indifference or failure to perform assigned duties.
- Effective Date: 09-15-2023
Policy
Employees shall not commit any act or omission that constitutes neglect of duty.
- Employees shall not deliberately be indifferent, withhold, delay, deter, undermine, or otherwise usurp the timely performance of their assigned duties, actions or services rendered.
- Employees shall not knowingly conduct themselves or participate in conduct in a way that would delay, deter, undermine, damage or compromise the proper execution of MPD processes, procedures and practices.
- Employees shall not knowingly conduct themselves or participate in conduct in a way that would damage, undermine or compromise internal and external stakeholder relationships.
1-405 Responsibilities of Persons in Positions of Command
- Summary: Details leadership responsibilities for those in command roles.
- Effective Date: 01-01-2026
- Last Review Date: 09-15-2023
Policy
People in positions of command may refer to a person who holds the official rank of Commander as defined in P&P 1-400 Rank Structure and Supervision; may refer to someone who is commanding an event/incident; or may refer to a Watch Commander.
People in position of command are responsible and accountable for every aspect of their commands. In order to achieve organizational objectives, they have the authority and responsibility to coordinate, direct, and allocate assigned personnel and resources within policy and legal restraints.
People in position of command shall continuously evaluate all aspects of their command. Existing policies, procedures, programs and budget requests should be reviewed to ensure that necessary changes are made. Personnel, vehicles and equipment must be inspected per MPD policy. It is a Commander’s responsibility to ensure that deficiencies or inadequacies are noted and corrected.
People in position of command shall ensure that changes in command are as smooth and orderly as possible. Orientation of a new Commander shall include information on unique problems of the command and assistance in continuing community and professional contacts relative to the command
1-406 Responsibility of Supervisors
- Summary: Establishes supervisors' responsibilities, including oversight and discipline of subordinates.
- Effective Date: 01-01-2026
- Last Review Date: 09-15-2023
Policy
In addition to the duties of all MPD members, supervisors have the following specific duties:
- Investigation of all citizen or department-directed complaints alleging misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty or any other department rule violation.
- Appraisal and analysis of work accomplishments for subordinates.
- Review and approval of reports completeness and accuracy. (Refer to P&P 4-601 Report Responsibility and P&P 4-602 Report Writing.)
- Duties may be delegated to another sworn member with equivalent authority. However, the ultimate responsibility or accountability for the results may never be relinquished.
1-407 Duties of Supervisors
- Summary: Lists specific supervisory duties, including investigations and report reviews.
- Effective Date: 01-01-2026
- Last Review Date: 09-15-2023
Policy
In general, supervisors have the authority to exercise control over subordinates to accomplish department directives. Supervisors are responsible for the behavior and actions of subordinates within their immediate control. They are also responsible for the inspection, evaluation, and discipline of all assigned subordinates. Those responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- To set an example for subordinates in the areas of appearance, work habits, skill and attitude.
- Work assignments and objectives.
- To ensure that MPD rules, regulations and orders are followed and are not ridiculed by any MPD employee.
1-408 Command Authority - Ranking or Senior Officers
- Summary: Defines the authority of ranking officers at police scenes.
- Effective Date: 01-01-2026
- Last Review Date: 09-15-2023
Policy
The ranking on‑duty sworn supervisor at the scene of any police incident shall be in charge and responsible for police activity. In the absence of a supervisor, the senior sworn member of the first squad to arrive at the incident shall be responsible for police activity until relieved by a supervisor. The ranking investigating member, upon arrival, shall coordinate the command of the crime scene with the sworn members at the scene.
Any sworn member shall assume command if instructed to do so by a supervisor or senior officer. The sworn member in charge of a scene shall remain at the scene until the incident is under control, or until relieved by another supervisor.
In certain emergency situations such as Operation 100's, large civil disturbances, underwater recovery, incidents involving bombs or hazardous chemicals, or mental health incidents, the specialized unit trained for these emergencies shall be in command at the scene.
If the sworn member in charge demonstrates an articulable inability to perform the necessary duties, the on‑duty Watch Commander will be notified as soon as practical. The on-duty Watch Commander shall be responsible for assuming or assigning command of the incident and advising the Chief of Police and Deputy Chief of Patrol of that decision prior to the end of the shift.
1-409 Supervision of Special Shifts/Details
- Summary: Establishes supervisory responsibilities for special shift assignments.
- Effective Date: 01-01-2026
- Last Review Date: 09-15-2023
Policy
Sworn members who are working special shift details and who will not be reporting to a regular roll call for change of shift, shall be under the direction of their immediate supervisor, or in the absence of an immediate supervisor, the senior officer assigned to the detail. If the immediate supervisor is not present during a special detail, the supervisor on duty in the affected precinct or command shall be responsible for such details.
Command for special details (i.e. parades, athletic contests, or similar assignments) and designation of times for roll call and end of shift shall be directed by the supervisor in charge of the detail.
Definitions
- Civil Disturbance: A civil disturbance, also known as civil disorder or civil unrest, is when a gathering or assembly becomes violent or involves a collective threat of imminent violence, including but not limited to, assaults, significant property damage, arson fires, and bodily injury to people.
- Feasible: Objectively reasonably capable of being safely done or carried out.
- Insubordination: For the purposes of this policy, insubordination is any act of defiance, disobedience, dissension, indifference or resistance to authority.
- Investigation: A structured process of gathering, examining, and evaluating facts and evidence to determine what occurred, assess compliance with laws and policies, and support appropriate actions or decisions.
- Lawful Order: Any written or oral directive issued by a supervisor or a proper authority in the
course of work that is in compliance with MPD rules and regulations.
- Operation 100: An Operation 100 is a SWAT callout where on or off-duty SWAT Tactical, Negotiators, and Tech Team members respond to a hostile event, such as an active shooter or a barricaded suspect, which exceeds the capabilities of traditional law enforcement first responders and investigators.