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.
Definitions
Refer to the Commonly Used Terms page for general 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.
- 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.