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G.O. 08 LONGWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER NUMBER: GO - 8 SUBJECT: QUALITY ASSURANCE EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 1, 1995 REVISED: SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 GENERAL ORDER QUALITY ASSURANCE GO – 8 PAGE 1 OF 4 I . PURPOSE: Recognizing the need to insure quality assurance through the use of inspection and review, the purpose of this directive is to outline procedures to be utilized by the Police Department to evaluate the quality and integrity of operations, ensure that adequate internal operations and controls are maintained and to confirm that the goals and objectives of the Police Department are being pursued. II. SCOPE: A. Quality assurance inspections include, but are not limited to line inspections, operational audits and accreditation compliance reviews. B. Quality assurance inspections provide the chief and supervisors with a means of regularly assessing efficiency and effectiveness and providing information necessary to plan for change. Quality assurance inspections effectively produce continuous improvement through internal evaluation and monitoring. III. DEFINITIONS: A. Line Inspection: The objective and purposeful observation and evaluation of an activity, event, equipment or personnel within the direct chain of command of an inspecting supervisor. IV. LINE INSPECTIONS: A. All components, facilities, property, equipment, activities, and personnel of the Police Department are subject to line inspections. GENERAL ORDER QUALITY ASSURANCE GO – 8 PAGE 2 OF 4 B. Each supervisory level within the Police Department is required to exercise control through frequent and routine inspections to include: 1. Inspections of subordinates’ attire, as appropriate to their job classification; cleanliness and operating condition of vehicles, equipment and facilities; 2. Ensuring that orders and necessary information are communicated; and, 3. Monitoring the activities of subordinates to ensure that employees are in compliance with prescribed duties, written directives and orders. C. Informal Inspections: 1. Informal inspections are the responsibility of first line supervisors. 2. A supervisor shall observe his/her subordinate’s work area, equipment and vehicle when appropriate and, on a daily basis, to verify an employee’s compliance with the department’s dress and personal appearance directives; 3. Any deficiency noted will be brought to the attention of the subordinate for prompt correction; 4. Any repeated or serious deficiency shall be documented by the inspecting supervisor and reported to the next higher-ranking supervisor; 5. A supervisor shall conduct a follow—up inspection to ensure that any previously noted deficiencies are corrected; 6. Counseling, corrective, or disciplinary action should be taken when appropriate. 7. Division supervisors are responsible for inspecting general facilities, procedures and operational readiness of their division. Deficiencies shall be corrected and documented for chain of command notification if necessary. Supervisors shall conduct follow-up inspections to ensure that any previously noted deficiency has been properly addressed. D. Formal Inspections: 1. Formal inspections are the responsibility of Division supervisors. GENERAL ORDER QUALITY ASSURANCE GO – 8 PAGE 3 OF 4 2. Division supervisors shall formally inspect vehicles, work areas, equipment and personnel and will examine and verify: a. Accountability of issued equipment; b. The operational readiness of issued equipment; c. The cleanliness/condition of equipment; d. The cleanliness and current level of maintenance of issued or assigned vehicles, if applicable; and, e. The personal appearance of assigned personnel. 3. Personnel shall be advised of the time, date and location of the inspection and will be given at least forty-eight hours notice. 4. Any deficiency will be brought to the attention of the subordinate for prompt correction. 5. Counseling, corrective or disciplinary action should be taken when appropriate. 6. A follow-up inspection shall be conducted to ensure that any previously noted deficiency has been corrected. 7. Sidearm inspections shall be made of all employees authorized to carry (permanently assigned) weapons in the line of duty. Weapons inspections will be conducted individually, and in a safe area utilizing the following procedure: a. The inspecting supervisor will advise the employee to turn in a safe direction, press the handgun’s magazine release button and remove the magazine from the handgun; b. The employee shall draw the handgun from the holster allowing no fingers to enter the trigger guard area; c. The employee shall carefully move the slide to the rearmost position and eject the chambered round; d. The employee shall lock the slide open and verify that the handgun is empty; GENERAL ORDER QUALITY ASSURANCE GO – 8 PAGE 4 OF 4 e. The employee shall point the handgun down, with the butt away from the body; f. The employee shall hand the weapon to the inspecting supervisor with the barrel pointed down; g. The inspecting supervisor shall take the handgun, inspect it and return it to the employee in the same manner in which it was received; h. The employee shall turn in a safe direction; i. The employee will reinsert a fully loaded magazine and release the slide to chamber a round. During the procedure, the employee should refrain from allowing fingers in the trigger guard area. j. The employee will holster the handgun, press the magazine release button and remove the magazine; k. An additional round will then be added to the magazine and the magazine re—inserted into the handgun. The magazine will be checked to ensure it is fully seated and that no clothing has become snagged. E. Inspection Reports: 1. An inspection report will be completed on each employee by the supervisors conducting a weekly inspection. 2. Deficiencies noted during an inspection shall be noted in the Inspection Report. 3. Employees with noted deficiencies shall be inspected again within two working days, or at the first available opportunity. If the deficiencies are not corrected, disciplinary action may be initiated by the inspecting supervisor. 4. Inspection reports will be maintained by the supervisors. Inspection reports will not be forwarded to the Division supervisor unless the report is in conjunction with the result of a disciplinary action.