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G.O. 04 LONGWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER NUMBER: GO - 04 SUBJECT: VEHICLE MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVE: SEPTEMBER 18, 2001 REVISED: FEBRUARY 1, 2024 GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 1 OF 15 I. PURPOSE: The purpose of this general order is to establish procedures governing the use of police department vehicles. Addressed within this general order are policies for care and maintenance, transportation of passengers, and accidents involving police department vehicles. This directive also addresses the use of take-home vehicle and private vehicles utilized by employees in the furtherance of police department business. II. SCOPE: This directive applies to employee’s assigned permanent or temporary use of a police department vehicle. Failure of an employee to follow this directive may result in the loss of take-home privileges and/or disciplinary action. III. DEFINITIONS: A. Assigned Vehicle: A vehicle assigned to an employee as part of the equipment necessary to the employee’s job task; may also be referred to as a take-home vehicle. B. Marked Vehicle: A vehicle that has been conspicuously marked with recognizable colors, department name and/or insignia, and identification numbers. Marked vehicles are typically assigned to enforcement functions. C. Pool Vehicles: A vehicle maintained by the police department for alternate or substitute purposes and for general use by employees on a day to day basis. GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 2 OF 15 IV. AUTHORIZATION: A. Employees assigned a vehicle will be aware such assignment is a privilege and not a right of employment. Employees are expected to drive in a safe and responsible manner and to maintain a good driving record. B. Criteria that may indicate an unacceptable driving record includes, but is not limited to: 1. Three or more moving and/or criminal violations in a year, 2. Three or more chargeable accidents within a year. Chargeable is defined as the driver is determined to be the primary cause of the accident through speeding, inattention, or any other factor by the investigating authority at the crash scene, 3. Any combination of accidents and/or traffic violations. C. The motor vehicle history of all employees will be reviewed prior to employment and annually to ensure the employee’s license remains in compliance with this policy. A driving record that fails to meet the criteria stated in this policy, or is considered to be in violation of the intent of this policy by the chief of police, will result in a loss of the privilege of driving a City vehicle. D. No employee will operate a police department vehicle without possessing a valid Florida driver’s license. The class of license will be appropriate to the employee’s job task. E. If an employee’s license to drive becomes suspended or revoked, the employee will notify his/her supervisor prior to his/her next tour of duty. F. Employees must report all uniformed traffic citations received during the operation of a City vehicle to their immediate supervisor the same day it is received. G. Prior to utilizing a vehicle for purposes other than patrol duty, the employee is to seek authorization from the on-duty supervisor. V. OPERATION: Employees will operate police department vehicles in a reasonable and safe manner, exercising due caution and judgment. Vehicles will be operated in compliance with police department directives governing emergency operations, motor vehicle GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 3 OF 15 apprehension, and the motor vehicle laws of the State of Florida or of any other state in which it is being used. VI. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS: A. All persons will wear the safety belt and shoulder harness while operating or riding as a passenger in any police department vehicle. Exception: Prisoners transported in the rear of a vehicle equipped with safety barriers or prisoner transport vans need not utilize seat belts unless at the discretion of the driver or as established by a specific directive. B. Whenever a police department vehicle is left parked and unattended, the keys will be removed, the windows will be closed, and the doors locked. Exception: When the vehicle is left running for the purposes of protecting a scene or for traffic control; however, the officer shall make every effort to secure the vehicle and its contents. C. All firearms will be removed from the occupant compartments of police department vehicles when the employee is off-duty and not operating the vehicle; excluding firearms which are securely locked in a police department authorized gun rack or gun vault mounted in the vehicle by a police department authorized vendor. D. While operating a police department vehicle while on-duty or off-duty, a police officer is required to have in his/her possession their official badge, body armor, handcuffs, credentials, and an approved firearm. It is incumbent upon each officer to offer assistance when and where needed, if within close proximity to a call for service. VII. MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR: A. General: 1. An employee is responsible for the proper use, care, and maintenance of an assigned vehicle. 2. An employee will inspect his/her vehicle regularly. 3. The inspection will include the trunk and its contents, the passenger compartment, the fluids (fuel, oil, transmission fluid, radiator fluid, battery and brakes,) the equipment (lights, siren, and radio) and the exterior of the vehicle, including the tires and wheels. GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 4 OF 15 B. Supervisor Reports and Inspections: 1. Supervisors will submit a monthly mileage report to the department’s designated authority. The report will contain no less than: a. Vehicle mileage for each squad members assigned vehicle. b. Any other vehicle, which has been designated under a particular supervisor’s supervision or responsibility. 2. Supervisors will conduct a vehicle inspection of all vehicles assigned to members of their squads. These inspections will be completed in no less than monthly intervals. The inspections will include at a minimum: a. All assigned vehicle equipment. b. Vehicle fluids. c. Vehicle interior and exterior (for cleanliness and damage.) d. Vehicle tire condition. 3. The supervisor conducting the inspection will maintain inspection records for one year. Those records will be produced for inspection by the division commander via electronic copy and placed in Laserfiche for archiving. 4. Any officer who is found to have a vehicle in unsatisfactory condition during the inspection may receive disciplinary action and/or have their vehicle take-home privileges suspended or revoked. 5. When a vehicle is to be left at a repair facility for maintenance, unattended by the employee, all weapons will be removed from the vehicle by the employee. This requirement includes firearms in gun racks and vaults referred to in G.O. 4 VI. C. 6. The interior of police department vehicles will be kept clean and free of dirt and trash. The exterior will be kept washed and waxed. C. Scheduled Maintenance: 1. Scheduled preventative maintenance is performed according to a schedule established by the designated authority. Members of the GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 5 OF 15 department, who have been assigned a vehicle, are required to adhere to the established preventative maintenance schedule. 2. If, for any reason, a department member fails to take his/her vehicle for scheduled preventative maintenance, the member shall notify his/her supervisor, in writing, of the reason for the missed service. Upon receipt of the notification, the supervisor shall forward it up through the chain of command for further review. Department members who miss their assigned vehicle service date may be subject to disciplinary action and/or have their vehicle take-home privileges suspended or revoked. D. Unscheduled Maintenance: If a vehicle develops a mechanical problem, a vehicle service work order should be completed and forwarded through the chain of command. E. Routine Maintenance: 1. Gasoline, oil, transmission, brake fluid and battery checks: a. Vehicles are to be kept sufficiently fueled at all times. b. The oil, transmission fluid, and brake fluid levels will be checked regularly and maintained at the proper level. c. Battery water levels will be checked where applicable. Terminals and cables will be inspected and will be kept free of corrosion. 2. Lights and tires: a. All lights will be properly adjusted and in working order. b. Tires will be properly inflated at all times and should be checked regularly for nails, excessive wear, cuts, or other defects. F. If any irregularity or damage is observed by an employee, all such observations will be immediately reported to their respective supervisor. VIII. POOL VEHICLES: A. Pool vehicles may be used: 1. For conducting police department business. GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 6 OF 15 2. For conducting police department business by an employee whose assigned vehicle is being serviced or repaired. B. The on-duty supervisor may modify restrictions governing the use of pool vehicles in consideration of availability and needs. C. An employee shall inform the on-duty supervisor prior to utilizing a pool vehicle. Prior to use, an employee will sign out a pool vehicle utilizing the pool vehicle sign out log. D. Prior to operating a pool vehicle, the employee shall inspect the vehicle for any damage or defects. E. Taking a pool vehicle home: An employee may drive a pool vehicle home while his/her assigned vehicle is being serviced or repaired. Use of the vehicle may be rescinded by a supervisor based upon department needs and vehicle availability. Pool vehicles may be utilized for extra-duty details with the authorization of the on-duty supervisor. IX. SPEEDOMETER CALIBRATION: A. The speedometer of every vehicle used in the capacity of traffic enforcement will have its calibration verified every six months. B. Vehicles that do not have a current certification of speedometer accuracy are prohibited from being used as speed measuring devices. C. The original certificate of calibration will be filed in the Traffic Division office. A certificate copy will be maintained in each vehicle. X. SUPPLEMENTAL EQUIPMENT: A. The type of equipment to be carried in police department vehicles will be determined by the chief of police and department policy. B. No additional equipment, accessories, bumper or other stickers, decals or license plates personally owned or otherwise, will be installed or applied by an employee into or on a police department vehicle without authorization from the chief or his designee: 1. All requests to install supplementary equipment, accessories, decals, or plates will be submitted through the employee’s chain of command. The GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 7 OF 15 request shall be via department memorandum and have attached any documentation or illustrations which would demonstrate the need or use of the requested item(s). Exception: Personnel issued take-home vehicles are authorized to mount the following front license plate designs on their vehicles; if the vehicle is equipped with a mounting bracket: a. A standard United States of America flag b. A standard State of Florida flag c. A standard thin blue line flag on a plain black background d. A U.S. military service branch flag or military branch emblem No other designs are pre-authorized, and the chief of police reserves the authority to revise this list and restrict any variation of any of the listed designs. 2. Any personally owned equipment or accessories installed or stored in a police department vehicle are done at the requesting employee’s own risk. The police department is not liable for any theft or damage to personal equipment. XI. DEPARTMENT VEHICLE PARKING: In an effort to afford marked vehicles a more practical exit from the standard parking space, all units will park in accordance with this directive. Unless impractical or unsafe, due to limited spaces or time, all marked and unmarked patrol units, when parking, will be backed in to a parking space so that they may exit in a forward movement. This directive will apply to the parking lot of the police department only. XII. TRANSPORT OF PASSENGERS (Ride-Along): A. Authorized transportation of civilians on Ride-Along: Only civilians authorized by this policy and approved by a lieutenant or higher authority will be permitted to ride with an officer. B. Civilians eligible to ride with officers will include: 1. All non-sworn support personnel of the Longwood Police Department. GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 8 OF 15 2. All sworn or non-sworn employees of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. 3. Any civilian rider requested by an officer or employee of the department. 4. Any person currently sponsored to a police academy. 5. Academy graduates and anyone pending employment with the Longwood Police Department. 6. Explorers in good standing and authorized under Explorer Post 212’s S.O.P. Manual. 7. Any Longwood Police Department volunteer Citizens on Patrol member. C. Upon request from an authorized source the following process will be adhered to for approval of a civilian rider: 1. With exception of those riders listed in paragraph B.1. and B.7., the civilian rider will complete a Rider Release Liability form. 2. The Rider Release Liability form will be approved by the shift supervisor. 3. Final approval must be obtained from a lieutenant or higher authority prior to the non-employee being transported in a department vehicle. 4. Explorers will file a ‘blanket’ rider liability release form signed by the explorer’s parent or legal guardian. This form will be submitted through the explorer’s chain of command to the patrol commander. D. Any officer having a civilian rider for the first time will conduct an orientation during which time the following information will be covered: 1. The location of the radios and microphones, including the portable radio, channel selector, and portable emergency button. 2. Location of any weapons located in the vehicle. 3. Location of restraint devices in the vehicle. 4. Location of first aid kits and related health care items in the vehicle. GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 9 OF 15 5. The procedure to ‘request assistance’ in the event the officer is injured subsequent to item ‘1’ above. 6. Those situations when it is permissible for the rider to exit the vehicle. Officers are prohibited from allowing civilian riders to exit their patrol vehicles and accompany them into situations which have a high risk of danger. E. The rider shall not assist with criminal investigations or possess a firearm or other weapon, unless the rider is a sworn or bonded law enforcement officer. The law enforcement officer will be briefed by the employee on the Longwood Police Department response to resistance policy prior to riding. F. Civilian riders will dress in a professional manner. They are prohibited from wearing ball caps, shorts, sandals, and shirts without collars. G. At no time will riders handle a weapon of any type or interact with the public in a violent manner, unless summoned by the officer to assist in physically subduing a suspect during an emergency situation. H. No officer shall summon the assistance of a civilian rider unless the officer believes his life is in jeopardy and no other backup is immediately available. I. Explorer’s will strictly adhere to Explorer Post 212’s S.O.P. Manual. XIII. TRANSPORTATION OF PERSONS OTHER THAN POLICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL OR AUTHORIZED OBSERVERS: A. Police department personnel are authorized to transport prisoners, victims, witnesses, and other persons while in the performance of duty. B. With the exception of those persons listed in paragraph A of this section, probationary employees are not authorized to transport non-employees. XIV. TRAFFIC CRASHES (INVOLVING CITY OF LONGWOOD VEHICLES): A. Employees involved in a vehicle crash while operating a City of Longwood vehicle will immediately notify the Telecommunications Section of the crash location and the presence of any injury or road blockage. B. The employee will request the response of fire rescue personnel through Communication Center when necessary. The employee will request the response of their supervisor and an on-duty traffic unit to respond and investigate the crash. GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 10 OF 15 C. Through the chain of command, the chief of police will be notified of ALL traffic crashes involving city vehicles. D. The on-duty supervisor will respond to the scene to conduct an in house investigation. The supervisor will gather as much information as possible surrounding the circumstances of the crash and will summarize said information in a written statement. The supervisor will obtain a written statement, if possible, from all other drivers and eyewitnesses present. The summarized report will be forwarded to the chief of police through the chain of command as soon as possible. Note: Post-accident drug testing will be conducted in accordance with sections 440.101 and 440.102 of the Florida Statutes, and the City’s Drug Free Work Place policy. In addition to the City’s Drug Free Workplace Policy, Federal law mandates alcohol and drug testing for employees in positions requiring a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and defined as safety-sensitive (codified at 49 USC § 31306 and 49 C.F.R. Part 40 and Part 382). It is the intent of this policy to assure compliance with Federal and State law and regulations regarding drug and alcohol testing of certain specified safety-sensitive employees. E. In the event the crash occurs outside the city limits of Longwood, the appropriate jurisdiction will be notified and requested to respond and investigate the crash. The on-duty traffic unit will also be requested to respond (if practical) and complete a parallel (in-house) investigation. F. In the event a traffic crash occurs when no traffic units are on-duty, the on-duty supervisor will notify the traffic unit supervisor and advise him/her of the situation. The traffic unit supervisor will decide whether a traffic officer will respond to the crash or if the on-duty supervisor will complete the investigation and report. G. An accident review board will review all crashes and incidents where damage occurs to a police department vehicle while in the custody and/or control of a department employee. Written findings and recommendations of the board will be forwarded to the chief of police. H. In the event of injury or death resulting from a traffic crash involving a police department vehicle, notification will immediately be made to the chief of police, through the chain of command. I. In the event of serious injury or death resulting from a traffic crash involving a police department vehicle, the employee operating the vehicle will be removed GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 11 OF 15 from duty until a preliminary administrative review is conducted. Said review will be conducted by person(s) designated by the chief of police. J. Injury to employee (special consideration of the on-scene supervisor): 1. If the employee’s vehicle overturned in the crash, or if the energy force from the impact is deemed to be such that there is a possibility of serious injury, regardless of appearance, the employee and any passenger should be immobilized and transported to the hospital by fire rescue or ambulance. 2. Upon examination at the hospital, hospital staff will make a determination if the employee should be kept overnight for observation. Supervisors will support such decisions. 3. If the employee is injured, or alludes to any possible injury, worker’s compensation procedures will be executed. K. Damaged police department vehicles will be towed or driven to the police department and left pending repair. Appropriate equipment shall be removed from the vehicle. L. All communication with insurance companies, attorneys or others representing the police department or other involved parties will be made through or with prior knowledge of the chief of police. M. Employee’s involved in traffic crashes, shall make no statement as to responsibility and shall not advise the other party involved that the city will pay for the damages resulting from the crash regardless of who may be at fault. NOTE: Pursuant to Florida statute section 768.28(9)(a), an employee can be held personally, or individually responsible and civilly liable in tort, and can be sued, for any motor vehicle accident(s) which occur in a city take-home vehicle while the employee is off-duty or otherwise acting outside the course and scope of their governmental employment at the time of any motor vehicle accident. The City of Longwood cannot be held civilly liable in tort under that statute for any off-duty motor vehicle accidents in that take-home vehicle occurring while driving the vehicle outside the course and scope of the employment with the City. GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 12 OF 15 XV. SURRENDER OF VEHICLE: A. An employee will surrender an assigned vehicle and physically deliver it to the police station when: 1. Under suspension. 2. On restricted or light-duty. 3. On a scheduled vacation, leave of absence, or other extended period as determined by a lieutenant or higher authority. B. When a police department vehicle is to be returned for reissue or permanent surrender, the vehicle will be thoroughly inspected for missing or displaced equipment and the interior and exterior cleaned. XVI. PERSONALLY OWNED VEHICLES (MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT): An employee who uses a personally owned vehicle on official police department business will be reimbursed at the official state rate. A. Procedure: 1. When it becomes necessary to use a personally owned vehicle the employee will first obtain approval from the chief of police through the chain of command. 2. When approved travel has been completed, the employee will complete a memorandum, noting the date, time, purpose, destination, and total miles traveled. The employee will sign and date the memorandum. 3. The memorandum will be submitted to the appropriate supervisor for chain of command review. The request will then be forwarded to the city finance department for payment. XVII. GENERAL USE OF CITY VEHICLES: The following policy has been adopted by the chief of police and the City of Longwood for the purpose of outlining the use of a city owned vehicle on and off-duty. A. Generally, vehicles are assigned for City of Longwood official business only. Vehicles assigned as take-home vehicles are subject to specific allowances and restrictions. GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 13 OF 15 B. Vehicles are not to be driven for personal use, unless the employee is on-call and has the ability to immediately respond to a work-related call-out within a twenty-minute response time. C. City of Longwood vehicles are to be driven by authorized employees only, except in case of repair and diagnostic testing or delivery by a mechanic or other authorized service providers. D. Stopping at commercial establishments will not be considered personal use provided: 1. The stop is on the route you would normally follow to your ultimate destination or no more than two miles out of your way. 2. You are on official business during normal working hours. 3. The stop will not reflect in an adverse manner on the department or the city. 4. Alcohol consumption is prohibited at any time within eight (8) hours prior to driving a City vehicle. 5. An employee cannot stop at a bar, restaurant, or another establishment and consume alcoholic beverages while operating a city vehicle. 6. Driving any vehicle on City business and/or driving a City vehicle while Under the influence of any intoxicants and/ or other drugs which could impair driving ability is forbidden and is sufficient cause for discipline; up to and including termination of employment. 7. Cellular telephone use while operating a moving City vehicle should be handsfree and kept to a minimum. 8. No employee should operate a City vehicle when their ability to do so safely is impaired by illness, fatigue, injury, or prescription medication. 9. No smoking, vaping, or tobacco use is permitted in City vehicles. 10. All State of Florida and Federal laws must be obeyed. XVIII. DEPARTMENT ASSIGNED TAKE-HOME VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: The assignment of an agency vehicle is a privilege and not a right of employment. Participation in the assigned vehicle program may be revoked by the chief of police at GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 14 OF 15 any time. Members shall comply the following requirements as well as all other sections of this directive to participate in the assigned take-home vehicle program. 1. Sworn members must have successfully completed the Field Training Program. 2. Members must reside no more than 25 miles from the police department to be permitted to drive their assigned vehicle home. 3. Members residing more than 25 miles from the City who apply to be assigned a take-home city vehicle will be required to reimburse the City $20.00 bi-weekly to offset additional fuel cost and vehicle maintenance. Members employed prior to July 5, 2023 are excluded from the reimbursement requirement so long as they do not move further from the police department after July 5, 2023. No member who resides more than 50 miles from the police department after July 5, 2023 will be issued a take-home vehicle. 4. The distance between an employee’s residential address and the address of the Longwood Police Department shall be computed utilizing the internet program “Google Maps” to calculate mileage. To ensure consistency, “Google Maps” will be the only mapping platform used to calculate the distance. The mileage calculation used will be the “shortest distance” option provided by the program. 5. Members are required to notify the chief of police through their chain of command of any change in their residential address which would increase their driving distance to and from the police department. 6. Vehicles will be used for travel to and from work or other duty-related obligations including; but not limited to, training, and for sworn members, court depositions, or approved off-duty details. 7. Members will not transport any unauthorized passengers. 8. Sworn members will have department identification, means of radio communication, and a police department approved weapon with them at all times while operating the department vehicle. 9. Members will dress in an appropriate manner while operating the vehicle in an off-duty status. This dress will include; a collared shirt, long trousers, and closed toed shoes securely worn (assigned training attire is acceptable while in transport to or from a training facility). GENERAL ORDER VEHICLE MANAGEMENT GO – 04 PAGE 15 OF 15 10. Any time a sworn member is operating a marked vehicle; they shall sign on the radio and or MCT and declare themselves in-service and clear their status in the same manner when going out of service at the conclusion of their use of the vehicle. 11. Members will adhere to department policy and report any damage to the vehicle immediately. 12. Members will abide by all traffic laws and parking regulations. 13. While vehicles are assigned, members are not required to take the vehicles home if they live within the authorized area. 14. Members are required to maintain, or provide, their own transportation in the event the option to take home the assigned vehicle is no longer afforded. 15. The agency will not be responsible for personal items in the assigned vehicle in the event of damage or theft.