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HomeMy WebLinkAbout41G-Police Response to Calls 2019 Policy & Procedure Page 1 of 6 Lexington Police Department Subject: Police Response to Calls Policy Number: 41G Accreditation Standards: Reference: 41.2.1; 41.2.4 Effective Date: 9/1/11  New  Revised Revision Dates: 1/24/19 By Order of: Mark J. Corr, Chief of Police The Municipal Police Institute, Inc. (MPI) is a private, nonprofit charitable affiliate of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. MPI provides training and model policies and procedures for police agencies. This policy is an edited version of MPI Policy 4.08 “Response to Calls.” GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND GUIDELINES The manner in which officers respond to calls for services will vary according to the nature and gravity of the call. This is necessary to satisfactorily address the safety needs of the general public and for responding officers. Police calls for service can be classified into three categories: routine, urgent, and emergency. The number of officers sent to a call, and how quickly, depends on how the call is classified and/or reclassified if new information has developed. The purpose of this policy is to provide personnel with clear guidelines as to what calls will generally fit into which category, thus determining the degree of response and the number of officers to be assigned. None of these procedures will preclude the possibility of circumstances that will alter normal and expected reactions. Response to any type of call requires an officer to utilize the shortest and safest route of travel. It is the policy of the Lexington Police Department that:  The Department will evaluate the urgency of the police response to a given situation and assign the appropriate number of officers; and,  In situations when the Department is unable to respond to calls with sufficient on-duty personnel, it may have to rely on off-duty officers, non- regular personnel and officers from neighboring Departments via Mutual Aid Agreements. 41 G -Police Response to Calls Policy & Procedure Page 2 of 6 PROCEDURES [41.2.1] A. Statutory Guidelines: Emergency Vehicle Operation: M.G.L. Chapter 89, Section 7B States that the driver of any police vehicle "in an emergency and while In the performance of a public duty may drive such vehicle at a speed in excess of the applicable speed limit if [s]he exercises caution and due regard under the circumstances for the safety of persons and property, and may drive such vehicle through an intersection of ways contrary to any traffic signs or signals regulating traffic at such intersection if [s]he first brings such vehicle to a full stop and then proceeds with caution and due regard for the safety of persons and property, unless otherwise directed by a police officer regulating traffic at such intersection." B. Categories of Calls for Service 1. Generally a. Under the direction of the Commanding Officer, the number of officers to be assigned to a call will normally be left to the dispatcher's discretion. When in doubt Dispatcher(s) should confer with the C.O. to determine best response plan b. Certain types of crime will require the dispatching of at least two officers. These types of crime are typically known to have assaultive behavior, an enhanced danger level, possible weapons, and/or multiple parties involved. Some examples include: crimes in progress such as breaking and entering, assault and battery, crowd control and motor vehicle crashes. i. Emergency calls and most urgent calls will normally require two officers or units to respond. ii. Routine calls will normally require only one officer or unit to respond. iii. Medical emergencies will normally require one officer to respond with the Lexington Fire Department E.M.S. c. Patrol Supervisors have the discretion, responsibility and authority to determine the number of officers necessary at any particular call or assignment. d. It shall be the responsibility of the Dispatcher or person taking the call to obtain information from the caller that will determine the gravity and thus govern the degree of response to any call. This information will be forwarded to the Patrol Supervisor and Commanding Officer when unusual circumstances exist. e. Dispatchers should give the best estimate of time that it will take for an officer to arrive. Do not give optimistic estimates of the 41 G -Police Response to Calls Policy & Procedure Page 3 of 6 timeliness or level of police response. Simply stated, do not make promises concerning how many officers will arrive or how quickly they will respond unless you are absolutely certain. f. Although a call may be dispatched as an Emergency, Urgent or Routine Call, new information may cause the call response to change and officers should adjust their response accordingly. 2. Emergency Calls: a. Emergency Calls are those that require immediate response from the Department. They are critical in nature and will usually involve incidents where there is actual danger of serious injury or death. b. Officers responding to emergency calls will use both emergency lights and siren, except when doing so would eliminate the element of surprise desired when responding to certain types of crimes in progress, and will adhere to the law.i c. Officers must bear in mind that during their response, they have a responsibility to the public to ensure that their actions do not create a greater public hazard than is represented by the nature of the situation to which they are responding. d. Conditions that will define an Emergency response are: i. Any imminent threat to life or danger of serious physical injury or major property damage; ii. Any ongoing felony or misdemeanor that involves violence and may result in injury; iii. Any serious felony or violent misdemeanor that has just occurred and reason exists to believe the suspect is still in the area; iv. Any incident that involves exigent or unique circumstances that demand an immediate police response; and v. An officer in trouble call or any request from an officer for an emergency response. e. Examples of Emergency Calls include a shooting or stabbing; personal injury motor vehicle crashes; life threatening need for medical assistance; armed robberies in progress; serious felonies in progress; subjects with a gun or other deadly weapon; a bombing, explosion, major fire, or building collapse; domestic/ assault and battery; and hostage situations. f. If available, a minimum of two officers or units shall be dispatched on these types of calls. Other units on duty should immediately deploy themselves to a location within their area that is closest to the location of the call in case they, too, are later dispatched. g. Over response must be avoided. Officers will stage in a location where they may be called upon to assist, but must also be ready to respond to other emergencies or deploy to an outer perimeter to secure a potential crime scene. When on duty, Patrol 41 G -Police Response to Calls Policy & Procedure Page 4 of 6 Supervisors will determine the number of officers and other resources required at an incident. h. Responses to vehicular pursuit calls shall be governed by the Department policy on High Speed Pursuits (41D). 3. Urgent Calls: a. Urgent Calls are calls that require a quick response on the part of the officer, but are not so critical that they could be termed an emergency call. An officer's presence is needed at the scene, but the need is not immediate. b. An Urgent response is accomplished by responding directly to an assignment without unnecessary delay. This type of call will have flexibility in the manner of response (i.e., emergency lights with or without siren). The response should be made in a quick but safe manner. c. Units responding to Urgent Calls should be attentive to their radios, as the situation may quickly change to a more or less serious incident. d. Conditions that will define an Urgent response are: i. Any incident that does not represent a significant threat to life and property or a felony that has occurred without injury and the suspect has fled the area; ii. An in-progress incident that could be classified as a possible crime; iii. Any incident that represents a significant hazard to the flow of traffic; iv. Any incident that requires a prompt, non-emergency response; v. An officer's call for non-emergency assistance (back-up unit, potential but not present problem); and vi. Officers holding a prisoner and requesting transport will receive an urgent response unless special circumstances dictate otherwise. e. Examples of Urgent Calls are family disputes without assaultive behavior; property damage motor vehicle crashes; non-life threatening medical aids; and any other call that requires an immediate response by the Department. f. Urgent Calls will generally require that at least two units be dispatched (or the fire department with one unit for typical medical calls). g. All officers must remain aware of the statutory limits placed on the operation of a patrol vehicle when emergency lights and sirens are in use.ii 41 G -Police Response to Calls Policy & Procedure Page 5 of 6 4. Routine Calls: a. Routine calls are those which require police response for the purpose of taking some sort of action, but which do not require immediate arrival, since the situation will probably not deteriorate to critical status due to the time period of that arrival. b. A Routine response involves no emergency lights or sirens. It is a normal traffic speed response. c. Usually, only one officer will be initially assigned, unless the dispatcher or shift commander feels it necessary for safety purposes to assign more than one. Examples of routine calls would be most service calls; past breaking and entering; loud groups or parties; barking dogs; larceny or stolen car reports; transport assistance; and any other call which can be termed routine in nature. d. Routine responses include a call for service and taking a report. C. Response to Officer Initiated Calls 1. Any units responding to an Officer initiated call (such as an officer in trouble) shall notify the Dispatcher that they are responding and shall indicate from where they are responding. 2. Units will continue their response at the direction of the Commanding Officer (most likely via the dispatcher). 3. All units will closely monitor their radios in the event that the situation changes (ex: officer in trouble downgraded to a backup), so that their response can be appropriately modified. 4. The first unit to arrive at the scene will report the current situation so that other units may adjust their response accordingly. 5. Any units called off, by either the Dispatcher or a Supervisor, will immediately discontinue any emergency operation and resume their normal patrol. D. Upon Arrival [41.2.4] 1. Upon arrival, first responding officers shall assess the situation and determine, based upon the information at hand, if responding resources are adequate for the situation. 2. As soon as possible, the first responding officer should give an assessment of the situation via radio. 3. If the response appears excessive, the officer shall notify the Dispatcher and may request a reduced response. 4. The Officer may request additional resources as appropriate for the situation by contacting the dispatcher. 5. On-duty, local, or contracted resources may be requested directly by the first responding officer. Such resources may include requests for a Supervisor, Emergency Medical Services, Investigator, Fire Department, Municipal DPW, Mass D.O.T., Gas Utility Company, etc. 41 G -Police Response to Calls Policy & Procedure Page 6 of 6 6. Requests for off duty personnel, mutual aid, or specialty assistance must be authorized by the Commanding Officer. 7. The Commanding Officer will have the final say as to the level of resources deployed to a scene. iM.G.L. c. 89, §7B. iiM.G.L. c. 89, §7B.