ARTICLE III, CHAPTER 3 Department Vehicle Operation Effective: 09-20-95 Revised: 07-01-09 III.3.1 Policy It is the policy of the Arvada Police Department that its employees maintain and operate city vehicles in a manner that provides for the safety of the public and the employee, while complying with applicable traffic laws and departmental procedures. Only department employees, or individuals authorized by the department, will operate department vehicles. III.3.2 City Owned Vehicles A. The use of city owned vehicles will comply with provisions contained in the City s Rules and Procedures Manual and the Arvada Police Department s Rules and Procedures Manual. B. City vehicles may be used only for City business, except when the assigned employee is on-call. In this case, the employee may drive their City vehicle while conducting personal business as long as they can respond within 30 minutes to the location requested. C. Employees may, upon approval of the Chief of Police and the City Manager, be allowed to use a City vehicle on a permanent or temporary basis for City business and commuting between work and home. Consideration for approval includes; 1. The employee lives within a 20-mile radius of his/her point of business. 2. The employee is frequently requested to respond to a special assignment or emergency situation after normal work hours. 3. The vehicle carries necessary equipment and tools to implement appropriate police action in emergency situations. D. Employees assigned a vehicle who are taking leave beyond a continuous 72-hour timeframe, will leave their vehicle at the police department during their absence. E. Passengers must sign a waiver form as provided by the City s Risk Manager and meet one of the following criteria: 1. The passenger s presence is related to police or City business,
III.3.3 Vehicle Inspection 2. The passenger is a member of the employee s immediate family 3. The passenger is a member of the employee s immediate family and limited personal stops are made to and from work (such as dropping off or picking up children). Such stops must be on the employee s route to and from work and home. Employees are required to conduct the following inspection of marked patrol vehicles, other assigned vehicles in Field Services, and mobile data computers before leaving the department parking lot. Unmarked vehicles should be periodically inspected. A. Mobile Data Computers (MDC) 1. The MDC will be tested for operational functionality prior to calling in service. If employees log onto the MDC prior to briefing, they shall status themselves as out of service during briefing. 2. Employees will call into service via the radio and at the end of their tour of duty, will ensure they call out of service and are logged off the system. 3. If an MDC is not operational, the employee will change vehicles if possible and complete a repair request form for the non-operational MDC. 4. Employees will not affix any type of notepad memo book or any other note-taking instrument to an MDC. 5. Only approved devices (i.e. stylus) will be used to touch the monitor screen. B. Inspect the vehicle exterior for any signs of damage. Any new damage discovered or caused by an employee is to be immediately reported to the supervisor, who will inspect the damage, note same in the Vehicle Damage Log, and notify the Property and Equipment Coordinator. When unreported damage is discovered, the supervisor notified will check the electronic blotter to determine which employee had been previously assigned the vehicle, and shall cause an investigation into how the damage occurred and the reason it was not reported. A report of findings will be submitted to the appropriate commander. C. Inspect lights, emergency equipment, tires, fuel, and fluids. Vehicles should not be returned to the parking lot with less than ¾ tank of gasoline.
D. Inspect the trunk and insure that it contains flares minimum of 12, first aid kit, orange traffic cones minimum of 4, charged fire extinguisher, and clean blanket. E. Inspect vehicle interior for damage, weapons, or contraband. If weapons or contraband are found in the vehicle, the employee is to immediately notify the supervisor. The supervisor notified will take proper custody of the weapon or contraband, check the electronic blotter to determine the last officer assigned the vehicle, and then cause an investigation of the incident. A report of findings will be submitted to the appropriate commander. Any damage to the interior will be dealt with in the same manner as that described for exterior damage. F. Whenever a vehicle is removed from operational use because of mechanical or radio break down, servicing, or any other repair, the person removing it from service will enter that information on the maintenance board. III.3.4 Use of Seat Belts All operators of department vehicles and their passengers or prisoners shall use seat belts while the vehicle is in operation. Under circumstances where the vehicle will be traveling at slow speeds and the possibility exists the officer may have to quickly exit the vehicle, the use of seat belts is at the officer s discretion. III.3.5 Vehicle Security Employees should turn off ignition and secure the police vehicle when they exit and will be away from the immediate vicinity of the police vehicle. III.3.6 Traffic Stops Operators of marked police vehicles making a traffic stop should make every effort to direct the violator to a suitable stopping point where normal traffic flow will not be impeded. Consideration should be given to not impede access to businesses or residence. III.3.7 Scene Protection Marked police vehicles should be strategically positioned and emergency equipment utilized to protect the location of traffic stops, accident scenes, crime scenes, motorist assists, or during traffic direction when such use is deemed necessary. III.3.8 Non-Emergency (Code 1) Vehicle Operating Procedures Under normal, non-urgent and non-emergency operating conditions and response to calls for service, operators of police vehicles will adhere to all traffic laws, driving in a safe and courteous manner, and complying with parking regulations. III.3.9 Emergency Response (Code 3) Vehicle Operating Procedures
A. A Code 3 response will be made in compliance with Colorado Revised Statutes 42-1-102(6), 42-4-108, 42-4-213, and 42-4-705. All officers will be knowledgeable of all information, requirements, and restrictions contained therein. B. A police vehicle should respond Code 3, using both emergency lights and siren, to the following calls: 1. robbery in progress/just occurred/alarm, 2. burglary in progress, 3. assault in progress, (i.e. domestic violence), 4. sexual assault in progress, 5. child abuse in progress, 6. homicide, 7. shooting, 8. stabbing, 9. found explosives, 10. person with a gun/deadly weapon, 11. shots fired, 12. hazardous material situation, 13. hostage situation, 14. officer needs help, 15. explosion, 16. vehicular accident injury or unknown injury, 17. structure fire. C. Normally, no more than one unit will respond Code 3 to a call. Backup unit Code 3 response will be appropriate when necessary to insure safety of officers, to
prevent personal injury to others, because of an excessive distance to travel to reach the scene of a Code 3 call, or because of the magnitude of the situation. D. A Code 3 response to any call shall be so announced over the radio by each officer who is so responding. Included in the radio announcement will be the location from which the officer is responding. Units that are further away shall yield to closer units and announce on the radio that the Code 3 response is being discontinued. E. No officer may, at any time, operate a vehicle at a rate of speed that may cause loss of control. F. Police vehicle being operated in a Code 3 response should pass to the left of vehicles traveling in the same direction, if possible. G. When operating emergency vehicles with emergency warning devices activated, officers shall slow to allow safe passage through intersections. H. Police vehicles being operated under Code 3 response conditions should not make turns across moving traffic, U-turns or other changes of direction without ensuring that such movement can be made safely.