3-01/030.15 - Conduct Toward Others



Employees shall observe the following rules of conduct:

  • Members shall conduct themselves in a manner that will foster the greatest harmony and cooperation between themselves and the Units of the Department;
  • Members shall not intentionally antagonize any person with whom they come in contact and shall treat all persons in a respectful, courteous and civil manner;
  • Members not otherwise subject to the provisions of section 3-01/110.45, Business Cards, shall provide their full name without delay upon request of any member of the public;
  • Deputy personnel issuing traffic citations shall proceed in a courteous, fair, firm, impartial and businesslike manner.  They shall scrupulously avoid any display of officious or overbearing attitude and shall not use any language designed to belittle, ridicule or embarrass the violator.  Deputy personnel shall avoid any unnecessary loss of time for the violator and make every effort consistent with accuracy to expedite the issuance of the citation;
  • In the presence of persons from outside the Department, members shall address Deputy personnel by their rank and civilian personnel by their title (e.g., Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.);
  • A member shall not at any time or for any reason willfully subject any person or animal to cruel treatment or willfully neglect necessary humane action;
  • When referring to the three general groups of employees of this Department, the following terms shall be used:
    • employees classified as "Deputy Sheriff" shall be referred to as "Deputy personnel;"
    • employees classified as "corrections officer" shall be referred to as "corrections officers;" and
    • All other classifications, including uniformed civilians, shall be referred to as "civilian personnel;"
  • Members of this Department are prohibited from recording, through the use of digital, audio or video tape, any member of this Department without that member’s express consent.  Consent is not required to record statements made during a public gathering or in those circumstances in which the parties to the communication reasonably expect that the communication may be overheard or recorded.  Pursuant to Government Code Section 3303(g), consent is not required to tape record an officer’s interrogation as a result of an administrative investigation.