Upon notification that a Departmental employee has been arrested or detained for a violation regarding domestic violence or where an allegation of family violence has been made to this Department against a member, a supervisor with the rank of Sergeant or above shall be responsible for:
- Contacting the responding law enforcement agency for the purposes of gathering first reports and information necessary for making a complete notification to the Watch Commander and Unit Commander; and
- Immediately notifying the Watch Commander and Unit Commander.
The supervisor shall not investigate the incident or interfere with an investigation being conducted by the local law enforcement agency. The supervisor shall not attempt to contact an employee who has been incarcerated or detained.
Watch Commander’s Responsibilities
Upon receipt of an allegation that a Department member is involved in a family violence incident, the Watch Commander shall ensure that a supervisor from the nearest Sheriff’s Station:
- Responds to the scene of the incident if it occurs within the Sheriff’s Department jurisdiction;
- Responds to the investigating agency’s office, if the outside agency investigating the incident requests a representative from this Department;
- Completes a written report to the concerned employee’s Unit Commander, as directed; and
- Immediately notifies the Internal Affairs Bureau. Notifications may be directed to the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau after business hours.
The Watch Commander receiving the notification shall complete the Watch Commander’s log entry detailing the circumstances of the notification, summarizing the responding supervisor’s report and documenting notifications to the Internal Affairs Bureau and the employee’s Unit Commander.
Unit Commander’s Responsibilities
The Unit Commander shall monitor the workplace and encourage each supervisor to monitor the workplace for signs of family abuse. The Unit Commander shall inquire into any evidence that suggests that a member of this Department may be a victim of, or the subject in, a family violence incident.
Upon receipt of an allegation of family violence, the Unit Commander shall:
- Determine if the incident requires a Unit level, Internal Affairs Bureau or Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau investigation. If it is determined that an investigation is necessary, a formal request shall be made to the concerned Division Chief or Director;
NOTE: A "non-criminal domestic violence” incident and/or a “domestic dispute” incident requires no investigation
- Not question an employee about the incident who may be the potential subject of an investigation;
- Ensure that Department personnel not interfere with investigations conducted by outside law enforcement agencies;
- Contact the employee in order to offer Department support services and advise the employee of the Department’s zero tolerance policy against family violence;
- Ensure that the appropriate Division Chief or Director, Commander(s) and Internal Affairs Bureau are notified without delay; and
- Respond immediately to the location when the employee has been arrested and taken into custody.