3-09/070.10 - Supervisor's Report and Responsibilities

In all cases, collisions in which members are involved shall be investigated by a supervisor.  The supervisor shall respond to the scene of a collision involving a Department/permittee vehicle.

With respect to any collision involving a Department/permittee vehicle, the Field Sergeant or immediate supervisor shall do the following:

• Provide medical assistance to Department members and non-Department members involved in the collision, if not already provided;
• Locate and interview all potential witnesses, including Department personnel, medical staff, chaplains, and any other civilians who may have been present, and document their statements, including those who could have witnessed but claim not to have witnessed the incident.  All interviews of non-Department witnesses shall be recorded on audio or videotape;
• Photograph and/or video record the scene;
• Determine if the collision was recorded and secure any such recordings of the incident whenever able to do so;
• Ensure that Department members involved in and/or witnessed the collision prepare required reports in a timely manner;
• Review first reports;
• In cases where a recording has been secured, if the supervisor determines after their initial review of the video and the incident reports that there is evidence of apparent misconduct or it appears that a Department member failed to make proper notifications of the collision, the supervisor should consult with the watch commander or supervising lieutenant before proceeding further;
• After first reports and separate supplemental reports have been reviewed by the supervisor and where there is no such evidence of apparent misconduct or a failure to properly notify, afford Department members an opportunity to review the recording of the collision to facilitate recollection of additional details;
• Complete side one of the “Supervisor’s Report of Damage to County Vehicle or Permittee’s Vehicle" (SH-R-257);
• Interview the attending physician or other qualified medical personnel when a Department member or non-Department member is taken to a medical facility for examination as to the extent and nature of the injuries, or lack thereof, and whether the injuries are consistent with the collision;
• If the Department member or non-Department member is admitted to a medical facility or requires further medical treatment, it is the supervisor’s responsibility to follow up with medical staff to ascertain if the injury was more serious than initially believed and make any necessary notifications in a timely manner;
• Photograph and/or record the Department members’ injuries, if appropriate.

A comprehensive memo shall be prepared by the supervisor and submitted to the watch commander or operations lieutenant with the Supervisor's Report stating an opinion as to the cause of the collision.  The use or non-use of factory-installed safety belts shall be addressed in both the SH-R-257 and the comprehensive memo.

NOTE:    A Supervisor's Report (SH-R-257) shall not be included in the vehicle collision file when an incident occurs relating to a pursuit or traffic stop and the following conditions apply:

• There is no damage to Department or permittee vehicle;
• There is no injury to Department personnel;
• Any property damage or injury to other persons, including suspects, is solely the result of actions by the driver of the suspect vehicle.

The supervisor shall obtain the operator's previous driving record from the involved employee’s PRMS Profile Report and shall enter the driving record on the SH-R-257 in the area titled "Operator's Previous Record of Preventable Incidents Last 36 Months."  The supervisor shall determine the level and number of points accrued for all previous preventable traffic collisions occurring within the previous 36 months and note that information in the spaces provided.  If no previous driving record exists, "None" should be indicated.

When station vehicles are involved and the collision occurs in the station's area, a supervisor from that station shall be responsible for the investigation and submit the Supervisor's Report and comprehensive memo to the watch commander or operations lieutenant.

When the collision occurs in another station's area, a supervisor assigned to that area will be responsible for the investigation and forwarding the Supervisor's Report and comprehensive memo to the concerned unit commander for final disposition.

When a Department member not assigned to patrol is involved in an on-duty collision, a unit supervisor from the nearest station area shall cause an investigation of the collision to be made and forward the Supervisor's Report and comprehensive memo to the member's unit commander for final disposition.

Compliance with this section for on-duty collisions involving members assigned to the Los Angeles Civic Center, which occur in the Los Angeles Civic Center area, shall be the responsibility of a supervisor from the member's unit of assignment.

In the event that the collision/incident involves death, any injury to any of the involved parties, substantial property damage, any unusual collision which could result in high-loss litigation or at the discretion of the unit commander, the supervisor shall immediately notify the Traffic Services Detail, Risk Management Bureau.  If notification is to be made during other-than-normal business hours, Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau shall be notified (for further information refer to Volume 5, Chapter 5).

When a supervisor does not respond to a minor collision involving a Department/permittee vehicle, then the unit's watch sergeant/operation sergeant shall prepare the Supervisor's Report and comprehensive memo based on the circumstances related in the vehicle collision reports.

The report or memorandum shall include the reason for the supervisor not responding to the collision.

The supervisor shall ensure that the vehicle operator completes his vehicle incident report before going off shift.