All Department members shall be held accountable for any on-duty or off-duty conduct which has a tendency to adversely affect, lower, or destroy public respect and confidence in the Department, or its members. Conduct unbecoming also includes any conduct which brings the Department or any members into disrepute or brings discredit upon the Department or its members. Department members shall also be held accountable for their utterances, writings, conduct, and visual representations; including electronic and web-based communications, when they conflict with our Core Values, our Mission, or our Creed and personnel can be reasonably identified as Department members.
Personnel who cause undue embarrassment or damage to the reputation of and/or erode the public’s confidence in the Department shall be deemed to have violated this policy and shall be subject to counseling and/or discipline up to and including discharge.
Unit commanders shall ensure copies of our Mission, our Core Values, and our Creed are clearly and prominently displayed and maintained in the public lobbies of all Sheriff’s Department facilities.
Unit commanders shall ensure copies of our Mission, Core Values, and our Creed are clearly and prominently displayed and maintained within a high-traffic work area in all Sheriff’s Department facilities (e.g., briefing room) for viewing by assigned personnel.
Unit commanders shall routinely express to the members of their staff their expectations of honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, and acceptable conduct, including the tenets of the Core Values. The message that shall be conveyed to each employee is, “You are part of something greater than yourself. Don’t dishonor it!”