21-007 - Special Alert

SPECIAL ALERT 

PURPOSE

The purpose of this directive is to establish policy and procedure for the Department’s Special Alert.

BACKGROUND

Each day deputies will respond to calls for help from members of the community, where they encounter those who are suspected of having or have been diagnosed with an intellectual, mental, or physical disability.  The calls for help are usually made when those with challenges and their caregivers are in crisis. 

In an effort to better serve and understand the needs of these community members, the Department has developed a program to allow caregivers or family members (requestors) to voluntarily provide information about a person living in their home who are suspected of having or have been diagnosed with an intellectual, mental, or physical disability (participant).  Having this critical information prior to arriving at the location can be instrumental in helping responding deputies understand the sensitive nature of the call, coordinate and request critical resources, and to aid them in de-escalating the situation if needed.

The information provided by the requestor will be entered into our Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system as a “Special Alert.”  The information in the alert will contain brief details of the information provided by the requestor, including the participant’s physical description, diagnosis(es)/special needs, and cautionary details.

PROCEDURE

When a Special Alert Request form (SH-AD-696) is submitted at any sheriff’s station, the form shall be accepted and reviewed by sworn personnel only.  The information shall be vetted and processed as follows:

Paper Form Submission

• The address given shall be checked for area jurisdiction verification.  If the resident address falls within any Los Angeles County sheriff’s station area, the watch deputy shall accept the completed form and immediately send the form to the watch commander on-duty at the appropriate station, via fax or email.  If the requestor chooses to personally submit the form to the appropriate station, they shall be provided the Special Alert Request form (SH-AD-696) and the address and phone number to that station.

Online and Paper Submissions

• The information shall be reviewed to verify the identification of the requestor submitting the Special Alert Request form;

• The entry shall be made in the CAD system by the watch deputy on duty;

• The Hazard (HAZ) command shall be used to make the Special Alert entry;

NOTE:  The HAZ command is a limited character field.  The watch deputy shall only enter information from the form (in a brief format) that will aid responding deputies in understanding the special needs and/or behavioral challenges of the resident, coordinating critical resources who can co-respond with deputies and mental health workers, and advise of potentially dangerous factors in the home, if applicable.

• The summary line on the entry shall be entered as, **Special Alert**

• The expiration date shall be set at exactly two years from the date of entry, which is the maximum range allowed by the CAD system;

• The entry shall be printed and submitted to the watch sergeant for approval;

• Once approved, the original Special Alert Request form and printout of the Special Alert CAD entry shall be filed and stored at the desk, where the file may be immediately accessible by desk personnel; and

• The record shall be stored for a period of two years.

 To ensure all Special Alert Requests are evaluated and entered, the following tasks shall be completed:

• The watch deputy on-duty shall check the Special Alert Request online submission folder once per shift, and enter any requests received during their respective shift;

• The watch deputy may call the requestor to verify or clarify information given in the online submission, and/or send a deputy to the location to make contact, providing the presence of deputies does not create a negative environment for the participant at the location; and

• The watch commander on-duty shall confirm with the watch deputy that there are no un-entered Special Alert Requests (paper forms or online submissions) for their respective shift, and assist in resolving any issue preventing a request from being entered.

Special Alerts shall only be entered as such in the CAD system upon receipt of a Special Alert Request form that has been submitted by a requestor, on behalf of the participant.  The entry shall be denoted **Special Alert** on the summary line.

Example:

45502 CORKWOOD CITY LAN TYPE H RECORD NUMBER: 02 LAST: SMITH FIRST: JOEY M W 02/10/06

SUMMARY: **SPECIAL ALERT**

//J. SMITH AUTISTIC//SCARED OF FLASHLIGHT IN EYES//RESPONDS POSITIVELY TO FEMALES//NO PREV VIOLENT HIST//NO WPNS AT LOC///

TAG LCS118-0542 CLEAR 419 465 DEP #1: 21234 (FREDERICKSON)

DEP #2: 94834 (HUTCHINSON)

          AUDIT: 04/27/21 1330 BY: 01931 PURGE: 04/27/23

Dispatcher/Watch Deputy Additional Duties

When answering calls for help regarding priority and emergent calls, desk personnel are reminded to follow the procedures outlined in FOD 18-007, Critical Calls for Service.  In addition, when a Special Alert notification appears in CAD on a dispatched call, the following procedure shall be carried out:

• Station desk personnel shall open the details for the Special Alert, enter the information into the call as an update, and voice the Special Alert via radio.

HAZ entries, per Field Operations Directive (FOD) 16-003, Calls for Service Involving Alleged Mentally Ill or Developmentally Disabled Persons, orders that the location of known mentally impaired violent persons shall be entered into the CAD system as a “hazard” to assist in managing future calls for service. 

Although they are entered under the same CAD entry screen, HAZ entries are not the same as Special Alerts.  HAZ entries are entered as an independent action of the watch deputy on-duty, and/or at the request of a deputy who has responded to a location with dangerous circumstances, that other responding deputies should be aware of at the same location in the future.

ATTACHMENTS

Special Alert Request Form (SH-AD-696) English

Special Alert Request Form (SH-AD-696) Spanish

REFERENCES

Field Operations Directive 02-002, Tracking Family Abuse Crimes