The Ambassador Program is designed for Custody Services Division deputies to participate in a voluntary loan at a Department patrol station to gain familiarity with patrol procedures and requirements before transferring to a patrol operations unit. Participation in the program by custody and patrol deputies is mutually agreed upon, temporary, and strictly voluntary. The program provides unit commanders of custody facilities and patrol stations the ability to exchange personnel mutually and temporarily with one another for the benefit of each unit and their respective participants. Participants from Custody Services Division shall work as a second deputy under the direct supervision of a certified patrol deputy from the host station. Participants from Patrol Operations shall work in the custody line item vacated by the custody deputy loaned to the host station.
The duration for an Ambassador Program loan is 30 days from the effective date of the loan and shall not be extended beyond the prescribed time frame without prior approval from each participant’s respective division chief. Participants may cancel the loan at any time prior to the end of the 30-day program with the appropriate 10-day mandatory reassignment notice to be simultaneously provided to both the custody and patrol deputy.
The Ambassador program shall not provide formal patrol training or serve as a substitute to the Department’s Patrol School or Field Training Program. When a deputy transfers from a custody assignment to a patrol assignment for formal training, the Department shall not consider if the deputy participated in the Ambassador Program.
Participant Requirements
Custody Deputies:
To qualify for participation in the Ambassador Program, custody deputies shall meet the following requirements:
Priority shall be given to deputies who maintain a Patrol Transfer Request form (SH-AD-166) indicating a patrol track career path on-file with Custody Services Division Administration Headquarters.
Participating custody deputies shall familiarize themselves with all patrol related sections of the Manual of Policy and Procedures (MPP) and Field Operations Directives (FOD). The participating custody deputy shall familiarize themselves with the required policies prior to the exchange of personnel. The participating deputy shall be permitted to review all patrol-related policies and FODs while on duty.
Participating custody deputies shall wear the Class A or Class B uniform as prescribed by the host station, along with a complete gun belt as specified in the MPP, section 3-03/070.40, “Safety Equipment.” The participant shall also have their Department-issued helmet, protective vest, high visibility reflective vest, and side-handle baton immediately available.
Patrol Deputies:
Patrol deputies loaned into Custody Services Division from the host station shall meet the following requirements, and in accordance with Field Operations Directive (FOD) 05-008, “Court Services Division and Custody Services Divisions Personnel Patrol Ride-Along Programs”:
Patrol deputies loaned into Custody Services Division shall familiarize themselves with all sections of the Custody Division Manual (CDM), with an emphasis on the policies identified by Custody Training and Standards Bureau (CTSB) in the following link: [REDACTED TEXT]The participating patrol deputy shall familiarize themselves with the required policies prior to the exchange of personnel. The participating deputy shall be permitted to review all custody-related policies and CODs while on duty.
Participating patrol deputies shall wear the Class A or Class B uniform while assigned to the host custody facility, along with the mandated equipment delineated in the CDM, section 3-06/055.00, “Mandated Equipment.”
Body Worn Cameras
Due to limitations of the Body Worn Camera (BWC) system’s Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS), BWCs assigned to one division (e.g. patrol operations) should not be used in a different division (e.g. custody operations). As such, host patrol stations and custody facilities shall provide loaned BWCs to participating employees for the duration of the program if the use of a BWC is required while working within the respective division.
Overtime
In compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and applicable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) provisions, employees who participate in the Ambassador Program shall be compensated with overtime when the employee is held over their prescribed shift hours. The overtime shall be charged to the host station or facility where the overtime occurred.
Each participant (custody and patrol deputy) shall be responsible for completing any involuntary overtime prescribed by the host facility and/or station, in accordance with the MPP, section 3-02/010.16, “Filling Vacancies with Overtime.” This includes all mandated overtime required at the host facility and/or station.
Custody Unit Commander Responsibilities
When the unit commander of a Custody Services Division facility mutually agrees with a patrol station unit commander to participate in the Ambassador Program, the custody unit commander or designee shall complete the Loan Authorization Request portion of the “Staffing Adjustment Authorization” form (SH-J-637) for their assigned participant. The completed form, along with a copy of the participant’s Performance Recording and Monitoring System’s (PRMS) Profile Report, shall be submitted to Custody Services Division Administration via email at the following address: [REDACTED TEXT]. The request should be submitted at least one month prior to the anticipated effective date. Custody Services Division Administration will notify the requesting unit commander of the official effective date of the loan once the request has been reviewed and approved by the concerned area commander and division chief.