Unit Order #2

SUBJECT:   CRIMINAL MONITORS FOR TRAFFIC COLLISION INVESTIGATIONS

PURPOSE OF ORDER

To establish guidelines for monitoring traffic collision investigation cases that will be presented for possible criminal charges.

SCOPE OF ORDER

All personnel assigned to Traffic Services Detail (TSD).

ORDER

TSD handles many employee involved traffic collision investigations. Depending on the seriousness of the collision, where it occurred, or the need to show unbiased transparency, some Department employee traffic collision investigations are completed by California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Police Department, or other non-Department law enforcement agencies. When any of these cases are presented to their respective prosecuting attorneys for filing consideration, the results are normally only given back to the filing department.

Upon completion of the criminal case, strict administrative investigation timelines begin. If the criminal dispositions are not presented back to their respective unit or division in a timely manner the time to complete an administrative investigation can be significantly cut or it can expire before any corrective actions can be taken.

Regardless of the investigating agency, all traffic collision investigations where an employee's actions will be presented for possible criminal charges (i.e. criminal negligence etc.) need to be criminally monitored by Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB).

Within 30 days of the incident, TSD staff shall be responsible for emailing the involved employee's unit of assignment and advising them to request IAB open a criminal monitor for the traffic collision case. Upon completion of the criminal monitor, IAB will advise the unit and the administrative investigation process will be initiated.