2-2 Use of County Vehicles

NARCOTICS BUREAU

DETECTIVE DIVISION

LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

Bureau Order Number:       2-2

                       Subject:           USE OF COUNTY VEHICLES

PURPOSE

The purpose of this directive is to provide Unit policy and procedures for use of the Narcotics Bureau vehicle fleet.

Narcotics Bureau provides personnel with vehicles to be used for County business and are assigned under two conditions:

1.          POOL VEHICLES:

      Crew Sergeants are responsible for routine and scheduled maintenance and will be notified of such, by the Narcotics Bureau Headquarters staff.

2.          ASSIGNED VEHICLES:

Due to their flexible hours and the nature of their work, personnel assigned to specific assignments may drive their assigned vehicles home.  It is the operator’s responsibility to arrange for routine and scheduled maintenance when notified by the Narcotics Bureau Headquarters staff.  If the assigned operator is to be off work for an extended period of time, the vehicle must be returned to Narcotics Bureau Headquarters or parked at a secured County facility (i.e.: fenced in Sheriff’s Station).

County issued equipment shall not be left unsecured or overnight in a County vehicle.  Reasonable caution shall be exercised in leaving equipment in an unattended vehicle during regular work shifts.  All personnel are reminded of MPP Section 3-01/090.05, which states, “A member shall not use a County vehicle without the knowledge or permission of his supervisor”.

Any deviation from this policy requires the pre-approval of a Zone Lieutenant or the Unit Commander.  If a Zone Lieutenant or the Unit Commander pre-approved an employee to take home a pool vehicle, both the employee and the approving supervisor shall note the approval along with a brief explanation of the reason the vehicle is being taken home, (e.g. early travel to a training site, special operation, etc.), in both the employee’s and the manager’s red book. 

NOTE: If questions arise about the authorization for use of a vehicle and neither the supervisor nor the employee have notations in their red book and the manager has no independent recollection of giving approval, a rebuttable presumption will exist that the employee was using the vehicle without authorization. 

TRANSPORTING UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS, (Take Home & Pool Vehicles)

MPP section 3-01/090.15 prohibits the transporting of unauthorized persons in a County owned vehicle without the prior approval of a supervisor.  In a rare situation where an employee must transport a non-employee in a County vehicle, pre-approval shall be obtained from a Zone Lieutenant or the Unit Commander.  If a Zone Lieutenant or the Unit Commander pre-approved an employee to transport a non-employee in a take home or pool vehicle, both the employee and the approving manager shall note the approval along with a brief explanation of the reason the transportation is necessary, (e.g. family emergency, witness transportation, etc.), in both the employee’s and the supervisor’s red book.   

NOTE: If questions arise about the authorization for transportation of a non-employee and neither the supervisor nor the employee have notations in their red books and the supervisor has no independent recollection of giving approval, a rebuttable presumption will exist that the employee was transporting a non-employee without authorization. 

VEHICLE OPERATIONS

Personnel shall not allow a non-employee or unauthorized person to operate a County owned vehicle, MPP 3-01/090.15.

ORIGINAL SIGNED

LOY L. MCBRIDE, CAPTAIN

NARCOTICS BUREAU