1 

Problem Iden fica on 

Henrico  County  Police  is  commi ed    to  promo ng 

the message and maintaining  the public awareness 

of  Occupant  Protec on.  The  Police  Division 

considers occupant protec on  to be  a  top priority, 

although  the  state  of  Virginia  does  not  have  a 

primary seatbelt law.  Henrico County Police Officers 

must  observe  another  viola on  to  stop  motorists 

before  they  can  issue a  summons  for  the  seat belt 

viola on;  the  only  excep on  being  children  under 

the age of 16 who are observed unrestrained.   Each 

year, the Police Division conducts seatbelt surveys at 

high accident loca ons, usually during the Click It or 

Ticket campaigns in May and November.  The officer 

will  go  out  to  designated  intersec ons where  they 

will observe 100 drivers  and document whether or 

not  they were wearing  their  seatbelts.    The  Police 

Division  conducts  a  “Pre”  and  “Post”  survey  at  the 

beginning and end of each mobiliza on to compare 

the increase and/or decrease in seatbelt usage.   

In  2013,  the  “Pre”  seatbelt  survey  showed  80% 

compliance, and  the “post” seatbelt survey showed 

an 83% compliance.  The Commonwealth of Virginia 

seatbelt usage  rate  for 2013 was 79.7%.   Although 

the  Police  Division  would  like  to  see  100% 

compliance, we  believe  if  our message  reaches  at 

least  one  ci zen  and  convinces  him/her  to  buckle 

up, we consider that a success as one more life that 

may saved should a collision occur on the roadway.  

The Henrico County Police Division  realizes  that  its 

officers are not  immune to the risks of not wearing 

seatbelts.   Posters,  that encourage officers  to wear 

their seatbelts and not a mourning shroud over their 

badge,  are  distributed  and  posted  throughout  all 

three  police  headquarters.    The  mourning  shroud 

infers the death of an officer due to his/her death in 

a  vehicle  crash.    The  posters  are  en tled  ,  “Wear 

this…  Not  this...”,  and  are  intended  to  influence 

officers to wear their seatbelts.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The  Police  Division  also  encourages  officers  to 

secure  all  loose  equipment  in  their  vehicles  to 

prevent  them  from  becoming  projec les  in  the 

event of a crash.   The safety of officers  is of utmost 

importance to Chief Douglas A. Middleton and, as a 

result, he implemented the policy that follows in the 

Policy sec on on the following page.  

Richmond Interna onal Raceway hosted the Click It or Ticket kickoff in 2013, in Richmond, Virginia.  

OCCUPANT PROTECTION

Posters, like the one pictured here, encourage and remind officers to buckle‐up and are posted throughout all three Division headquarters.  

2 

POLICY

Chief  of  Police,  Douglas  A.  Middleton  has 

implemented  a  policy  that  officers  shall wear  their 

seatbelts while  on  duty.    Henrico  Police  considers 

occupant  protec on  enforcement  a  top  priority  of 

the  agency.    The  Chief  has  designated  in Direc ve  

G‐85  (a ached with Policy as allowed)  that officers 

are to enforce seatbelt and child restraint viola ons 

when observed while on patrol.  

Below is the Division Policy as it reads in our

Direc ves Manual: 

282.10 USE OF SEAT BELTS 

The unpredictability of the driving situa ons faced by an

officer requires that all precau onary measures be

u lized. All persons riding in police vehicles shall u lize

their seat belt.

Henrico County Police Division Policy 

GENERAL ORDER

G‐85‐11 REV.

Purpose:

To define traffic enforcement alterna ves. To encourage proper

handling of the traffic viola on from the point when the

decision to stop the violator is made un l the encounter is

terminated.

Traffic enforcement is an important tool that can be u lized to 

enforce traffic laws and gather informa on concerning 

criminal ac vity. Seatbelt and child restraint enforcement, 

speeding, and iden fying impaired drivers are a top priority. 

Officers are encouraged to conduct various enforcement 

ac vi es to address these issues. Enforcement ac on should 

be taken upon detec on of a viola on of law or a poten ally 

hazardous act and shall be taken in a uniform and consistent 

manner. Any informa on from these enforcement ac vi es 

can be u lized by Homeland Security, Patrol, CASE, or any 

Division component to increase traffic safety and further the 

suppression of criminal ac vi es. 

I. ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

A. In dealing with a traffic violator, there are four enforcement

alterna ves for the officer to consider:

1. Physical arrest is limited by law as to its applica on.

2. Issuance of a summons shall be this Division's primary

traffic enforcement ac on. While the use of officer

discre on is a valid procedure to be used in

determining the need to issue a summons, members of

this Division shall cite those persons who commit

viola ons deemed to be traffic crash causa ve in

compliance with RP‐06. Enforcement shall be at a level

commensurate with crash‐frequency and severity‐

reduc on efforts.

3. Verbal warning is a viable alterna ve if, in the officer's

determina ons, the violator's ac ons (to include the

type of viola on, its severity, and the violator's intent,

not a tude), in conjunc on with temporal and

geographic circumstances, would be best corrected by

not issuing a summons.

4. Officers who discover vehicle operators believed to be

a hazard to themselves or others, due to

incompetence, physical/mental disability, disease, or

other condi ons that might prevent those operators

from exercising reasonable and ordinary care in the

opera on of a motor vehicle, shall complete a MED3

Medical Review Request and place it in the

appropriate box at PSB/FOS.

This Direc ve con nues on with the following; lists types of 

viola ons and their acceptable enforcement ac ons, outlines 

the considera ons and procedures affiliated with traffic stops,  

execu ng the stop, discusses officer‐violator rela ons, 

procedures when using traffic specials grant money, and 

traffic specials repor ng procedures. It is a ached along with 

G‐85 in their en rety as allowed.  

 

Planning

The  Special  Enforcement  Unit  (Traffic  Safety)  is  a 

specialized  police  unit  that  consists  of  officers 

specially trained in the many aspects of traffic safety 

of which Occupant Protec on is one.  Each year, this 

specialized  unit  (as  well  as  all  other  sec ons  and 

units  in  the  Henrico  County  Police  Division)  must 

develop annual goals, which they submit to the Chief 

3 

as part of the Division’s overall goals and objec ves 

for the en re fiscal year ahead.    In 2012, the Traffic 

Safety Unit  submi ed  several  goals  for  fiscal  year, 

2013.  They are as follows: 

Special Enforcement Unit Goals –FY2013

To be proac ve in helping make County roadways

safer by conduc ng at least 25 selec ve enforcement

opera ons, five of which will be high crash loca ons

and another five of which will be related to ILP

(Intelligence‐Led Policing) ini a ves by July 2013.

To be proac ve in reducing commercial vehicle crashes

on County roadways by conduc ng at least twelve

commercial motor vehicle enforcement opera ons by

July 2013, at least two of which will be joint opera ons

with neighboring jurisdic ons.

To increase public awareness through educa on about

speed and other safety messages by deploying the

SMART Trailer, Variable Message Boards, and/or

StealthStat at least 20 mes on County roadways by

July 2013.

To conduct DUI/SFST refresher training for all uniform

officers by July 2013 through In‐Service or Roll‐Call

training.

To conduct at least one child safety seat checking

sta on per quarter, assis ng in educa ng the general

public in the proper installa on of child seats.

These  goals  guide  the  Unit  in  its  planning  for  the 

en re  year.  In  addi on,  each  month  the  Unit 

members meet  to  discuss  details  of  that month’s 

opera ons, programs, or  ini a ves.   Unit members 

then  must  develop  a  detailed  plan  for  each 

opera on, program, or  ini a ve using the Division’s 

Opera ons Plan form, HCPD‐383.  This form lists the 

summary  of  the  event  or  incident,  objec ves, 

threats/hazards,  comments/notes,  briefing, 

resources  needed/used,  personnel  and  their 

assignments as well as other informa on.  This form 

helps ensure a well‐planned, effec ve opera on for 

each  event,  ini a ve,  or  opera on, which must  be 

conducted to meet the Unit’s annual goals.  In 2013, 

the  Police  Division  planned  and  conducted  63 

various  opera ons  that  included  Occupant 

Protec on  to  include  Click  It  or  Ticket,  four  child 

safety seat checks, and AAA Mid‐Atlan c’s I‐Drive.   

The Division’s Public Information Office also plans their 

marketing goals for the entire year.  Each month, as part 

of  their  overall marketing  plan  for  the  Division,  they 

market  Occupant  Protection  awareness  and 

compliance,  Henrico  Police  Occupant  Protection 

programs, as well as other traffic safety information and 

campaigns.  Pictured below is one example. 

Training

During  2013,  67  Henrico  Police  Officers  received 

training or recer fica on in occupant protec on and 

child  safety  seat  protec on.    Three  officers  were 

Chief Middleton (Santa) posed for this photo that was posted on the Division’s Facebook page in December 2013. 

Pictured here is the mul ‐page Opera ons Plan form HCPD‐383. 

Planning (con nued) 

4 

recer fied  in  installa on  of  child  seats  a er 

a ending a Child  Safety Refresher Course  that was 

held    June  13,  2013,  with  the  help  of  Safe  Kids 

Virginia  and  Children’s  Hospital  of  Richmond 

(affiliated with Virginia Commonwealth University).  

In  the  Division’s  Basic  Training  Academies, 

instructors  emphasize  occupant  protec on  to 

recruits  during  their  instruc on  of  Traffic  Crash 

Inves ga on, Motor Vehicle Laws, EVOT (Emergency 

Vehicle  Opera ons  Training),  and  evidence 

collec on  from  motor  vehicle  crashes.    Henrico 

Police  conducted  occupant  protec on  training  in 

two  Basic  Police  Training  Academies  throughout 

2013, with a total of 32 (recruits) new officers having 

been trained.  Currently, the Police Division has ten, 

cer fied, Child Safety Seat Restraint Technicians.   

Public Informa on and Educa on  

In 2013, Henrico County Police took many approaches 

to educate  the public  regarding occupant protection 

to  include  the  importance  of  adults  and  youths 

wearing  seat belts  and using  child  safety  seats. One 

approach  was  through  radio  public  service 

announcements.  Henrico  Police  collaborated  

with  Clear  Channel  Communications,  a  mass 

communications  company  that  owns  1200  radio 

stations in the U.S., and recorded  radio Public Service 

Announcements  (PSAs)  to  remind metro  Richmond 

listeners to “Buckle Up!”  

 

 

The following italicized paragraph is an example of the 

three public  service announcements  that were aired 

in the metro Richmond area during “Click It or Ticket” 

Campaigns and throughout the year: 

“Are you aware that every hour someone dies in

the United States because they simply decided not

to buckle up? I am Doug Middleton, Chief of Police

for Henrico County. Henrico Officers are out

enforcing seat belt and child restraint viola ons

more than ever. Don’t become a sta s c, buckle

up, every me!”

In addition to Public Service Announcements, Henrico 

Police maintains good working relationships with local 

television media news outlets and print media outlets 

to  ensure  clear  and  concise  reporting  to  citizens 

regarding  public  safety.    Stories  generated  through 

news  releases  or  social  media  postings  may  be 

broadcast on television or printed in local newspapers.  

Also, Henrico County has  its own public access  cable 

channel,  HCTV‐17,  that  broadcasts  public  safety 

information throughout the day to the public. HCTV‐17 

The chart below  illustrates Henrico’s occupant protec on training in 2013. 

Training Number

Trained in 2013

Child Safety Seats

Installa on (recert.) 3 

Basic  Training 56th 

Academy 1  17 

Basic Training 57th 

Academy  2 15 

Other  32 

TOTAL All  Training   67

Le , Chief Middleton 

records one of his three 

PSAs at Clear Channel 

Communica ons.  

Training (con nued)

5 

broadcasts  slides  containing  information  about 

occupant protection and enforcement campaigns thus 

helping  to  raise  awareness  of  occupant  protection 

enforcement or educational campaigns.   

Also,  Henrico  County  Police  maintains  amicable 

relationships  with  its  citizens  through  social  media 

sites, which also makes  the Division more accessible 

via  personal  electronic  devices  such  as  tablets, 

laptops, and smartphones. The Division's social media 

sites  include  Facebook,  Twitter,  Pinterest,  and 

YouTube.    Some  messages  on  the  Division’s  social 

media sites remind citizens of the importance of seat 

belt  safety  and  of  enforcement  consequences  that 

result with their failure to wear seatbelts or failure to 

use child safety seats.  Other traffic safety messages of 

value to citizens are also posted to coincide with traffic 

safety  awareness  or  enforcement  campaigns.  This  is 

the  fifth year Henrico Police has used social media  to 

communicate important messages to the public.  

The Henrico County Police Division also uses variable 

message  boards  to  remind  ci zens  to  wear  their 

seatbelts.   The message flashes,  “Click  It or Ticket”  

or “Buckle Up”.  These message boards are set up in 

areas  where  we  find  seatbelts  are  not  heavily 

u lized.  Throughout the County, we placed “Click It

or Ticket” removable, signage on roadways and at

intersec ons to raise awareness of occupant

protec on, as pictured below.

 

Each  quarter,  Henrico  County  Police  track 

top ten high crash  loca ons throughout the County.  

Typically, the high crash  loca ons are    intersec ons 

where red  light running  is prevalent.   Consequently, 

the Police Division conducted red  light enforcement 

at  these  loca ons.   The  ini a ve  for most of  these 

This is just one of many Division Facebook pos ngs that were traffic safety related. The page reaches between 4,000‐5,000 people weekly.  This is for Click It or Ticket. 

Here is a “tweet” about Click It or Ticket campaign in May. The light blue text is a hyperlink that took Tweeters back to the Division web page for a video produced in‐house that warned of the consequences of not buckling up.  

Public Informa on and Educa on (con nued)  

6 

opera ons  is called, “Stop on Red or Stop on Blue”,   

since  research  shows  that  red  light viola ons o en 

coincide with failure to wear seatbelts or the use of 

child safety seats. Nineteen of the opera ons were

conducted in 2013, during which officers issued

24 occupant protec on summonses.

In 2013 Henrico County Police par cipated  in    four 

car  seat  checks  that were held at  various  loca ons 

throughout the County.  Two of these car seat safety 

events  were    held  jointly  with  New  Kent  County 

Sheriff’s  Department  and  the  Virginia  State  Police.  

Child seats were  installed and or checked for proper 

installa on  as  well  as  handouts  distributed  on 

current  recommenda ons  and  changed  from  the 

previous year during these events.   The Division has 

developed partnerships with AAA  (I‐Drive),   Virginia 

Department  of  Health,  Safe  Kids  Virginia,  and 

Children’s Hospital of Richmond At VCU because of 

our  par cipa on  in  these  events.  The  partnerships 

helps  us  all  to  collaborate,  be er  organize,  and 

ensure the events’ success due to our accessible and 

responsive communica ons networking.   

Henrico Police partnered with AAA Mid‐Atlan c   for 

the  I‐Drive Teen Driver Safety Event that took place 

September  17‐18,  2013,  at  Richmond  Interna onal 

Raceway.   AAA Mid‐Atlan c offered the program to 

Henrico  County  students  in  2012.  In  2013, 

Officer Shelton talks about proper child safety seat installation in a YouTube video produced in‐house by the Division’s Public Information Office.  

Checkpoints/

Opera ons that

included

Occupant

Protec on

Total number of

seatbelt viola ons

Total number of

child seat

viola ons

Spring 60  21 

Summer  71  19 

Fall   64  14 

Winter  41  8 

TOTAL All  63   236 62

This table illustrates the  outcome of road checks conducted by Henrico Police in 2013 that included Occupant Protec on. 

The Virginia State Police brought their “Convincer” to the  I‐Drive event to convince students to “buckle‐up”. 

Officer Gibson (l) and Officer Kopelove ( r ) support Larry the Crash Dummy at the 2013 I‐Drive event in Henrico County. 

Public Informa on and Educa on (con nued)  

7 

Public Informa on and Educa on (con nued)  Chesterfield Police and Chesterfield County Schools 

were also  invited  to enhance  their driver educa on 

curriculum  and  help  teen  drivers  establish  safe 

driving  habits  that  start  with  “buckling  up”  when 

ge ng  behind  the  wheel  of  a  vehicle.  Students 

experienced the seat belt “convincer” sponsored by 

the  Virginia  State  Police,  learned  about  impaired 

driving,  distracted  driving,  experienced  blind  spot 

demonstra ons and much more. 

Henrico  Police  developed  a  Teen  Driver  Safety 

program  in  which  officers  talk  to  parents  and 

students  about  teen  driving.  Officers  stress  the 

importance  of  occupant  protec on  as  a  primary 

contributor to surviving a crash.  Officers also discuss 

defensive  driving  as  a way  to  protect  teen  drivers 

from poor drivers on the roadways.   These talks are 

well  received  because  they  educate  our  young 

ci zens  and their  parents  on  teen  driver  issues.  

Class  sizes  range  from 60‐90  students/parents, and  

these  talks  take  place  at  all  Henrico  County  high 

schools  both public and private.   

The  Henrico  County  Police  Division  focuses  on 

occupant  protec on  during  all  traffic  ini a ves 

throughout  the  year.  During  the  summer months, 

SPF‐100  (Safety  Prevents  Fatali es‐100%)  is  a 

summer‐long  ini a ve  that  focuses  on  speeding, 

impaired driving, and occupant protec on.   Drivers 

are  encouraged  to  “Buckle  Up!”    Henrico  Police 

enlist  social  media  tools  such  as  Facebook  and 

Twi er  raise  awareness  and  educate  the  public 

about  the dangers of not wearing  seatbelts. During 

the SPF‐100  ini a ve  in 2013, Henrico Police  issued 

103  summonses  for  seatbelt  viola ons  and  28  for 

child safety seat viola ons.  

Here students at I‐Drive learn about seatbelts and airbags. 

Sgt. Netherland presents the Division’s Teen Driver Safety program at a private high school in Henrico County. 

Opera on “SPF” was featured for an en re week on the Division’s Facebook cover and during the summer on the Division’s webpage.  It was also men oned periodically on Facebook periodically throughout the summer. 

8 

Enforcement

Henrico  Police  utilizes  checkpoints  and  group 

enforcement  efforts  combined  with  regular  patrol  to 

calm occupant protection violations.    In 2013, Henrico 

County Police  issued 2,024 seatbelt summons and 713 

child seat summons.  Below, is a three‐year comparison 

of  Occupant Protection Statistics.  

The  Henrico  Police  Division  always  iden fies 

Occupant  Protec on  viola ons  as  a  top  priority  in 

traffic  safety.    All  regular  duty  hours  are  spent 

iden fying  seat  belt  and  child  seat  viola ons  in 

addi on  to  other  traffic  viola ons.  The  Police 

Division  spent  324  hours  in  2013,  u lizing  grant 

funded  over me  to  enforce  occupant  protec on 

laws.  During  these  enforcement  opera ons,  police 

issued 306  seatbelt  summonses  and 156  child  seat 

summonses.    

During  the  spring “Click  It or Ticket” Campaign,  the 

Henrico  Police  Traffic  Safety  Unit  par cipates  in  a 

statewide  ini a ve  en tled,  “Route  60 Blitz”.    This 

annual  event  involves  law  enforcement  agencies 

across the Commonwealth of Virginia through which 

Route 60 passes.  The ini a ve always take place on 

the  Friday  of  the  Memorial  Day  weekend.    The 

ini a ve concentrates on all traffic viola ons and  is 

conducted  from 3:30 PM  to 8:30 PM.   On May 22, 

2013,  this  year’s  ini a ve  produced  36  seatbelt 

viola ons and nine child safety seat viola ons during 

this five‐hour period.        

Henrico Police  also  conducted  two other operations 

aimed  at  occupant  safety  that  produced  impressive 

results.   The  two  took place on November 25, 2013, 

from  3:00‐8:00  PM  and  November  27,  2013,  from  

2:00‐5:00  PM  just  before  the  Thanksgiving  Day 

Holiday.  Henrico Officers conducted enforcement on 

all  traffic  violations.  There  were  17  seatbelts 

violations  and  five  child  seat  violations  that  were 

summonsed  during  the  November  25,  2013, 

enforcement  campaign.  During  the  November  27, 

2013,  enforcement  campaign,  Henrico  Police  issued 

11 seatbelts summonses and one child seat summons. 

Henrico  Police  focuses  on  occupant  protec on 

during all of its traffic ini a ves throughout the year.  

During  the  summer  months,  SPF‐100  (Safety 

Prevents Fatali es‐100%) is a summer‐long ini a ve  

that  focuses  on  speeding,  impaired  driving,  and 

occupant  protec on.    Henrico  Police  encourages 

drivers to, “Buckle Up!”  Henrico Police also reaches 

  2013  2012  2011 

Seatbelt summonses  2,024  2,544  2,459 

Child seat summonses  713  757  696 

The chart above illustrates comparison in seatbelt summonses from the last three years.   We attribute the decrease from 2012 to 2014 to increased awareness of penalties for seatbelt non‐compliance due to increased enforcement and summonses from 2011 to 2012.  Thus, more folks buckled up in 2013. 

The variable message sign at our Public Safety Building also encouraged people to buckle up ( daily 2010 traffic count=23,000) during the campaigns.  

9 

out  to  the  public  through  its  social media  sites  such  as 

Facebook  and  Twitter.  During this initiative in 2013,

officers issued 103 summonses for seatbelt violations and

28 summonses for child seat violations.  

Opera on  Back  to  School  is  conducted  the  first  two 

weeks  of  the  school  year  when  students  return  from 

summer  vaca on.    Henrico  Police  stress  not  only  the 

importance  of  obeying  school  buses  and  school  zones 

signage, but to buckle up your child and yourself.  During

these two weeks in 2013, Henrico Police issued 25

seatbelt and child seat summonses.

These  enforcement  campaigns  advocate  secondary 

enforcement of   occupant protec on  laws and   promote 

a zero tolerance of child occupant protec on viola ons .  

Henrico  Police  will  con nue  to  target  our  youth  and 

young adults who  (as  iden fied by our Virginia Highway 

Safety Plan) are the highest risk of the driving popula on 

that choose not to wear seatbelts.   

  

OUTCOMES

The Henrico Police Division is always conducting enforcement 

in areas where problems are  identified.   The Police Division 

uses  Intelligence  Led  Policing  (ILP) which  incorporates  not 

only  community  policing  and  problem  solving  to  reduce 

crime  and  crashes,  but  also  interprets  intelligence  data 

collected and analyzes it for future operations.  All sections of 

the Police Division are utilized to accomplish this operation to 

include Traffic Safety, Patrol Bureau, Investigative Units, and 

Community Policing.   The  ILP uses high visibility patrol and 

traffic  enforcement  to  show  a  police  presence  in  theses 

troubled  locations and collects  intelligence from those stops 

or encounters.   This results  in the Police Division  improving 

the quality of life for the residents in those areas.    

The Henrico Police Division recognized the top three officers 

in  the  Division  with  the  highest  number  of  Occupant  

protection summonses in 2013.  They are listed below: 

During the 2013, Click It or Ticket campaign, Henrico County 

Police collaborated with Henrico Public Schools  to host  the 

second  Click  It  or  Ticket  poster  contest  for  fifth  grade 

students.   Henrico art  teachers and a police  representative 

selected the top three posters from all that were submitted. 

The Chief of Police and his assistants chose the winner, Alex 

Fletcher,  from  Nuckols  Farm  Elementary  School.    As  seen 

below, she attended  the Click  It or Ticket kickoff and press 

conference  at  the  Henrico  County  Public  Safety  Building 

where  she  received  a 

$100  check  from  the 

Fraternal  Order  of  Police 

Lodge  #4.  Henrico  Police 

Chief  Middleton  also 

gave her a Challenge Coin 

and police lapel pin.  

 

The Henrico County Police Division 

currently  utilizes  Virginia’s 

statewide  Saved  by  the  Belt 

program  to  recognize  County 

residents  that  are  involved  in 

serious  crashes   where  seat  belts 

and or airbags contributed to them 

Officer K.M. Kimbrough  234 Summonses                      

Officer C.B. Read  171 Summonses                      

Officer T.L. Kimbrough  137 Summonses                      

Back to School  me is Seat Belt Enforcement me in Henrico County.  

Officers escalate their enforcement efforts to ensure the safety of children and their parents/guardians. Seat belt warning signs are placed throughout the County as seen here. 

Enforcement (con nued)  

10 

Outcomes (con nued)  surviving the crash.  The program brings emphasis to drivers 

and passengers utilizing seatbelts and car seats in conjunction 

with  the  vehicles  airbag  system.  Recipients  are  typically 

recognized  at  Click  It  or  Ticket  events where  the media  is 

present    to  spread  the word of occupant  safety.    In 2013, 

Henrico Police nominated two citizens for this award.   

Due to the continued efforts regarding  occupant protection 

enforcement, Henrico Police  continues  to have a  favorable 

ratio of unrestrained fatalities.   Fatality crashes did  increase 

by    five  over  the  2012  low  of  12  we  experienced.  As

illustrated in the pie chart below; of the 17 fatalities we

handled in 2013, only a small percentage of the crashes

involved the death of someone not wearing a seatbelt.

The  Police  Division  attributes  these  decreases  in  unbelted 

fatalities  to  the  Division’s  intense  educational  and 

enforcement  efforts  that    take  place  throughout  the  year.  

These  efforts  see  graph,  left,  with  the  Virginia  Strategic 

Highway  Safety  Plan  as  it  relates  to  occupant  protection.  

Henrico is seeing a decrease in the total number of injury and 

fatal crashes  resulting  from passengers’ or drivers’ decision 

not to ,“Buckle Up!”    

The following graph shows the comparison from 2011‐2013 

as it relates to all crashes and the categories of  reportable* 

property damage and injury crashes. (*reportable crashes are 

those  crashes  where  a  driver  claims  injury  and  or  the 

reportable damage is estimated to be $1,500.00 or more). 

In  2013,  Henrico  Police  worked  6,286  crashes  in  all 

(reportable  vs.  non‐reportable).    1,354  injuries  were 

documented.   Of  those  injuries, only 28 were  from people 

being unrestrained in their vehicles.  That equates to 1% of all 

crashes.    In 2013, unbelted  fatalities  in Virginia account  for 

55% of the motor vehicle occupant deaths, for those vehicles 

equipped with  safety  restraints.  (This does not account  for 

motorcycle, pedestrian, buses, and moped deaths.) 

 The highest unrestrained deaths occurred in age groups of 21‐25, 26‐30, and 31‐35  (38% of all unrestrained fatalities) 

Of the 310 unrestrained fatalities in Virginia for 2012, 49 were between 21 and 25 years of age. 

The  time  period  that  experienced  the  most  unrestrained fatalities (33%) was  6:00PM‐11:00PM  (33%) 

Fridays  and  Saturdays  experienced  the  highest  number  of unrestrained fatality crashes  (40%) 

March through November were the months that experienced the highest number of unrestrained fatalities (23%) 

Virginia State Safety Belt Usage Rate ‐ 2013 = 79.7% Henrico County Safety Belt Usage Rate ‐ 2013 = 83%

*N/A includes pedestrian fatali es and motorcycle crashes.  

To address the unrestrained occupant problem, the Virginia Strategic Highway Safety Plan above projects an 86% usage rate by the year 2016.  Henrico County exceeds the plan with an 83% usage rate for 2013, which is three years ahead of Virginia’s plan.  

* 

TYPE OF DIRECTIVE POLICY

NUMBER 200 (2012)

SUBJECT POLICY

EFFECTIVE DATE 12/20/12

REFERENCE CALEA

RESCINDS 200 (2008)

200.00 POLICY

Policy is a written statement of the principles under which the County of Henrico Police Division operates. It establishes guidelines that enable the Division to reach its goals and objectives.

200.10 DISCRETION

Inherent to the establishment of policy are the boundaries within which acceptable performance is found. The range of alternatives between the upper and lower boundaries is known as discretion. It is when discretionary limits are exceeded that the Division is in danger of falling into disfavor. To reduce the occurrence of misdirected discretion, applicable statements of policy in this directive are reinforced by rules, regulations, directives, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), policies, or orders of this Division. Further, the actions of the Division's personnel are subject to the specifics of federal, state, and local laws. It is solely the individual's understanding and application of this combination of factors that determines the limits of his discretionary authority. Those members who elect to extend their discretionary authority beyond the described parameters will be held accountable for their actions.

200.20 ALTERNATIVES TO ARREST

Even though the use of discretion is usually an individual decision, there are certain circumstances for which specific enforcement alternatives are preferred and encouraged. Each directive containing a preferred alternative to arrest will also cite the authority to initiate the alternative.

210.00 ADMINISTRATION – GENERAL PROVISIONS

The Chief of the Police Division shall be the chief executive officer and he shall have the authority and responsibility for the management, direction, and control of the operations and administration of the Division. This authority and responsibility are vested in the Chief of Police through the County Manager form of government approved by a referendum vote on September 19, 1933. Statutory authority for such status is provided through Code of Virginia 15.2-612, 15.2-614, 15.2-632, 15.2-635, and 15.2-637.

211.00 COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY

The County Manager, as Director of Public Safety, prescribes general policies, plans, and objectives for the Police Division and advises procedures when extraordinary situations arise, but the Chief of Police has complete internal control over police activities and police

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 2 of 13

personnel and he shall exercise wide discretion in the administration of the Division.

214.00 CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES CONFIDENTIALITY

Sworn civilian and non-sworn civilian members should be fully aware of the confidential aspects of records, investigations, and other police activities. Because of their position within the Division, they shall remain faithful to that confidence.

220.00 PERSONAL CONDUCT

Members of this Division shall not conduct themselves in a manner that would be detrimental to the Division's image as the law enforcement agency of the County of Henrico. All personnel shall adopt as their standard of behavior the following Code of Ethics: As a member of the Police Division, I will adhere to upholding our values, the very foundation of our agency: honor, professionalism, commitment, compassion, and accountability. I will keep my public and private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain calm in the face of scorn, or ridicule; develop self restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty. I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. Sworn personnel shall adopt as their standard of behavior the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics:

Law Enforcement Code of Ethics

As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice. I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.

I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 3 of 13

I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of the police service. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession – Law Enforcement.

220.05 APPEARANCE

Properly attired police personnel increase the public's confidence in and respect for the Division. Henrico County police officers have established a reputation of demonstrating pride in their appearance. The Division will not tolerate any appearance short of this standard. Civilian members, whether in uniform or in civilian clothing, are also a part of the Division's image. Personal appearance shall reflect a professional and favorable image upon the Division. This includes attire worn on designated casual workdays. Any questions regarding proper personal appearance and attire shall be addressed by a member’s appropriate section/unit Commander.

220.10 PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE

The attitude of the police officer is one of objectivity toward the people and situations they encounter. Professional police officers have been trained to understand the impulses in both themselves and the people with whom they deal. This understanding also eliminates their own expressions of prejudice and any unjustifiable action, thereby inspiring in the citizen a greater degree of respect and cooperation.

220.15 LOYALTY

Loyalty is a two-way process. Management, including all supervising and command officers, must have a concern for the welfare of subordinates and a responsibility to support them in their proper actions. This does not include protecting them from the consequences of misdeeds. No member will divulge Divisional information regarding a concern or grievance within the Division, unless authorized by the Chief of Police (or his designee). Whenever a member initiates action against an agency member of the criminal justice system, he must inform the Chief of Police (or his designee). Members of the Division have an obligation to be loyal to their peers, to their superior officers, to the administration of the Division, and to the County government that employs them as long as those to whom they are responsible are acting lawfully and in accordance with Division policy.

220.20 MILITARY COURTESY

Proper respect shall be accorded an individual's rank. Each member addressing another member above his rank must address such member by that rank. When in uniform, due

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 4 of 13

respect to the flag will be shown by a hand salute. 220.25 ACCEPTANCE OF REWARDS, GIFTS, AND FAVORS

Members of this Division shall not accept any money, loan, gift, favor, service, or business or professional opportunity that reasonably tends to influence the performance of official duties, except lawful salary (§2.2-3103). "Gift" means any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary value. It includes services as well as gifts of transportation, local travel, lodgings and meals, whether provided in-kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred (§ 2.2-3101).

221.00 BRIBERY

Bribery tarnishes the image of the Division, is a violation of Virginia State Code §18.2-439, and will not be tolerated.

222.00 SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment as defined in the County's Rules and Regulations will not be tolerated within the Police Division. Disciplinary action will be initiated against members engaging in such activities. Supervisors who are aware of such incidents and take no action will be considered negligent in their duties and shall be subject to disciplinary action.

223.00 DISCIPLINE

Discipline is a necessary function of command that must be exercised in order to maintain a police agency that is receptive to direction and control. Discipline is not a negative force, but a positive form of training and an important constructive leadership tool. Discipline and punishment should not be confused. Proper discipline results in an organization that voluntarily conforms to regulations.

224.00 GRIEVANCE

The County of Henrico Rules and Regulations manual states, “A grievance is a complaint or dispute by an employee relating to his employment, including but not necessarily limited to: disciplinary actions; applications of personnel policies, procedures, rules, and regulations, and the application of ordinances and statutes; acts of retaliation as the result of the use of or the participation in the grievance procedure or because the employee has complied with any law of the United States or of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has reported any violation of such law to a governmental authority, has sought any change in law before the United States Congress or the General Assembly of Virginia, or has reported an incident of fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement; discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, political affiliation, age, disability, national origin, or sex.”

The County Grievance Procedure will be followed by the Police Division. While County Personnel is responsible for grievances beyond Step 2, the Internal Affairs Unit is designated

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 5 of 13

to coordinate the grievance with County Department of Human Resources. Internal Affairs will be responsible for maintaining grievance records through Step 2 and copies of all grievance records from Steps 3 and 4, which are sent to the Chief of Police by the County Department of Human Resources. The Commander, Internal Affairs will analyze these records once a year for any problem solving benefit.

225.00 RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE

A police officer's duty is to protect life and property. In fulfilling this duty, every possible and reasonable alternative should be used before resorting to force. If it becomes necessary to employ force as a response to resistance or other action, a police officer should use only that force necessary to achieve the lawful objectives of the Division.

226.00 VOTER PARTICIPATION AND POLITICAL ACTIVITY

Police officers are a vital part of any community. As such, they should use their privilege to vote in local, statewide, and national elections. Local political activities by any police officer should be limited to preventing conflicts of interest or an infringement of the Division's neutrality.

227.00 RECOMMENDATION OF ATTORNEYS AND BONDSMEN

Members of this Division shall not recommend attorneys and bondsmen since this type of action presents a conflict of interest.

228.00 QUOTING FINES

Under no circumstances will any member of this Division quote the cost of fines for violations of the law. Citizens requesting this information should be instructed to contact a magistrate.

229.00 INTERFERING IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

Members shall not interfere in the administration of justice by attempting to subvert the lawful intent of any investigation or arrest made by any member of this Division or any other agency.

231.10 RE-HIRING

The Police Division will have an open re-hire policy. When appropriate, testing and evaluation may be required. Re-employment will be at the sole discretion of the Chief of Police and determined on a case-by-case basis. Upon successful re-employment, salary and benefits will be determined by the County Department of Human Resources. Nothing in this policy shall supercede the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, or other applicable provisions of law.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 6 of 13

231.20 INVESTIGATION AND SELECTION OF APPLICANTS

The selection process will consist of multipurpose testing, interviews, physical and psychological examinations, and an extensive background investigation. The background investigation will include verification of qualifying credentials, a review of any criminal record, and verification of at least three personal references. This process will be followed to identify any personal characteristic that would make the applicant acceptable or unacceptable. Unsuccessful applicants may reapply for a position during subsequent hiring processes. The process will follow all Federal and County guidelines. Files maintained on the investigation will be open for inspection only to those within the County Administration who have a need to know. All investigations and files on persons not employed will be destroyed five years from the date of application.

231.30 PROBATIONARY STATUS

In accordance with the Henrico County Rules and Regulations, sworn officers of the Police Division serve a probationary status of 24 months. The probationary period, which commences on the date of employment, provides an opportunity for the new member to develop his skills through intense classroom and field training. Further, it allows the Division to identify any unacceptable traits or areas in need of development so that the concentrated corrective effort can be initiated. The probationary period should be considered a learning experience for both the probationary officer and the Police Division and, as such, any adverse impact upon the ratio of persons employed to those who attain permanent status will remain within acceptable boundaries. Any exception to the prescribed probationary period will be in accordance with guidelines established in the Henrico County Rules and Regulations.

232.00 PERSONNEL FILES

Personnel files are accurately kept on every person employed by the Division. Five different files are maintained for all personnel: (1) Background Investigation, (2) General Information, (3) All evaluations, (4) Commendation/Disciplinary Action (refer to 400 Discipline), and (5) Accidents/Workers’ Compensation. These files are accessible only to the Office of the Chief, Section Commanding Officers, and Personnel Unit members directly responsible for the maintenance of these files. Charges of misconduct, complaints, commendations, and recommendations regarding disciplinary action will be initialed by the member prior to being placed in that member's file. It is required that all members desiring to review their own files do so by requesting such a review in writing through the chain-of-command to the Chief of Police.

233.00 HEALTH AND WELFARE

The functions of a law enforcement officer require a level of physical and psychological fitness not demanded by many other occupations. All police officer recruits receive a thorough medical and psychological evaluation prior to employment. In order to provide effective law enforcement service, all members are encouraged to maintain a satisfactory level of physical and emotional health.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 7 of 13

After consultation with the appropriate medical staff of the County’s Employee Health Services and in conjunction with/and supervised by a medical doctor, the Chief of Police (or his designee), may require a member to undergo certain medical examinations and/or tests for their own safety and the safety of others. All mandated examinations and/or test expenses will be borne in full by the County of Henrico.

A physically and emotionally fit member can more capably perform the requirements of an assignment. It is the responsibility of each member to maintain a level of health and fitness that will ensure the ability to perform the required tasks of any assignment within the Division.

235.00 REFUSAL TO WORK

Virginia State Code §40.1-55 states: “Any employee of the Commonwealth, or of any county, city, town, or other political subdivision thereof, or of any agency of any one of them, who, in concert with two or more other such employees, for the purpose of obstructing, impeding or suspending any activity or operation of his employing agency or any other governmental agency, strikes or willfully refuses to perform the duties of his employment shall, by such action, be deemed to have terminated his employment and shall thereafter be ineligible for employment in any position or capacity during the next twelve months by the Commonwealth, or any county, city, town, or other political subdivision of the Commonwealth, or by any department or agency of any of them.”

236.10 MOBILIZATION OF OFFICERS

The need to notify officers or call out officers for mobilization is essential in responding to unusual occurrences. The Chief of Police or a member of the Command Staff will determine the need to place officers on alert during the implementation of a Second Stage Mobilization. A Third Stage Mobilization can only be declared by the Chief of Police (or his designee). (Refer to the All-Hazards Critical Incident Response Plan)

237.10 RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFF-DUTY ASSIGNMENT

When working an off-duty assignment, officers are expected to respond to any lawful request for service, either handling it themselves or personally seeing that it is handled. There should be no further necessity on the complainant's part to contact other officers unless the provision of such assistance would be detrimental to the responsibilities of the off-duty assignment. Reporting of additional income earned from off-duty assignments to the Internal Revenue Service is the personal responsibility of the individual officer.

238.00 LEAVE REQUEST

All sections and units are required to operate at an established complement level. Request for compensatory time or annual leave will be granted only if the number of people working will be equal to the established minimum staffing level. The policies establishing all other forms of leave are covered in the County's Rules and Regulations.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 8 of 13

240.00 TRAINING

Training ensures that all personnel perform assigned tasks with maximum efficiency and in such a way as to protect their safety and give the best possible service to the public. Members’ actions shall be in accordance with the training they have received. Training is a continuing process.

241.00 RECRUIT TRAINING

Basic training is a process of developing a foundation for capable law enforcement work and of developing the individual officer for more advanced and specialized training. The Henrico County Police Academy exceeds the standard of training mandated by the Virginia Criminal Justice Officers' Training Standards Commission. Recruit training is also a continuation of the selection process. Those recruits not meeting the Divisional training standards shall be terminated by the Division.

241.10 FIELD TRAINING

Probationary officers shall be uniformly taught the basic patrol techniques when being instructed by a Field Training Officer (FTO). This precludes misunderstanding or a lack of knowledge in certain areas when the probationary officer transfers from one platoon to another. Field Training Officers will adhere to the standards established in the Field Training Officers' Training Manual.

242.00 IN-SERVICE TRAINING

In-service training provides an opportunity for an officer to update his knowledge of new techniques and procedures within the Division, as well as his knowledge of changes in state law and local ordinances.

243.00 SPECIALIZED TRAINING

The Division's members must not only be prepared for routine occurrences, but also those exceptional events that require specialized training in particular areas. The Division sends interested individuals to specialized schools and conferences and they in turn disseminate their newly acquired knowledge to others within the Division.

245.00 PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING

The Division and the County of Henrico are committed to providing for the mental health and welfare needs of its members. These needs are sometimes best satisfied when a member receives professional counseling. The Division and the County also recognize and identify various methods by which a member may receive needed counseling. It is recognized that confidentiality can be a critical factor in successful counseling. Confidentiality of those persons receiving assistance is maintained by the respective mental health agency, except in instances where the member presents a clear and present danger to themselves or others. Due to the stress factors associated with law enforcement and related functions, Division personnel are encouraged to seek counseling whenever a need is

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 9 of 13

identified.

251.00 LIAISON WITH THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM

It is the obligation of the Division as a member of the Criminal Justice System to work with and assist the judiciary and the prosecution agencies. Officers should be present in court on dates specified unless they are ill or involved in a serious situation that would preclude their timely arrival. In these instances, the court should be promptly notified. The final obligation for this notification rests with the officer. Pretrial conferences with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney aid in prosecution and certain aspects of an investigation.

251.10 MISHANDLING OF CASES

The Division will review any complaint brought to its attention concerning officers who cause a case to be dismissed or not prosecuted because of mishandling. This type of review may be initiated by any member of the court, any Commonwealth's Attorney, any citizen, or any Division member.

255.00 COMMUNITY YOUTH PROGRAMS

The Police Division supports all County agencies in its efforts to provide meaningful programs for the community's youth. Police personnel will endeavor to respond in a positive manner when assistance is requested from these agencies. Support shall include programs in public safety, providing program demonstration, supplemental employment for security, support equipment if applicable, routine patrol of activities to prevent program interruption, interpersonal interactions between participants and officers, and providing competitive teams.

264.20 DIVISION EQUIPMENT (AUTHORIZATION AND ISSUANCE)

The Division issues certain articles of equipment to various members and it is the responsibility of those members to whom it is assigned to properly maintain that equipment. Equipment not issued to officers and members, and not approved in writing by the Chief of Police (or his designee), is unauthorized equipment and shall not be worn or used by an officer of this Division. Members may be assigned Division owned vehicles and other owned property which includes, but is not limited to, offices, lockers, desks, safes, file cabinets, toolboxes, cases, and other equipment for the mutual convenience of the Division and its personnel. The retention of personal items in such containers or facilities is at the risk of the member and the Division will not be responsible for any losses. All Division equipment is subject to entry and inspection without notice, even if the member has placed a personally owned lock on Division property.

270.00 NOTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL LIABILITY

Any incident arising where there may be a question as to the liability of the Division, or those which may result in a heightened community interest, will be reported to the Chief of Police as soon as practical in accordance with RP-46.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 10 of 13

270.30 CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The Constitution of the United States provides all citizens with certain guarantees. Some of these guarantees are in the form of requirements placed upon law enforcement agencies to ensure that no infringement of individual rights occurs during a criminal investigation. Members of the Police Division shall adhere to any and all constitutional requirements in the conduct of criminal investigations that apply to the use of coercion or the involuntary nature of confessions and admissions, delays in arraignment, informing a defendant of his rights, deprivation of counsel, and/or prejudicial pretrial publicity.

271.05 PREVENTIVE PATROL

Unpredictability and flexibility are the keystones to effective patrol. Uniform officers will patrol all portions of their assigned areas.

271.10 PATROL AREA RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities of patrolling an assigned area require the officer to be well acquainted with the area, its problems, and people. The patrol officer should develop and maintain informational sources or contacts. Officers leaving their station’s coverage area in the performance of their duties shall properly notify their field supervisor or Communications.

272.40 HOSTAGE SITUATIONS

Hostage situations will be handled by negotiations, if possible, with every reasonable effort made to maintain the life of the hostage(s). The overriding principle that should be recognized is that the life of any person involved in a hostage situation is very important. No appeasement measures will be taken which will allow the situation to move from the contained areas.

272.90 RAPE CALLS

If available, an officer of the same sex as the victim should be assigned to rape investigations during the initial interview. Officers should refer victims of the crime to the available community counseling services.

273.00 TRAFFIC FUNCTIONS

Traffic law enforcement is an important aspect of the Division's mission. It is a responsibility shared by all enforcement personnel, particularly the uniformed officer. Enforcement activities shall be performed at a level that will maximize the safe flow of traffic and voluntary compliance with all traffic laws.

273.15 OFF-DUTY ENFORCEMENT

An off-duty officer operating a privately-owned motor vehicle will not engage in traffic enforcement unless the violation endangers life, limb, and property.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 11 of 13

273.35 FIRST AID

Police personnel are obligated to administer whatever first aid is possible to injured parties. Depending on the extent and help available (such as rescue squads), they must continue this effort until the situation is stabilized or until properly relieved.

273.45 ESCORTS

A police escort will be provided upon request only to the President of the United States, the Vice President, or heads of other governments recognized by the United States. Funeral processions will also receive service by marked police vehicles from the Division. All other escort requests must be approved by the Chief of Police (or his designee). No police vehicle will be used to escort an emergency vehicle or those private vehicles being used as emergency transportation.

275.10 PRIORITY OF INVESTIGATIONS

The severity of any criminal offense will necessitate the urgency and immediacy of the follow-up investigation. Criminal offenses will be assigned in accordance with criteria set forth in the Incident/Crime Report Manual.

275.20 CRIME SCENES

Protection of crime scenes is imperative to the solving of any case. Every officer shall endeavor to preserve crime scenes until a determination of subsequent handling is made.

276.00 COVERT FUNCTIONS

Covert police techniques are universally accepted as both a deterrent and an enforcement approach to crimes. This Division endorses both approaches and subscribes to their use. The covert nature of a member working in an undercover operation must be safeguarded. Officers working in an undercover capacity shall not be approached by a member of the Police Division in public view without prior radio clearance.

277.10 JUVENILE CRIMES INVESTIGATIONS

Special Victims Unit detectives must place major emphasis on cases involving juveniles either as the victims or the perpetrators of the crime.

277.20 MISSING PERSONS

The Special Victims Unit will be notified immediately following the preliminary investigation of all reports of missing persons under the age of 10 years. The Special Victims Unit will give first consideration to those missing persons investigations in which foul play may have taken place, or in which the health and safety of the juvenile is a factor.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 12 of 13

277.30 SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS

School Resource Officers will handle investigations of offenses as outlined in the Incident/Crime Reporting Manual that occur on and off school property.

277.60 LIAISON WITH THE SCHOOLS

The Henrico County School Board has established a policy that the principals of the schools will lend full cooperation to all police officers entering upon school property to investigate incidents involving a student. When Division personnel conduct investigations on school property, the principal will be informed prior to the initiation of any interviews or investigations during school hours.

279.00 ANIMAL PROTECTION

Animal Protection Police Officers shall enforce State laws and County ordinances relating to animals within the County of Henrico. In addition, Animal Protection Police Officers may enforce all State and County criminal and traffic laws whenever violations of these laws occur in their presence. Animal Protection personnel will maintain the Animal Shelter and will develop programs to promote the health and welfare of animals in the County.

281.00 FIREARMS

Division personnel are equipped and trained with firearms to defend themselves or others from deadly force or when it is necessary to affect the arrest of a felon. When firing the weapon, the officer attempts to prevent further aggressive action. Deadly force shall not be employed except as a last resort in any situation in which such force is justified.

281.30 FIRING OF WARNING SHOTS

Warning shots are most often hazardous to innocent bystanders and to other officers within the area and shall not be fired.

281.40 OFFICER SURRENDERING WEAPON

Experience has shown that the danger to the officer is increased by surrendering the firearm. Officers of the Division shall use every tactical means at their disposal to avoid surrendering their weapon.

282.00 POLICE VEHICLE

Police vehicle operation is critical in performing the mission of the Police Division and is the sole responsibility of the operating officer. It is imperative that each officer realize that the operation of the vehicle is always in public view and often scrutinized by citizens. Officers shall obey Virginia state laws and all rules, regulations, directives, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), policies, or orders of this Division. Division members will exercise good judgment and appropriate caution when operating a vehicle. The operation of any computer equipment, wireless devices, or any other electronic equipment is secondary to

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 13 of 13

safety. It is the responsibility of the Division to provide a fully equipped and operative vehicle that is safe to use as an emergency vehicle.

282.10 USE OF SEAT BELTS

The unpredictability of the driving situations faced by an officer requires that all precautionary measures be utilized. All persons riding in police vehicles shall utilize their seat belt.

282.20 EMERGENCY RESPONSE WITH POLICE VEHICLES

Officers engaged in emergency response (emergency lights and siren) shall operate their police vehicle with due regard for their safety and the safety of others. Officers shall adhere to the traffic law exemptions in accordance with Section §46.2-920 of the Virginia State Code. Officers cannot provide assistance if they do not arrive on the scene safely.

282.30 EMERGENCY RESPONSE – APPROACHING SCHOOL BUS

Any police officer, when operating a police vehicle in an emergency response mode (including pursuit), who approaches a school bus in any direction and that school bus is stopped or about to stop for the purpose of picking up or discharging students, shall bring the vehicle to a complete stop prior to reaching the school bus. The officer shall not proceed until such time as the school bus driver has signaled the police officer that it is safe to proceed and the officer has checked to ensure that no students are about to cross or are in a position that would endanger their lives should the emergency vehicle proceed.

290.00 POLICE FACILITIES

The appearance of police facilities leaves an impression on the public as great as that of the appearance of the officer. The members of this Division will maintain clean and orderly facilities.

290.10 SECURITY

Police facilities will be secured in a manner to prevent the free flow of unauthorized persons throughout the building. The degree of security should be elevated during other than normal working hours to assure optimum safety for police operations and personnel.

By Order of:

Douglas A. Middleton Chief of Police

1 

Problem Iden fica on

Over the past four years, there is one intersec on in 

Henrico County that has rou nely been the number 

one  crash  loca on. This  intersec on  is a  very  large 

intersec on  and  is  surrounded  by  businesses  and 

shopping malls.  The  two  roads  that  intersect  here 

are heavily traveled because both roadways convey 

traffic to large residen al areas, which surround the 

overall  business  area.  The  intersec on  is  U.S.  250 

(West Broad Street) and Pump Road/Pouncey Tract 

Road and is in the western por on of the county. At 

this  intersec on,  along  West  Broad  Street  only, 

there are approximately 28,000* vehicles  that daily 

travel  along  this  corridor  (*sta s c  from  Henrico 

County Traffic Engineering in 2013). 

 

 

Numerous ci zen complaints about the  intersec on 

led  the  Police  Division  to  establish  many 

enforcement  specials  targe ng  red  light  violators. 

Over  the  years,  officers wrote many  ckets,  but  it 

made no impact on reducing the number of crashes 

at this  loca on. The Police Division developed many 

media  campaigns  and  sent many messages  to  the 

ci zens/motorists to raise awareness of the dangers 

of  viola ng  traffic  signals  and  to  increase  traffic 

signal  compliance.  Our  “Stop on Red or Stop on

Blue” campaign was very aggressive and seemed to 

raise compliance and awareness for a short period of 

me.  Our  local  media  even  described  this 

intersec on as one of the worst  intersec ons  in the 

en re Richmond Metropolitan area. We determined  

Pictured le  is an aerial view of the 

problema c intersec on located in 

Henrico County. Over the last four years, 

it was consistently the number one crash 

loca on in the en re county. 

Local Issue

2 

Problem Iden fica on (con nued)

that  there was  a  need  to  address  the  problem  in 

another way.  Hence, we developed a strategy using 

the  Three  E’s  –  Enforcement,  Educa on,  and 

Engineering.  

The  Police  Records  Unit  produces  quarterly  and 

yearly reports lis ng the top crash loca ons and the 

number  of  crashes  at  these  intersec ons.  The 

Records  Unit  also  provides  us  with  types  of 

viola ons  observed  and  iden fies  the  mes  of  day 

when most  crashes occur. We used  these numbers 

to  validate  the  problem  and  really  directed  our 

enforcement  campaigns  at  resolving  the  problem.  

The  numbers  supported  police  involvement  to 

include parking a marked police vehicle close to the 

intersec on  for  high  visibility.    All  of  these  efforts 

helped  in the short term, but did not help us reach 

our overall, long‐term goal. 

Every quarter, we hold mee ngs with our partners in 

traffic  enforcement.  The  commi ee  consists  of 

engineers  from  both  Henrico  Traffic  Engineering 

Department  and  Virginia  Department  of 

Transporta on.  The  topics  are  always  centered  on 

upcoming or completed projects, but they also cover 

crash sta s cs from that quarter on all the roadways 

within Henrico County. It is at these mee ngs where 

we  developed  and  reviewed  different  ideas  to 

determine  the  best  possible  approach  to  the  solve 

the problem. 

In the photo pictured above, the arrows point to the heavy traffic at the intersec on of U.S. 250 (West Broad Street) and Pump Road/Pouncey Tract Road. The line of traffic extends as far as the eye can see.  

The graph pictured right, illustrates the number of red light viola ons and other viola ons wri en during Red Light Viola on Specials. 

Traffic Tickets Wri en During Red Light Specials

3 

Policy

G‐85‐11  (Traffic Enforcement)  is our policy governing how we 

handle traffic related  incidents. Below is our governing Policy

statement as it relates to that: 

 

Traffic enforcement is an important tool that can be u lized to

enforce traffic laws and gather informa on concerning criminal

ac vity. Seatbelt and child restraint enforcement, speeding,

and iden fying impaired drivers are a top priority. Officers are

encouraged to conduct various enforcement ac vi es to

address these issues. Enforcement ac on should be taken upon

detec on of a viola on of law or a poten ally hazardous act

and shall be taken in a uniform and consistent manner. Any

informa on from these enforcement ac vi es can be u lized by

Homeland Security, Patrol, CASE, or any Division component to

increase traffic safety and further the suppression of criminal

ac vi es.

Planning

The planning to  improve this  intersec on took over 

a year because of  the  traffic  signal  ming  changes. 

The reason is that,  whenever a change was made to 

the  cycling  of  the  lights,  a  period  of  me  had  to 

elapse  during  which  we  evaluated  the  traffic 

pa erns  to see  if each change helped  the problem.  

It began  in 2012, with  the  traffic engineers making 

changes  to  the  traffic  signal  ming.  This  included 

making  changes  for  longer,  ‘all  red’  sequences, 

which allowed more traffic to clear the intersec on. 

Our  evalua on  showed  that  this  change prevented 

those more serious, angle collisions. 

Excessive signage was also evaluated to determine if 

the number of  signs placed at  this  intersec on had 

an  effect  on  the  crashes.  There  were  No U‐turn 

signs, No Turn on Red  signs, and  certain Turn Lane

Only signs.   Reducing the number of signs placed at 

this  intersec on  would  help  by  reducing  excess 

signage  clu er,  which  could  help  eliminate 

motorists’ confusion. 

The plan was  a  three‐component  approach  to deal 

with  this  intersec on  using  the  Three  E’s  – 

Enforcement,  Educa on,  and  Engineering.  First,  for 

our  educa onal  piece,  we  used  local  media 

(Richmond’s  three, major  news  channels)  and  our 

own  social media  to  help  get  our message  to  the 

community. Our goal was  to educate  the public on 

the  dangers  of    red  light  viola ons  by  raising 

motorists’ awareness of societal costs  (damage and 

injuries) and financial costs (fines). 

The second component to targe ng this intersec on 

was enforcement. We already knew, from the years 

of conduc ng numerous enforcement opera ons at 

this  intersec on,  that    we  would  see  substan al 

results.  In  2010,  during  just  four  opera ons,  we 

wrote 100  ckets  for  failing  to obey a  traffic  signal 

with 73 other charges placed. In 2011, we conducted 

five more enforcement opera ons, which resulted in 

147  ckets for failing to obey a traffic signal with 72 

other charges placed. Once we started working with 

our  traffic  engineers  in  2012,  we  conducted  four 

more  opera ons.  During  that  me,  we  issued  97 

ckets  for  failing  to  obey  a  traffic  signal  with  38 

other  charges  placed.  The  cket  numbers  clearly 

started  to  go  down,  and  this  was  due,  in  part,  

to  these  small  changes  that  engineers  made  

to the intersection. 

Finally in 2013, once some major changes took place; 

two more  enforcement  operations were  conducted 

with only 28 tickets being  issued for failing to obey a 

traffic signal. The Police Division observed a significant 

decrease in the number of traffic crashes at this  

4 

intersection  in  2013,  mainly  because  of  the  major 

enhancements to the engineering of the  intersection 

and our con nuous educa onal campaigns. 

The  third  component  of  our  approach  to  improve 

this  intersec on  was  engineering.  Our  partners  at 

VDOT and Henrico Traffic Engineering devised some 

excep onally   major  changes  for  this  intersec on. 

These  changes  included  changing    lane 

configura ons, signage, and traffic signal cycling.  

As  a  result  of  these  combined  changes  to  the 

intersec on  (Three  E’s),  the  number  of  crashes  at 

this  once  problema c  loca on  decreased  so 

significantly that this  intersec on  is no  longer rated 

the  number  one  accident  loca on.  To  further 

illustrate our success,  it is not even listed in our top 

10 accident loca ons! 

 

Training

Training on this problem was directed to procedures 

for  enforcement  of  traffic  light  viola ons.  In  our 

locality, when group enforcement opera ons occur 

within  law  enforcement,  our  courts  have  set 

standards  for  us  to  follow.  Our  Traffic  Safety  Unit 

Officers, who were always very proficient with these 

types  of  opera ons,  were  assigned  to  create  a 

procedure  for  patrol  officers  to  follow  when 

conduc ng  enforcement  opera ons  that  would 

reflect the courts’ standards.  

Traffic  Safety  Officers  then  created  tracking  forms 

and guidelines to follow when conduc ng Red Light 

Enforcement  Opera ons.  These  guidelines  were 

posted  on  our  Division  Intranet  Page  so  that  all 

officers  could  download  them  and  follow  the 

example given. A group email message was sent  to 

all  officers  in  the  Division  announcing  these 

guidelines  and  procedures,  which  established  this 

self‐directed training for each officer.   As a result of 

the  self‐directed  training,  the  en re Police Division 

remained  consistent when  all  of  these  cases were 

heard  in  court.  It  then  became  standard  prac ce 

amongst  all  the  various  units,  which  helped  court 

proceedings go smoothly.  

In  addi on  to  this  self‐directed  training,  an  onsite 

briefing  takes  place  prior  to  each  opera on  to 

ensure  that  officers  are  aware  of  procedures  and 

standard  prac ces  enlisted  during  traffic  light 

enforcement opera ons.  

Pictured above is a briefing that takes place prior to each 

traffic light enforcement opera on, which ensures that each 

officer knows and enlists standard prac ces outlined in the 

online, self‐directed training. 

Planning (con nued)

5 

Public Informa on/Educa on

Henrico County Police  took  to air waves,  television, 

and  social  media  to  get  the  message  out  about  

the dangers of  failure  to obey  traffic  signals. Public 

Safety  Announcements  (PSA’s)  were  created,  in 

which we talked about the damage crashes inflict on 

motorists  to  include  mental,  physical,  and  even 

financial damage. The Traffic Safety Unit along with 

the  Chief  of  Police  helped  create  and  distribute 

these  public  safety  announcements  to  our  local 

media  outlet  partners.  Metro‐Richmond  network 

television  news  channel  partners  came  out  on 

several occasions during evening newscasts to cover 

our  actual  red  light  opera ons.  Their  stories 

illustrated  how  many  viola ons  there  were  and 

conveyed  to  the  public  the  message  about  the 

dangers of traffic light viola on.  

Lastly,  the  Police  Division  ac vely  used  its  social 

media; such as Facebook, Twi er, and the Division’s 

web  page  to  promote  the  ‘Stop on Red or Stop on

Blue’ campaign  using  these  media.  Again,  the  

purpose  of  the  tle  of  this  campaign was  to make 

the  public  aware  that  if  they  did  not  stop  at  the 

traffic signal, then they would be stopped by police 

and  get  a  cket  for  that  viola on.    It  also  alerted 

them to the dangers of traffic signal viola on.  

Pictured above are several of the pos ngs that the Public Informa on Office used for its social media pages (Facebook and Twi er) to raise awareness of red light viola ons.  

Pictured above is one of the news releases produced by our Public Informa on Office that resulted in news coverage of the campaigns.  

6 

As  previously  men oned,  the  media  not  only 

publicized  news  stories  about  this  intersec on  and 

the amount of crashes that occurred there, but  also 

publicized  stories  about  other  locali es’ 

enforcement  efforts.    We  took  advantage  of  this 

opportunity  to  spread  the  message  and  accepted 

this  free media  coverage. By  telling  the public  that 

this was a high crash loca on, it allowed the Division 

to spread the word that we were going to heighten 

enforcement  there  in  order  to  make  this  a  safer 

intersec on.  

The public  informa on and educa on effort was so 

successful that, when we took these opera ons into 

court, the  judges even asked the people, “Have you 

not  been watching  television?  It  has  been  all  over 

the news  that  the police announced  they would be 

out there.” 

By approaching the dangerous  intersec on problem 

with a posi ve and  informa ve public  informa on/

educa on campaign,  the Division  took a poten ally 

nega ve  news  story  and  turned  it  into  a  posi ve 

news and public  informa on campaign. Overall, the 

campaign was designed  to  reduce  crashes,  injuries, 

and death,  thus keeping our ci zens/motorist  safer 

and  elimina ng  problems  associated  with  this 

dangerous intersec on.  

Pictured le  are screen shots of CBS‐6 news coverage of the Traffic Safety Unit’s Red Light Viola on Special Enforcement during Na onal Stop on Red Week.  Right, is NBC‐12 news interviewing Traffic Safety Sgt. Kenneth R. Burne  during our “Stop On Red or Stop on Blue” Campaign.  

Public Informa on/Educa on (con nued)

7 

Enforcement

This  intersection  really  became  a  focus  of  attention 

and  clearly  needed  to  be  targeted  through 

enforcement,  engineering,  and  education.  While 

enforcement was necessary to solve problems at this 

intersection, our goal was not just to write tickets, but 

to educate the public. Our efforts were three‐fold. 

First, our enforcement efforts u lized a decoy police 

car. This decoy police car had no officer in it and was 

moved  around  intersec on  area  in  different 

loca ons  on  the  four  corners.  The  concept  was 

simple  in  that  it  gave  a  visual  to  drivers  that  an 

officer was  there monitoring  the  intersec on.    The  

an cipated result was that ci zens would slow down 

and  stop  for  the  traffic  signal  since  an  officer was 

“watching.”  Each  Day‐shi   Platoon  conducted  this 

opera on  at  least  once  during  every  four‐day  shi  

for about  two months, which allowed us  to get  the 

car  to  the  intersec on  nearly  every  week  during 

those two months.  

The  second part of  the enforcement effort was  for 

officers who worked  that  service  area  to  spend  as 

much  me  as  possible  conduc ng  enforcement  at 

that  intersec on.  If area patrol officers witnessed a 

red  light  viola on,  they  would  address  that  and 

conduct other traffic enforcement as well. By having 

patrol officers with their emergency  lights on  in the 

area, it gave the impression we were out there more 

o en looking for traffic light viola ons. 

The  third  part  of  the  enforcement  effort  was  for 

officers  to  conduct  group  enforcement  operations.  

We also had to consider that, every time our engineers 

made a change  to  the  intersection, we had  to wait a 

while to allow for the motorists to get use to the new 

changes.   Our  goal was  not  simply  to  issue  a  lot  of 

traffic  tickets,  but  also  to  seek  voluntary  compliance 

from  the  motoring  public.  By  doing  these  group 

enforcement  operations,  we  noticed  the  numbers 

were still high and had to continue our efforts. 

Documented  grant hours over  this  me period  are 

broken down  in the chart below against the regular 

hours. The table below also does not document the 

decoy  police  car.    The  ckets  only  illustrate  those 

that were wri en for actually failing to obey a traffic 

signal.  There were other  viola ons wri en  as well.  

In  2007,  a  very  large,  mixed  use,  business  and 

residen al  development  (West  Broad  Village)  was 

being built that covered almost a one‐mile stretch of 

West  Broad  Street.  This  compounded  the  traffic 

problem  even more.  and  even  today,  they  are  s ll 

building on  this property. This added development, 

even  though  gradual,  has  added  that  many  more 

vehicles to this area.   The table does not document 

Year GrantHours/RLRTickets RegularHours/RLRTicket

2010 12 with 100  ckets  0 

2011 12 with 122  ckets  1 with 25  ckets 

2012 9 with 79  ckets  1 with 18  ckets 

2013 1 with 14  ckets  1 with 14  ckets 

8 

the  “Decoy  Car”  program  that  was  implemented, 

which  is counted towards our regular hours because 

our  Patrol  Opera ons  Sec on  was  responsible  

for  deploying  this  asset  and  did  not  keep  

track of reports. 

The actual  targeted  me  frames  coincided with  the 

typical AM and PM rush hour traffic. The  lunch  me 

traffic was added later due to the volume of vehicles 

that goes through this one  intersec on all day  long. 

The grant hours listed on the previous page were all 

run during these targeted  mes. 

 

Outcomes

During  2013,  Traffic  Engineering  made  significant 

changes  the  intersection.  For example, on one  side of 

the  intersection, the roadway used to have dual, right‐

turn  lanes. These were  reduced  to  just  a  single,  right‐

turn  lane,  and  the  “No Turn on Red” signs  were 

removed.  However,  an  additional  through‐traffic  lane 

was  added,  which  allowed more  vehicles  to  proceed 

straight  through  during  a  green  light  cycle.  

Reconfiguring  the  travel  lanes  and  new  traffic  light 

timing sequences greatly improved the flow of traffic at 

this  intersection.  Alternating  the  traffic  lights’  cycles 

along with  changing  the  turn  lanes  also  helped move 

traffic more quickly on one  side of West Broad Street.  

The other side of the  intersection had a right‐turn  lane 

added, which also created an extra through travel lane. 

The graph below speaks volumes for the reduction in car 

crashes  at  this  intersection.    Although  police  officers’ 

enforcement  efforts  always  helped  reduce  red  light 

violators,  these  efforts  were  simply  a  short  term 

solution.  However  reconfiguring  the  intersection 

through engineering design helped reduce  the amount 

of car collisions.  In addition, the media campaigns that 

helped educate  the public on  the dangers of  red  light 

violations, helped them decide to stop on red. 

By  working  through  the  Three  E’s  –  Enforcement, 

Education,  and  Engineering,  we  were  able  to  reduce 

tremendously the time officers spent at this intersection 

investigating  crashes.  This  allows  officers  shift  that  

time  saved  to  other  priority  intersections  or  

priority related events. 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

2010 2011 2012 2013

Crashes by Year

Crashes by Year

This graph illustrates the enormous impact this project had on reducing  crashes at this once problema c intersec on.   

Enforcement (con nued):

TYPE OF DIRECTIVE GENERAL ORDER

NUMBER G-85-11 REV.

SUBJECT TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT

EFFECTIVE DATE 11/16/11

REFERENCE NHTSA "MANUAL OF MODEL POLICE TRAFFIC SERVICES," CALEA

RESCINDS G-85-11

PURPOSE To define traffic enforcement alternatives. To encourage proper handling of the traffic violation from the point when the decision to stop the violator is made until the encounter is terminated. POLICY Traffic enforcement is an important tool that can be utilized to enforce traffic laws and gather information concerning criminal activity. Seatbelt and child restraint enforcement, speeding, and identifying impaired drivers are a top priority. Officers are encouraged to conduct various enforcement activities to address these issues. Enforcement action should be taken upon detection of a violation of law or a potentially hazardous act and shall be taken in a uniform and consistent manner. Any information from these enforcement activities can be utilized by Homeland Security, Patrol, CASE, or any Division component to increase traffic safety and further the suppression of criminal activities. I. ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

A. In dealing with a traffic violator, there are four enforcement alternatives for the officer to consider:

1. Physical arrest is limited by law as to its application.

2. Issuance of a summons shall be this Division's primary traffic enforcement

action. While the use of officer discretion is a valid procedure to be used in determining the need to issue a summons, members of this Division shall cite those persons who commit violations deemed to be traffic crash causative in compliance with RP-06. Enforcement shall be at a level commensurate with crash-frequency and severity-reduction efforts.

3. Verbal warning is a viable alternative if, in the officer's determinations, the

violator's actions (to include the type of violation, its severity, and the violator's intent, not attitude), in conjunction with temporal and geographic circumstances, would be best corrected by not issuing a summons.

4. Officers who discover vehicle operators believed to be a hazard to themselves

or others, due to incompetence, physical/mental disability, disease, or other conditions that might prevent those operators from exercising reasonable and ordinary care in the operation of a motor vehicle, shall complete a MED3 Medical Review Request and place it in the appropriate box at PSB/FOS.

B. Application of the aforementioned alternatives can be considered for most

classifications of violations. The following is a list of types of violations and acceptable enforcement actions:

TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT G-85-11 REV.

Page 2 of 5

1. Driving under the influence – a major cause of traffic crashes and their severity and this Division's first traffic enforcement priority. The strict enforcement through physical arrest of drunk drivers is an absolute necessity which allows for no justifiable discretionary deviation if, through field testing and observation, the officer determines that the violator is indeed intoxicated.

2. Speeding and other hazardous violations (e.g. reckless driving, following too

closely, disregarding traffic signals) – considered to be causative, these violations are often times the cause for selective enforcement activities. Such violations shall be subject to the Division's primary traffic enforcement action and only when all stipulations in section I.A.3 are met can an officer consider a verbal warning.

3. Equipment and other non-hazardous violations – depending upon the nature and

severity of the violation, and its relationship to the causes of accidents, the officer may elect to implement discretionary prerogatives in determining the appropriate enforcement action.

4. Public carrier/commercial vehicle violations – generally regulatory in nature, the

laws governing public carriers and commercial vehicles are designed to instill confidence in the public for those who use the highways for commercial purposes. Violations of those laws are an infringement of public trust that is a matter the Division is obligated to uphold. Issuance of warnings should be limited to those occasions when the violator is unaware of the violation.

5. Multiple violations – encountering a motorist who has committed multiple

violations provides the most opportune occasion for an officer to exercise alternatives to the primary enforcement action. While multiple summons issuances are often appropriate, the officer should give first consideration to the most serious/flagrant violation(s).

6. New traffic regulations – grace periods shall be given for violations of certain

new regulations (listed below). Violations of all other new regulations shall be subject to the Division's primary enforcement action immediately upon enactment.

a. Turning/parking regulations – 7 day grace period b. Reductions in speed limits – 30 day grace period

7. Off-road vehicles – these types of vehicles, including dirt bikes, mini-bikes, and all-terrain vehicles, present unique problems for law enforcement. Many violations of this type involve private property; however, each officer should be aware of State Code 46.2-915.1 and others that govern the use of these vehicles. Safety of the operator and the general public are paramount when dealing with these violations.

II. THE TRAFFIC STOP

A. Pre-stop considerations – prior to initiating a traffic stop, the officer should consider the following:

TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT G-85-11 REV.

Page 3 of 5

1. Seek adequate lighting: a. Avoid shadows, tunnels, and underpasses; b. Utilize streetlight and illumination from businesses.

2. Maximize visibility:

a. Avoid inclines/declines, curves, hillcrests; b. Choose areas with unobstructed vision.

3. Be concerned with traffic flow:

a. Choose a location that facilitates the movement of traffic; b. Utilize bus/taxi stop areas, loading zones, wide shoulders, etc; c. Avoid intersections, railroad crossings, ramps to interstates, etc.

4. Avoid areas containing pedestrians:

a. Reduces possibility of interference; b. Reduces possibility of injury to bystanders; c. Reduces presence of potential hostages; d. Allows clearer field of fire if use of firearm is necessary.

5. Limit escape routes/avoid alleys, open fields/vacant lots, openings between

buildings, low bridges, etc. 6. Observe occupants prior to stop:

a. Drivers switching; b. Occupants disappearing from view; c. Any other suspicious movement.

B. Executing the stop – the following procedures for executing traffic stops are intended

to provide maximum safety for the officer, the violator, and bystanders. Varying conditions of the roadway, urgency to stop the violator (e.g. a drinking driver), and the existing volume of traffic may dictate deviance from the recommended procedure.

1. Utilize emergency equipment as provided by state law and/or Division training

techniques and directives: a. Blue lights; b. Horn; c. Siren; d. Headlights; e. Flashers; f. Spotlight (as per State code); g. Take down lights; h. PA system.

2. Record information concerning the stop:

TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT G-85-11 REV.

Page 4 of 5

a. Radio the license number and location to Communications; b. Record the license number on a note pad.

3. Position the police vehicle properly:

a. Place the vehicle 20-25 feet behind violator, with a slight angle to the left;

b. Offset police vehicle 3 feet to the left of violator vehicle; c. Turn front wheels of police vehicle all the way to the left.

4. Approach the violator cautiously:

a. Check rear view mirror for traffic; b. Close door after exiting; c. Approach in "blind spot;" d. Check trunk of violator’s vehicle; e. Ensure that weapon hand is free at all times; f. Visually observe passenger compartment and hands of passengers; g. Stay close to the violator vehicle during approach; h. Stop just behind driver's door; i. Stand facing the vehicle; j. Accept documents with non-gun hand. k. Alternative passenger side approach may be utilized.

5. Return to the police vehicle carefully:

a. Walk back in a slightly turned manner so as to keep continual visual

observance of the violator vehicle; b. Remain alert after reaching police vehicle.

III. OFFICER/VIOLATOR RELATIONS Once the officer has stopped the violator and approached to a point where communications

begin, the officer should:

A. Be alert for the unexpected, but not be apprehensive;

B. Be certain that observations of the traffic violation were accurate;

C. Present a professional image in dress, grooming, language, bearing, and emotional stability;

D. Be prepared by having the necessary equipment and form;

E. Greet the violator with appropriate title and explain to the violator the reason for the

stop; F. Request the violator's operator's license, vehicle registration, and additional

documentation if necessary;

TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT G-85-11 REV.

Page 5 of 5

G. Discuss the violation; explain if necessary (do not argue with violator);

H. If a summons is to be issued, advise the operator at that time that you are going to issue a summons. Complete the Virginia Uniform Summons;

I. Read the summons to the violator, explain his obligations, and where and when to

appear in court. If possible, indicate pre-payment (instructions on yellow copy of the Virginia Uniform Summons). If pre-payable, provide a copy of the appropriate prepayment sheet along with the summons.

J. Offer no suggestions as to the probable actions of the court, or the amount of the fine;

K. Be certain the driver is calm and there are no signs of emotional stress before allowing

them to leave;

L. Return the violator's license, registration, and provide a copy of summons;

M. Assist the violator in re-entering the traffic flow.

IV. REQUESTS FOR GRANT MONEY

A. When there are grant monies available for traffic specials, a patrol field supervisor or his designee shall submit a Request for Traffic Enforcement Special Grant Funding (HCPD-406) form through his chain-of-command for approval. The request packet shall include copies of the Operational Plan, ICS chart, and any other supporting documentation. Once the Operational Plan is approved, it shall be forwarded to the Commanding Officer, Homeland Security to verify the funds are available and the plan complies with the grant requirements.

B. Once the request has final approval, the requesting supervisor (or his designee) will be

notified in writing by the Sergeant, Traffic Safety.

V. TRAFFIC SPECIALS A. Whenever traffic specials (e.g. red light, speeding, DUI, etc.) are conducted, a patrol field

supervisor shall complete a Traffic Special After-Action Report (HCPD-382) and submit to the Commanding Officer, Homeland Security within five working days from the conclusion of the traffic special.

By Order of:

Douglas A. Middleton Chief of Police

TYPE OF DIRECTIVE POLICY

NUMBER 200 (2012)

SUBJECT POLICY

EFFECTIVE DATE 12/20/12

REFERENCE CALEA

RESCINDS 200 (2008)

200.00 POLICY

Policy is a written statement of the principles under which the County of Henrico Police Division operates. It establishes guidelines that enable the Division to reach its goals and objectives.

200.10 DISCRETION

Inherent to the establishment of policy are the boundaries within which acceptable performance is found. The range of alternatives between the upper and lower boundaries is known as discretion. It is when discretionary limits are exceeded that the Division is in danger of falling into disfavor. To reduce the occurrence of misdirected discretion, applicable statements of policy in this directive are reinforced by rules, regulations, directives, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), policies, or orders of this Division. Further, the actions of the Division's personnel are subject to the specifics of federal, state, and local laws. It is solely the individual's understanding and application of this combination of factors that determines the limits of his discretionary authority. Those members who elect to extend their discretionary authority beyond the described parameters will be held accountable for their actions.

200.20 ALTERNATIVES TO ARREST

Even though the use of discretion is usually an individual decision, there are certain circumstances for which specific enforcement alternatives are preferred and encouraged. Each directive containing a preferred alternative to arrest will also cite the authority to initiate the alternative.

210.00 ADMINISTRATION – GENERAL PROVISIONS

The Chief of the Police Division shall be the chief executive officer and he shall have the authority and responsibility for the management, direction, and control of the operations and administration of the Division. This authority and responsibility are vested in the Chief of Police through the County Manager form of government approved by a referendum vote on September 19, 1933. Statutory authority for such status is provided through Code of Virginia 15.2-612, 15.2-614, 15.2-632, 15.2-635, and 15.2-637.

211.00 COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY

The County Manager, as Director of Public Safety, prescribes general policies, plans, and objectives for the Police Division and advises procedures when extraordinary situations arise, but the Chief of Police has complete internal control over police activities and police

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 2 of 13

personnel and he shall exercise wide discretion in the administration of the Division.

214.00 CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES CONFIDENTIALITY

Sworn civilian and non-sworn civilian members should be fully aware of the confidential aspects of records, investigations, and other police activities. Because of their position within the Division, they shall remain faithful to that confidence.

220.00 PERSONAL CONDUCT

Members of this Division shall not conduct themselves in a manner that would be detrimental to the Division's image as the law enforcement agency of the County of Henrico. All personnel shall adopt as their standard of behavior the following Code of Ethics: As a member of the Police Division, I will adhere to upholding our values, the very foundation of our agency: honor, professionalism, commitment, compassion, and accountability. I will keep my public and private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain calm in the face of scorn, or ridicule; develop self restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty. I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. Sworn personnel shall adopt as their standard of behavior the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics:

Law Enforcement Code of Ethics

As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice. I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.

I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 3 of 13

I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of the police service. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession – Law Enforcement.

220.05 APPEARANCE

Properly attired police personnel increase the public's confidence in and respect for the Division. Henrico County police officers have established a reputation of demonstrating pride in their appearance. The Division will not tolerate any appearance short of this standard. Civilian members, whether in uniform or in civilian clothing, are also a part of the Division's image. Personal appearance shall reflect a professional and favorable image upon the Division. This includes attire worn on designated casual workdays. Any questions regarding proper personal appearance and attire shall be addressed by a member’s appropriate section/unit Commander.

220.10 PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE

The attitude of the police officer is one of objectivity toward the people and situations they encounter. Professional police officers have been trained to understand the impulses in both themselves and the people with whom they deal. This understanding also eliminates their own expressions of prejudice and any unjustifiable action, thereby inspiring in the citizen a greater degree of respect and cooperation.

220.15 LOYALTY

Loyalty is a two-way process. Management, including all supervising and command officers, must have a concern for the welfare of subordinates and a responsibility to support them in their proper actions. This does not include protecting them from the consequences of misdeeds. No member will divulge Divisional information regarding a concern or grievance within the Division, unless authorized by the Chief of Police (or his designee). Whenever a member initiates action against an agency member of the criminal justice system, he must inform the Chief of Police (or his designee). Members of the Division have an obligation to be loyal to their peers, to their superior officers, to the administration of the Division, and to the County government that employs them as long as those to whom they are responsible are acting lawfully and in accordance with Division policy.

220.20 MILITARY COURTESY

Proper respect shall be accorded an individual's rank. Each member addressing another member above his rank must address such member by that rank. When in uniform, due

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 4 of 13

respect to the flag will be shown by a hand salute. 220.25 ACCEPTANCE OF REWARDS, GIFTS, AND FAVORS

Members of this Division shall not accept any money, loan, gift, favor, service, or business or professional opportunity that reasonably tends to influence the performance of official duties, except lawful salary (§2.2-3103). "Gift" means any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary value. It includes services as well as gifts of transportation, local travel, lodgings and meals, whether provided in-kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred (§ 2.2-3101).

221.00 BRIBERY

Bribery tarnishes the image of the Division, is a violation of Virginia State Code §18.2-439, and will not be tolerated.

222.00 SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment as defined in the County's Rules and Regulations will not be tolerated within the Police Division. Disciplinary action will be initiated against members engaging in such activities. Supervisors who are aware of such incidents and take no action will be considered negligent in their duties and shall be subject to disciplinary action.

223.00 DISCIPLINE

Discipline is a necessary function of command that must be exercised in order to maintain a police agency that is receptive to direction and control. Discipline is not a negative force, but a positive form of training and an important constructive leadership tool. Discipline and punishment should not be confused. Proper discipline results in an organization that voluntarily conforms to regulations.

224.00 GRIEVANCE

The County of Henrico Rules and Regulations manual states, “A grievance is a complaint or dispute by an employee relating to his employment, including but not necessarily limited to: disciplinary actions; applications of personnel policies, procedures, rules, and regulations, and the application of ordinances and statutes; acts of retaliation as the result of the use of or the participation in the grievance procedure or because the employee has complied with any law of the United States or of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has reported any violation of such law to a governmental authority, has sought any change in law before the United States Congress or the General Assembly of Virginia, or has reported an incident of fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement; discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, political affiliation, age, disability, national origin, or sex.”

The County Grievance Procedure will be followed by the Police Division. While County Personnel is responsible for grievances beyond Step 2, the Internal Affairs Unit is designated

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 5 of 13

to coordinate the grievance with County Department of Human Resources. Internal Affairs will be responsible for maintaining grievance records through Step 2 and copies of all grievance records from Steps 3 and 4, which are sent to the Chief of Police by the County Department of Human Resources. The Commander, Internal Affairs will analyze these records once a year for any problem solving benefit.

225.00 RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE

A police officer's duty is to protect life and property. In fulfilling this duty, every possible and reasonable alternative should be used before resorting to force. If it becomes necessary to employ force as a response to resistance or other action, a police officer should use only that force necessary to achieve the lawful objectives of the Division.

226.00 VOTER PARTICIPATION AND POLITICAL ACTIVITY

Police officers are a vital part of any community. As such, they should use their privilege to vote in local, statewide, and national elections. Local political activities by any police officer should be limited to preventing conflicts of interest or an infringement of the Division's neutrality.

227.00 RECOMMENDATION OF ATTORNEYS AND BONDSMEN

Members of this Division shall not recommend attorneys and bondsmen since this type of action presents a conflict of interest.

228.00 QUOTING FINES

Under no circumstances will any member of this Division quote the cost of fines for violations of the law. Citizens requesting this information should be instructed to contact a magistrate.

229.00 INTERFERING IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

Members shall not interfere in the administration of justice by attempting to subvert the lawful intent of any investigation or arrest made by any member of this Division or any other agency.

231.10 RE-HIRING

The Police Division will have an open re-hire policy. When appropriate, testing and evaluation may be required. Re-employment will be at the sole discretion of the Chief of Police and determined on a case-by-case basis. Upon successful re-employment, salary and benefits will be determined by the County Department of Human Resources. Nothing in this policy shall supercede the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, or other applicable provisions of law.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 6 of 13

231.20 INVESTIGATION AND SELECTION OF APPLICANTS

The selection process will consist of multipurpose testing, interviews, physical and psychological examinations, and an extensive background investigation. The background investigation will include verification of qualifying credentials, a review of any criminal record, and verification of at least three personal references. This process will be followed to identify any personal characteristic that would make the applicant acceptable or unacceptable. Unsuccessful applicants may reapply for a position during subsequent hiring processes. The process will follow all Federal and County guidelines. Files maintained on the investigation will be open for inspection only to those within the County Administration who have a need to know. All investigations and files on persons not employed will be destroyed five years from the date of application.

231.30 PROBATIONARY STATUS

In accordance with the Henrico County Rules and Regulations, sworn officers of the Police Division serve a probationary status of 24 months. The probationary period, which commences on the date of employment, provides an opportunity for the new member to develop his skills through intense classroom and field training. Further, it allows the Division to identify any unacceptable traits or areas in need of development so that the concentrated corrective effort can be initiated. The probationary period should be considered a learning experience for both the probationary officer and the Police Division and, as such, any adverse impact upon the ratio of persons employed to those who attain permanent status will remain within acceptable boundaries. Any exception to the prescribed probationary period will be in accordance with guidelines established in the Henrico County Rules and Regulations.

232.00 PERSONNEL FILES

Personnel files are accurately kept on every person employed by the Division. Five different files are maintained for all personnel: (1) Background Investigation, (2) General Information, (3) All evaluations, (4) Commendation/Disciplinary Action (refer to 400 Discipline), and (5) Accidents/Workers’ Compensation. These files are accessible only to the Office of the Chief, Section Commanding Officers, and Personnel Unit members directly responsible for the maintenance of these files. Charges of misconduct, complaints, commendations, and recommendations regarding disciplinary action will be initialed by the member prior to being placed in that member's file. It is required that all members desiring to review their own files do so by requesting such a review in writing through the chain-of-command to the Chief of Police.

233.00 HEALTH AND WELFARE

The functions of a law enforcement officer require a level of physical and psychological fitness not demanded by many other occupations. All police officer recruits receive a thorough medical and psychological evaluation prior to employment. In order to provide effective law enforcement service, all members are encouraged to maintain a satisfactory level of physical and emotional health.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 7 of 13

After consultation with the appropriate medical staff of the County’s Employee Health Services and in conjunction with/and supervised by a medical doctor, the Chief of Police (or his designee), may require a member to undergo certain medical examinations and/or tests for their own safety and the safety of others. All mandated examinations and/or test expenses will be borne in full by the County of Henrico.

A physically and emotionally fit member can more capably perform the requirements of an assignment. It is the responsibility of each member to maintain a level of health and fitness that will ensure the ability to perform the required tasks of any assignment within the Division.

235.00 REFUSAL TO WORK

Virginia State Code §40.1-55 states: “Any employee of the Commonwealth, or of any county, city, town, or other political subdivision thereof, or of any agency of any one of them, who, in concert with two or more other such employees, for the purpose of obstructing, impeding or suspending any activity or operation of his employing agency or any other governmental agency, strikes or willfully refuses to perform the duties of his employment shall, by such action, be deemed to have terminated his employment and shall thereafter be ineligible for employment in any position or capacity during the next twelve months by the Commonwealth, or any county, city, town, or other political subdivision of the Commonwealth, or by any department or agency of any of them.”

236.10 MOBILIZATION OF OFFICERS

The need to notify officers or call out officers for mobilization is essential in responding to unusual occurrences. The Chief of Police or a member of the Command Staff will determine the need to place officers on alert during the implementation of a Second Stage Mobilization. A Third Stage Mobilization can only be declared by the Chief of Police (or his designee). (Refer to the All-Hazards Critical Incident Response Plan)

237.10 RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFF-DUTY ASSIGNMENT

When working an off-duty assignment, officers are expected to respond to any lawful request for service, either handling it themselves or personally seeing that it is handled. There should be no further necessity on the complainant's part to contact other officers unless the provision of such assistance would be detrimental to the responsibilities of the off-duty assignment. Reporting of additional income earned from off-duty assignments to the Internal Revenue Service is the personal responsibility of the individual officer.

238.00 LEAVE REQUEST

All sections and units are required to operate at an established complement level. Request for compensatory time or annual leave will be granted only if the number of people working will be equal to the established minimum staffing level. The policies establishing all other forms of leave are covered in the County's Rules and Regulations.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 8 of 13

240.00 TRAINING

Training ensures that all personnel perform assigned tasks with maximum efficiency and in such a way as to protect their safety and give the best possible service to the public. Members’ actions shall be in accordance with the training they have received. Training is a continuing process.

241.00 RECRUIT TRAINING

Basic training is a process of developing a foundation for capable law enforcement work and of developing the individual officer for more advanced and specialized training. The Henrico County Police Academy exceeds the standard of training mandated by the Virginia Criminal Justice Officers' Training Standards Commission. Recruit training is also a continuation of the selection process. Those recruits not meeting the Divisional training standards shall be terminated by the Division.

241.10 FIELD TRAINING

Probationary officers shall be uniformly taught the basic patrol techniques when being instructed by a Field Training Officer (FTO). This precludes misunderstanding or a lack of knowledge in certain areas when the probationary officer transfers from one platoon to another. Field Training Officers will adhere to the standards established in the Field Training Officers' Training Manual.

242.00 IN-SERVICE TRAINING

In-service training provides an opportunity for an officer to update his knowledge of new techniques and procedures within the Division, as well as his knowledge of changes in state law and local ordinances.

243.00 SPECIALIZED TRAINING

The Division's members must not only be prepared for routine occurrences, but also those exceptional events that require specialized training in particular areas. The Division sends interested individuals to specialized schools and conferences and they in turn disseminate their newly acquired knowledge to others within the Division.

245.00 PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING

The Division and the County of Henrico are committed to providing for the mental health and welfare needs of its members. These needs are sometimes best satisfied when a member receives professional counseling. The Division and the County also recognize and identify various methods by which a member may receive needed counseling. It is recognized that confidentiality can be a critical factor in successful counseling. Confidentiality of those persons receiving assistance is maintained by the respective mental health agency, except in instances where the member presents a clear and present danger to themselves or others. Due to the stress factors associated with law enforcement and related functions, Division personnel are encouraged to seek counseling whenever a need is

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 9 of 13

identified.

251.00 LIAISON WITH THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM

It is the obligation of the Division as a member of the Criminal Justice System to work with and assist the judiciary and the prosecution agencies. Officers should be present in court on dates specified unless they are ill or involved in a serious situation that would preclude their timely arrival. In these instances, the court should be promptly notified. The final obligation for this notification rests with the officer. Pretrial conferences with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney aid in prosecution and certain aspects of an investigation.

251.10 MISHANDLING OF CASES

The Division will review any complaint brought to its attention concerning officers who cause a case to be dismissed or not prosecuted because of mishandling. This type of review may be initiated by any member of the court, any Commonwealth's Attorney, any citizen, or any Division member.

255.00 COMMUNITY YOUTH PROGRAMS

The Police Division supports all County agencies in its efforts to provide meaningful programs for the community's youth. Police personnel will endeavor to respond in a positive manner when assistance is requested from these agencies. Support shall include programs in public safety, providing program demonstration, supplemental employment for security, support equipment if applicable, routine patrol of activities to prevent program interruption, interpersonal interactions between participants and officers, and providing competitive teams.

264.20 DIVISION EQUIPMENT (AUTHORIZATION AND ISSUANCE)

The Division issues certain articles of equipment to various members and it is the responsibility of those members to whom it is assigned to properly maintain that equipment. Equipment not issued to officers and members, and not approved in writing by the Chief of Police (or his designee), is unauthorized equipment and shall not be worn or used by an officer of this Division. Members may be assigned Division owned vehicles and other owned property which includes, but is not limited to, offices, lockers, desks, safes, file cabinets, toolboxes, cases, and other equipment for the mutual convenience of the Division and its personnel. The retention of personal items in such containers or facilities is at the risk of the member and the Division will not be responsible for any losses. All Division equipment is subject to entry and inspection without notice, even if the member has placed a personally owned lock on Division property.

270.00 NOTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL LIABILITY

Any incident arising where there may be a question as to the liability of the Division, or those which may result in a heightened community interest, will be reported to the Chief of Police as soon as practical in accordance with RP-46.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 10 of 13

270.30 CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The Constitution of the United States provides all citizens with certain guarantees. Some of these guarantees are in the form of requirements placed upon law enforcement agencies to ensure that no infringement of individual rights occurs during a criminal investigation. Members of the Police Division shall adhere to any and all constitutional requirements in the conduct of criminal investigations that apply to the use of coercion or the involuntary nature of confessions and admissions, delays in arraignment, informing a defendant of his rights, deprivation of counsel, and/or prejudicial pretrial publicity.

271.05 PREVENTIVE PATROL

Unpredictability and flexibility are the keystones to effective patrol. Uniform officers will patrol all portions of their assigned areas.

271.10 PATROL AREA RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities of patrolling an assigned area require the officer to be well acquainted with the area, its problems, and people. The patrol officer should develop and maintain informational sources or contacts. Officers leaving their station’s coverage area in the performance of their duties shall properly notify their field supervisor or Communications.

272.40 HOSTAGE SITUATIONS

Hostage situations will be handled by negotiations, if possible, with every reasonable effort made to maintain the life of the hostage(s). The overriding principle that should be recognized is that the life of any person involved in a hostage situation is very important. No appeasement measures will be taken which will allow the situation to move from the contained areas.

272.90 RAPE CALLS

If available, an officer of the same sex as the victim should be assigned to rape investigations during the initial interview. Officers should refer victims of the crime to the available community counseling services.

273.00 TRAFFIC FUNCTIONS

Traffic law enforcement is an important aspect of the Division's mission. It is a responsibility shared by all enforcement personnel, particularly the uniformed officer. Enforcement activities shall be performed at a level that will maximize the safe flow of traffic and voluntary compliance with all traffic laws.

273.15 OFF-DUTY ENFORCEMENT

An off-duty officer operating a privately-owned motor vehicle will not engage in traffic enforcement unless the violation endangers life, limb, and property.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 11 of 13

273.35 FIRST AID

Police personnel are obligated to administer whatever first aid is possible to injured parties. Depending on the extent and help available (such as rescue squads), they must continue this effort until the situation is stabilized or until properly relieved.

273.45 ESCORTS

A police escort will be provided upon request only to the President of the United States, the Vice President, or heads of other governments recognized by the United States. Funeral processions will also receive service by marked police vehicles from the Division. All other escort requests must be approved by the Chief of Police (or his designee). No police vehicle will be used to escort an emergency vehicle or those private vehicles being used as emergency transportation.

275.10 PRIORITY OF INVESTIGATIONS

The severity of any criminal offense will necessitate the urgency and immediacy of the follow-up investigation. Criminal offenses will be assigned in accordance with criteria set forth in the Incident/Crime Report Manual.

275.20 CRIME SCENES

Protection of crime scenes is imperative to the solving of any case. Every officer shall endeavor to preserve crime scenes until a determination of subsequent handling is made.

276.00 COVERT FUNCTIONS

Covert police techniques are universally accepted as both a deterrent and an enforcement approach to crimes. This Division endorses both approaches and subscribes to their use. The covert nature of a member working in an undercover operation must be safeguarded. Officers working in an undercover capacity shall not be approached by a member of the Police Division in public view without prior radio clearance.

277.10 JUVENILE CRIMES INVESTIGATIONS

Special Victims Unit detectives must place major emphasis on cases involving juveniles either as the victims or the perpetrators of the crime.

277.20 MISSING PERSONS

The Special Victims Unit will be notified immediately following the preliminary investigation of all reports of missing persons under the age of 10 years. The Special Victims Unit will give first consideration to those missing persons investigations in which foul play may have taken place, or in which the health and safety of the juvenile is a factor.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 12 of 13

277.30 SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS

School Resource Officers will handle investigations of offenses as outlined in the Incident/Crime Reporting Manual that occur on and off school property.

277.60 LIAISON WITH THE SCHOOLS

The Henrico County School Board has established a policy that the principals of the schools will lend full cooperation to all police officers entering upon school property to investigate incidents involving a student. When Division personnel conduct investigations on school property, the principal will be informed prior to the initiation of any interviews or investigations during school hours.

279.00 ANIMAL PROTECTION

Animal Protection Police Officers shall enforce State laws and County ordinances relating to animals within the County of Henrico. In addition, Animal Protection Police Officers may enforce all State and County criminal and traffic laws whenever violations of these laws occur in their presence. Animal Protection personnel will maintain the Animal Shelter and will develop programs to promote the health and welfare of animals in the County.

281.00 FIREARMS

Division personnel are equipped and trained with firearms to defend themselves or others from deadly force or when it is necessary to affect the arrest of a felon. When firing the weapon, the officer attempts to prevent further aggressive action. Deadly force shall not be employed except as a last resort in any situation in which such force is justified.

281.30 FIRING OF WARNING SHOTS

Warning shots are most often hazardous to innocent bystanders and to other officers within the area and shall not be fired.

281.40 OFFICER SURRENDERING WEAPON

Experience has shown that the danger to the officer is increased by surrendering the firearm. Officers of the Division shall use every tactical means at their disposal to avoid surrendering their weapon.

282.00 POLICE VEHICLE

Police vehicle operation is critical in performing the mission of the Police Division and is the sole responsibility of the operating officer. It is imperative that each officer realize that the operation of the vehicle is always in public view and often scrutinized by citizens. Officers shall obey Virginia state laws and all rules, regulations, directives, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), policies, or orders of this Division. Division members will exercise good judgment and appropriate caution when operating a vehicle. The operation of any computer equipment, wireless devices, or any other electronic equipment is secondary to

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 13 of 13

safety. It is the responsibility of the Division to provide a fully equipped and operative vehicle that is safe to use as an emergency vehicle.

282.10 USE OF SEAT BELTS

The unpredictability of the driving situations faced by an officer requires that all precautionary measures be utilized. All persons riding in police vehicles shall utilize their seat belt.

282.20 EMERGENCY RESPONSE WITH POLICE VEHICLES

Officers engaged in emergency response (emergency lights and siren) shall operate their police vehicle with due regard for their safety and the safety of others. Officers shall adhere to the traffic law exemptions in accordance with Section §46.2-920 of the Virginia State Code. Officers cannot provide assistance if they do not arrive on the scene safely.

282.30 EMERGENCY RESPONSE – APPROACHING SCHOOL BUS

Any police officer, when operating a police vehicle in an emergency response mode (including pursuit), who approaches a school bus in any direction and that school bus is stopped or about to stop for the purpose of picking up or discharging students, shall bring the vehicle to a complete stop prior to reaching the school bus. The officer shall not proceed until such time as the school bus driver has signaled the police officer that it is safe to proceed and the officer has checked to ensure that no students are about to cross or are in a position that would endanger their lives should the emergency vehicle proceed.

290.00 POLICE FACILITIES

The appearance of police facilities leaves an impression on the public as great as that of the appearance of the officer. The members of this Division will maintain clean and orderly facilities.

290.10 SECURITY

Police facilities will be secured in a manner to prevent the free flow of unauthorized persons throughout the building. The degree of security should be elevated during other than normal working hours to assure optimum safety for police operations and personnel.

By Order of:

Douglas A. Middleton Chief of Police

1 

Problem Iden fica on

Henrico  Police  recognizes  that  few  drivers  consider 

speeding an  immediate threat to their personal safety 

or the safety of others on the roadway.  When drivers 

exceed posted speed limits or drive too fast for exis ng 

condi ons, it increases their chances of being involved 

in  a  crash  and  decreases  their  ability  to  maintain 

proper control of their vehicle.   

Over  the  past  few  years,  the  percentage  of  speed 

related  crashes  in  Henrico  County  has  greatly 

decreased. Yet, speeding s ll occurs in Henrico County.

In  2013  the  Henrico  Police  Division’s  Special 

Enforcement Unit  (Traffic Safety)  inves gated 17  fatal 

crashes.    Of those 17 fatal crashes, only one was

speed related. In addi on, Henrico Police inves gated

5,235 reportable crashes in 2013. Of those crashes,

133 were speed related. This is a 36 percent decrease

from 2012, when 208 of the 5,274 reportable crashes

were speed related.

The  Special  Enforcement  Unit  identifies many  speeding 

problems  through  citizens’  complaints,  many  of  which 

they submit  through  the Division’s Traffic Safety  Internet 

webpage.  This webpage  allows  citizens  to  report  traffic‐

related  complaints  or  general  concerns  that  require  the 

Special  Enforcement Unit’s  attention.    Citizens may  also 

use  the  Internet  webpage’s  email  function  to  report 

ongoing  speeding  problems  or  other  concerns  to  the 

Henrico Police Safety Officer.   The Safety Officer, who  is 

assigned  to  the  Special  Enforcement  Unit,  evaluates 

complaints,  enters them into a database, and assigns the 

complaint  for  enforcement  action.  The Police Division

received 256 speeding complaints in 2013, and used 34.8

work hours, which resulted in 2,895 violation citations.

The Police Division also uses the StealthStat device to

iden fy speeding problems by collec ng traffic data

on problem roadways such as peak mes for

speeding at

such loca ons

and the

average speed

of passing

vehicles.  This 

StealthStat 

device  is 

a ached  to  a 

u lity  pole  or 

mounted  in  a 

dummy vehicle 

where  it 

collects  data  from  passing  vehicles while  drivers  are 

unaware they are being monitored.    It also helps with 

confirming  the  validity  of  traffic  complaints  by 

providing  data  to  officers.   Officers  are  then  able  to 

show  whether  the    complaints  are  founded  or  not, 

which  allows  the Division  to  place  officers when  and 

where they are most needed for speed enforcement.  

Finally,  the  Special  Enforcement  Unit  iden fies 

speeding  problems  using  data  gathered  from  the 

SMART  trailer.    The  SMART  trailer  has  the  ability  to 

capture  and  compile  data  on  average  traffic  speeds 

wherever  it  is  placed,  which  helps  the  Special 

Enforcement Unit  to  further plan enforcement efforts 

when the data show it is necessary.  

Pictured here is the summary of data from the StealthStat report. It also gives detailed data on each vehicle to include time of day and speed, which assist in verifying speed complaints in neighborhoods. 

Citizens often help identify speeding problems by submitting complaints through the Division’s Traffic Safety webpage  seen above. 

2 

Policy

The Henrico County Police Division’s commitment and 

endorsement  of  wri en  guidelines  for  speed 

enforcement  are  conveyed  and  communicated  in  the 

Division  Direc ves  that  outline  Traffic  enforcement, 

RADAR/LIDAR  enforcement  and  the  calibra ons  of 

such  instruments.    Below are excerpts from the

Division’s Policy and Direc ve as they relate to speed

enforcement and calibra on. They are also separately

a ached in their en rety as allowed.

Policy 273.00 and excerpts, from Directive LP‐22

(pictured below) that outline RADAR/LIDAR

procedures, follow: 

Policy

273.00 TRAFFIC FUNCTIONS

Traffic law enforcement is an important aspect of the Division's mission.  It  is  a  responsibility  shared by  all enforcement  personnel,  par cularly  the  uniformed officer.   Enforcement ac vi es shall be performed at a  level that will maximize the safe flow of traffic and voluntary compliance with all traffic laws. Pictured here are two of the 13 pages that outline the Division’s 

Traffic Func ons Policy, which is seen on page 10 of the Police Division’s Direc ves ‐ Policy.  

Pictured here are the six pages from the Direc ve LP‐22 that guide officers in RADAR and LIDAR enforcement.  

3 

(Line Procedure) LP‐22 (excerpts)

The Police Division considers speed enforcement a priority and  will  ac vely  engage  in  RADAR  and  LIDAR  speed  enforcement  throughout  the  County  of  Henrico,  specifically  focusing  on  high,  or  poten ally high, accident  loca ons where speed  is a factor,  in areas where  speed  limit  viola ons  are  prevalent,  and  in response to ci zen complaints involving excessive speed. The  below  enforcement  measures  shall  ensure  that  the Division's  highway  safety  goal  of  providing  safe  and expeditious movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic  is met. Single officer RADAR and LIDAR operations are excluded from location restriction. 

 

... C. Tes ng the Calibra on on RADAR and LIDAR Units 

The  RADAR  or  Lidar  unit  must  be  checked  for accuracy at a minimum of two  mes by the operator. This  check  for  accuracy  shall  be  conducted  at  the 

beginning of  the officer’s assigned  shi   and  again at the end of the officer’s assigned shi .  

...    IV.  PROGRAMMED 

MAINTENANCE 

A. The  frequency  of  the RADAR  shall  be recalibrated at least once every six months. 

B. The scheduling of tests shall be the responsibility of  the  County  Radio Maintenance Shop. 

C. Lidar  devices  shall  be recalibrated at least once every  six  months  by Kustom  Signals,  Inc. or  a Kustom  approved  dealer cer fied  to  calibrate  the Lidar units. 

 

Planning

Henrico  Police  uses    a  planning  model,  which  the 

Virginia Highway Safety Plan u lizes,  to  guide 

enforcement  efforts  when  addressing  complaints  or 

areas  where  traffic  enforcement  is  necessary.    The 

Police Division use the, “Four E’s”:  

Engineering ‐ Layout of the roadway, problems that are present, and traffic volume.

Enforcement ‐ What enforcement ac on is necessary to relieve the problem, what me(s) of day.

Educa on ‐ How do we get the message to our ci zens about the problem (local media, public service announcements, social media, brochures, billboards).

Emergency Response ‐ What is our response to the

problem? What is the resolution? Results of efforts?

In  addi on,  the  Henrico  Police  Division’s  Special 

Enforcement Unit  sets goals at  the beginning of each 

year  based  on  vehicle  crash  data  and  sta s cs 

collected  from  the Criminal Records Unit. The Special 

Enforcement  Unit  analyzes  the  data  to  determine 

certain  sta s cs  such as highest  crash  loca ons,  me 

and day of occurrences, and most common causa on 

of crashes such as speeding. The results of the data are 

used  in planning special enforcement and educa onal 

procedures  throughout  the  year.  In  2012,  the  Traffic 

Safety  Unit  submi ed  several  goals  for  fiscal  year, 

2013.  They are as follows: 

Special Enforcement Unit Goals –FY2013

To be proac ve  in helping make County  roadways  safer by conduc ng  at  least  25  selec ve  enforcement  opera ons, five of which will be high crash loca ons and another five of which  will  be  related  to  ILP  (Intelligence‐Led  Policing) ini a ves by July 2013.  

Policy (con nued)

 Above  is  the  Division’s    six page  policy  regarding  RADAR and LIDAR. 

4 

Planning (con nued) To be proac ve  in  reducing  commercial  vehicle  crashes on 

County roadways by conduc ng at  least twelve commercial motor vehicle enforcement opera ons by July 2013, at least two  of  which  will  be  joint  opera ons  with  neighboring jurisdic ons.  

To  increase  public  awareness  through  educa on  about speed  and other  safety messages by deploying  the  SMART Trailer, Variable Message Boards, and/or StealthStat at least 20  mes on County roadways by July 2013.  

To  conduct  DUI/SFST  refresher  training  for  all  uniform officers by July 2013 through In‐Service or Roll‐Call training.  

To conduct at least one child safety seat checking sta on per quarter,  assis ng  in  educa ng  the  general  public  in  the proper installa on of child seats.  

 These goals guide the Unit in its planning for the en re 

year. In addi on, each month, the Unit members meet 

to  discuss  details  of  that  month’s  opera ons, 

programs,  or  ini a ves.    Unit  members  then  must 

develop a detailed plan  for each opera on, program, 

or  ini a ve using the Division’s Opera ons Plan  form, 

HCPD‐383.  This form lists the summary of the event or 

incident,  objec ves,  threats/hazards,   comments/

notes,   briefing,   resources  needed/used,  personnel 

and  their  assignments  as  well  as  other  informa on.  

This  form  helps  ensure  a  well‐planned,  effec ve 

opera on for each event, ini a ve, or opera on, which 

must be conducted to meet the Unit’s annual goals.   

Another  element  that  the  Special  Enforcement  Unit 

considers during their speeding enforcement planning 

phase  is  speeding  complaints  from  its  ci zens  and 

where they originate. This informa on guides the Unit 

in identifying problem areas  and succinctly deploying their 

resources to address speeding. 

The Henrico County Police Division also u lizes two

SMART (Speed Monitoring Awareness RADAR Trailer)

trailers.    Officers  deployed  these  trailers  along 

roadways  (as seen right) where complaints were common 

or  on  roadways  identified  where  speeding  is  an  ongoing 

problem  through monitoring  tools,  such  as  StealthStat.  The 

SMART  trailer  has  the  ability  to 

capture  and  compile  data  on 

average traffic speeds wherever it 

is placed, which helps the Special 

Enforcement Unit to further plan 

enforcement  efforts  when  the 

data show it is necessary.   

The Police Division also uses

the StealthStat device (pictured  le )   to collect traffic 

data  such as peak  mes of  speeders and  the average 

speed of vehicles.   This device    is a ached to a u lity 

pole  or  mounted  in  a 

dummy  vehicle  to  collect 

data from passing vehicles 

while drivers are unaware 

they are being monitored.  

It  also  helps  with  traffic 

complaints  by  providing 

data  to  officers.    Traffic 

Safety  Officers  are  then 

able  to show whether  the 

data prove  to be  founded 

or  unfounded,  which 

allows  be er  me 

management  in deploying 

and  scheduling  officers  to 

address  confirmed 

speeding problems.   

Training

In  2013,  Henrico  Police  received  training  and 

recer fica on  in many  areas  related  to  speeding  and 

B 

A

C

Above, StealthStat (A) collects traffic data, which officers are able to access from inside the device (B) and download data as reports (C). 

5 

speed  enforcement.    As  shown  in  the  chart  above, 

there were 316 hours spent training and/or

recer fying officers in the areas of speed

enforcement. In 2013, 126 officers in the Division

received speed training.

Pictured  le , 

Henrico  Police 

also  hosted  a 

Basic  RADAR 

and  LIDAR 

School  which, 

cer fied  32

Henrico Police

Officers in  RADAR  and  LIDAR  enforcement.  That

brought our complement to 318 RADAR/LIDAR

Operators in the Police Division.

Ninety‐four officers received training in other

speeding disciplines. Officers  received  training  in  the 

following:  DDACTS  (Data  Driven  Approach  to  Crime 

and Traffic Sta s cs), RADAR and LIDAR recer fica on, 

Advanced  Crash  Inves ga on,  Motorcycle  Crash 

Inves ga on  and  the Pennsylvania  State Police Crash 

Reconstruc on Seminar. 

 

Public Informa on and Educa on

The  Henrico  County  Police  Division  recognizes  the 

dangers  speeding motorists  pose  to  themselves  and 

others.  Consequently,  Henrico  Police  used  news 

releases,  social  media  pos ngs,  and  public  service 

announcements  to  raise  public  awareness  of  speed 

and  its  dangers  to  drivers  and  others.  The Special

Enforcement Unit also presented 24 educational

programs to better inform drivers of all ages, from high

school students to senior ci zens, about the

dangers and consequences of speeding in Henrico.  

Throughout 2013, Henrico Police also used social

media sites such as Facebook, Twi er, and YouTube

to educate and inform ci zens of the dangers and

consequences of speeding. The  Division’s  Public 

Informa on  Office 

Supervisor, Lt. Linda 

Toney,  also  granted 

interviews  to  local 

television  news 

reporters  as 

requested to inform 

the  public  about 

speed  enforcement 

opera ons  and  the 

dangers  of  speeding.  

Speed Training

2013

Number of

Officers Trained

Number of

Staff Hours Training Dates

Basic RADAR  29  24  December 2013 

RADAR/LIDAR Recer fica on  62  36  Various in 2013 

Speed Measurement   3  16  June 2013 

Speed Enforcement  32  240  Various in 2013 

TOTAL S  126 trained 316 hours

Above, Lt. Linda Toney, the Division’s Public Informa on Officer, conducts an on‐camera interview with a local TV news sta on reporter. 

 Planning (con nued)

6 

Public Informa on and Educa on (con nued)

In  addi on,  RADAR  and  LIDAR  sites  and  

other  ini a ves were adver sed on the County’s own 

public access  channel, HCTV‐17, as  seen  in  their  slide 

below,  to  raise  awareness  of  Henrico  County  Police 

Division’s speed enforcement.  

Henrico County collaborated with Clear Channel radio 

to  deliver  public  service  announcements  (PSAs)  to 

discourage ci zens  from speeding. To supplement the 

campaign,  Henrico  School  Resource  Officers  (SROs) 

distributed brochures to teens  in County high schools,  

The  Division’s  Public  Informa on  Office  used  news 

releases, the Division web page, and YouTube, Twi er, 

and  Facebook  to  raise  awareness  of  the  dangers  of 

speeding ‐‐ especially near schools and school busses. 

SROs  also  distributed  teen  driver  safety  educa onal 

materials to Henrico County High School students who 

were  in  the process of obtaining  their drivers  license 

and  to  those  who  already  had  drivers  licenses.  The 

safety  ps  included  informa on  about  speed 

enforcement, underage possession of alcohol, buckling 

 

 up, and teen traffic laws. Traffic Safety Officers also presented 

similar programs at private high schools in the County.  

The  Traffic Calming Program for  neighborhoods 

resulted  from  traffic  complaints  that  ci zens file with 

the Police Division.   Most of  these complaints are  for 

speeding  vehicles.  Henrico  County  Department  of 

Public Works    (HCDPW),  collaborates with  the  police 

and  the  community  through  educa onal  programs, 

signage  police  enforcement  ,  and  increased  fines  for 

speeding to change driver behavior, thus crea ng safer 

streets.  If the complaint is one that warrants a en on, 

HCDPW  works  together  with  County  emergency 

This Henrico Police October 

Facebook pos ng promoted 

the Safecar.gov “5 to Drive”

safety program that includes  

no speeding. This is just an 

example of the many traffic 

safety posts on Facebook in 

2013. 

Above, Chief Douglas A Middleton records a PSA at Clear Channel Communications that was broadcast throughout 2013 on all 13  Clear Channels metro Richmond radio stations. 

Sgt. Netherland  presents a safety program to teen drivers and 

their parents/guardians at a local private high school (above). 

7 

services  to  determine  the  best  plan  for  the 

neighborhood. Usually  the  plan  is  evaluated  a er  six 

months. The result may include installing speed humps 

or  considering    physical  changes  to  the  roadway    to  

reduce  speeding issues in a neighborhood.        

To promote safety in

Henrico County work

zones, Henrico Police

Officers conducted high

visibility enforcement in

ac ve highway work

zones. The  Division  used 

news  releases,  social 

media, and posters (right) to 

raise  awareness  during  this 

ini a ve  that  took  place  April  15‐19,  2013.   Officers 

were  reminded  in  an  email  of  this  ini a ve  and  the 

importance  of  conduc ng  speed  enforcement  during 

this  me.   

 

 

Enforcement

Henrico Police  recognizes  that speeding  is an ongoing 

problem  throughout  the  year  in  Henrico  County.  To 

address  this  problem,  the  Police  Division  annually 

conducts many opera ons during periods when traffic 

volume  is high  and  speeding  is prevalent.    Each  year 

during  the  month  of  April,  Henrico  and  other  local 

schools  have  their  spring  breaks which  creates more 

traffic  on  our  roadways.   Many  of  these  drivers  are 

young  and  inexperienced, while  others  have  “Spring

Fever”, which is the name of our opera on, Opera on

Spring Fever.      This was  the  fourth  year  the Division 

has conducted this opera on. See results in Outcomes. 

During  the  Click It or Ticket campaigns in May  and 

November  each  year,  Henrico  Police  takes  a  zero 

tolerance  approach  to  speeding  viola ons  as well  as 

looking  for  occupant  protec on  viola ons.    Since 

Virginia does not have a primary seatbelt  law, officers 

must observe another viola on in order to issue a  seat 

belt summons. See results in Outcomes.

Henrico Police also conducted organized enforcement

campaigns throughout the holidays to address

speeding as well as impaired driving and occupant

protec on. The holidays that Henrico Police address

annually are Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day,

and Thanksgiving. These  campaigns’  goals  are  to 

prevent    injuries  and  fatal  crashes  and  to  promote 

safety and voluntary compliance with traffic laws. This 

enforcement  is carried out County‐wide and  is usually 

conducted  in  the  a ernoons  and  rush  hours  when 

traffic volume is heavy.  See results in Outcomes.

Henrico County Police Division developed and

conducted a con nuous summer traffic safety

ini a ve that operates from Memorial Day in May

through the Labor Day Holiday in September en tled,

SPF‐100(Safety Prevents Fatali es 100 %). The goal of 

In this photo, speed bumps have been added to this neighborhood street to slow vehicles. Speed bumps are a last resort solution after all other options have been tested using the Traffic Calming Program. 

Public Informa on and Educa on (con nued)

8 

this  program  is  to 

increase  speeding 

enforcement efforts  in 

order  to  prevent 

injuries  and  fatality 

crashes.  Officers 

conduct  traffic 

enforcement  during 

peak traffic volume hours during the summer months.  

The  State  of  Virginia  Highway  Safety  Plan  iden fies 

these  months  as  the  deadliest  in  regards  to  speed 

related  crashes.    Henrico  Police  also  uses  its  social 

media  sites,  as  seen  in  the  Facebook  pos ng  above, 

and its website, and HCTV‐17 to promote this ini a ve.  

See results in Outcomes. 

Henrico  Police  has  conducted    Opera on  Back  to 

School since 2003.  The week prior to schools opening

in the fall, the Special Enforcement Unit and the

Division’s Public Informa on Office conduct a

campaign reminding drivers that schools will be

opening the following week.  This  reminds drivers  to 

watch for children and to be aware of school buses and 

school  zones.  The  Special  Enforcement  Unit  deploys 

variable  message  boards,   like  the   

one  pictured  top  right,    throughout  the  County  

with  safety  messages 

pertaining to students and 

busses.  Local  media 

outlets  and  Henrico’s 

public  access  channel 

HCTV‐17 also promote the 

ini a ve.      See  results  in 

Outcomes. 

During the first two weeks of school, police officers

conduct high visibility speed and occupant protec on

enforcement in school zones throughout the County.

Henrico County has nine high schools, two technical

schools, twelve middle schools and 46 elementary

schools that all have reduced speed school zones.

These  opera ons  are  conducted  during  arrival  and 

dismissal  of  the  various  schools  mes,  star ng  with 

elementary  and  ending  with  the  high  schools.  See 

results in Outcomes. 

Outcomes

The State of Virginia’s Highway Safety Plan iden fies

the months of May to August as the deadliest for 

speed related crashes.  It  is  apparent  from  the 

opera ons  previously  discussed  that  Henrico Police

focuses most of its speed enforcement efforts during

these deadly months. Consequently, as illustrated in

the graph at the top of page 10, we saw a 36 percent

decrease in our 2013 speed related crashes during

that high traffic volume me. Henrico  County  is  a 

unique  jurisdic on  in Central Virginia with  both  rural 

roadways and  suburban  roadways  to patrol.   Henrico 

County has 3,406 miles of roadways.  

Henrico  Police  annually  recognizes  top  performing 

officers  for  their  efforts  in  the  area  of  speed 

enforcement.  These officers’ efforts prevent injury and 

The SMART trailer pictured above and variable message board (seen top right) are two of several tactics used during school zone enforcement. 

Enforcement (con nued)

9 

Outcomes (con nued)

fatal  crashes  and  slow  drivers  in  residen al  areas, 

school  zones,  and  other  County  roadways.    These

officers pictured below were recognized for their

posi ve impact on speed enforcement. 

Although Henrico County saw a decrease in speeding

summonses in 2013, we a ribute this decrease to the

successful outcome resul ng from increased

enforcement as illustrated above between 2011‐

2012. As a result, increased awareness of

enforcement efforts and zero tolerance of speeding as

well as Traffic Calming efforts, reduced speed related

crashes by 36 percent from 2012.

It  is  apparent  to  the  Police  Division  that  drivers  in 

Henrico  County  have  received  our messages  and  are 

aware of enforcement. Drivers  in Henrico now  realize 

that speeding not only puts themselves  in danger, but 

also endangers the lives of others in their vehicles and 

on the roadways.  All efforts the Henrico County Police 

Division  put  forth  throughout  2013  to  include 

enforcement  ini a ves  and  raising  awareness  with 

social  media  have  helped  us  reduce  speeding  and 

speed related crashes in the County.   

Chief  Douglas  Middleton  has  made  speeding 

enforcement  one  of  the  top  priori es  for  sworn 

personnel,  and  as  a  result,  ci zens  realize  and  are 

mindful that we are a very proac ve agency in the area 

of  speed  enforcement. Our  high  visibility  due  to  our 

many enforcement efforts and con nuous social media 

messages  are  perceived  by  the  public  that  Henrico 

Police  are  patrolling  and  enforcing  speed  limits  on 

County roads everywhere.  This acts as a deterrent for 

drivers on Henrico County’s roadways.   Officer S. J.  Seidlitz 

815 Speeding Summonses                               

Officer B. L. Jennings 726 Speeding Summonses                               

Officer W. H. Rollins 850 Speeding Summonses                               

Henrico Officers attribute the decrease in summonses to drivers’ increased awareness of Henrico’s zero tolerance and enforcement. 

2011  2012  2013 

21,828  23,140  19,978 

SPEEDING SUMMONSES 2011‐2013

Officers, who are highly visible  to drivers, here conduct one of  the Special Enforcement Unit’s many  enforcement  ini a ves  on  County roadways. 

In 2013, Henrico had a 36 percent decrease in speed‐related crashes. 

Henrico County Speed Related Crashes 2011‐2013 

10 

Outcomes (con nued) The  reduc on  in  speeding  due  to  high  visibility  and 

enforcement  also  helps  reduce  crime  in  Henrico 

County.  Na onwide  DDACTS  (Data  Driven  Approach  to 

Crime and Traffic Sta s cs) studies sponsored by Na onal 

Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administra on  (NHTSA)  the 

Bureau  of  Jus ce  Assistance  (BJA)  and  the  Na onal 

Ins tute of  Jus ce  (NIH) have  shown  jurisdic ons  that 

have proac ve traffic enforcement programs also have 

observed reduc ons in crimes.  

The chart below illustrates the Division’s dedica on to 

speed  enforcement  to  reduce  death  and  destruc on 

from speeding in Henrico County.

The Henrico County Police Division and its Special Enforcement Unit will continue their efforts to enforce speed limits and to educate drivers about the dangers and consequences of speeding until deadly crashes, like the one pictured above, never happen again.  

Ini a ve ‐ Campaign Speeding

Summonses

Reckless Driving

Summonses

Opera on Spring 

Fever 98 11

Click It or Ticket (May & Nov. Combined) 

294 15

Holidays  (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor 

Day, and Thanksgiving 

combined) 

337 16

Opera on SPF 100%  1,554 34

Back to School  119 9

Other  14,913 2,578

 

T

S

C

Total

Summonses

per Campaign

109

309

353

1,588

128

17,491

19,978

Outcomes of Speed Enforcement Campaigns 2013

TYPE OF DIRECTIVE LINE PROCEDURE

NUMBER LP-22-11 REV.

SUBJECT RADAR AND LIDAR SPEED ENFORCEMENT

EFFECTIVE DATE 11/16/11

REFERENCE CODE OF VIRGINIA, CALEA

RESCINDS LP-22-11

PURPOSE To establish procedures for the use of radar and lidar speed measuring devices. POLICY The Police Division considers speed enforcement a priority and will actively engage in radar and lidar speed enforcement throughout the County of Henrico, specifically focusing on high, or potentially high, accident locations where speed is a factor, in areas where speed limit violations are prevalent, and in response to citizen complaints involving excessive speed. The below enforcement measures shall ensure that the Division's highway safety goal of providing safe and expeditious movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic is met. Single officer radar and lidar operations are excluded from location restriction. DEFINITIONS Radar – an acronym for Radio Detection and Ranging. Lidar – an acronym for Light Detection and Ranging (more commonly known as Laser). PROCEDURES I. EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATIONS/LICENSING

A. In accordance with §46.2-882 of the Code of Virginia, all equipment and devices used to measure the speed of motor vehicles that is purchased after July 1, 1986, shall meet or exceed the standards for such equipment as established by the Division of Purchases and Supply of the Virginia Department of General Services.

II. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES

A. General – Radar

1. It shall be the operator's responsibility to select safe locations to conduct radar operations.

2. Officers should refrain from using stationary radar to check vehicle speeds on

steep downgrades.

3. All selected speed enforcement locations shall be properly posted with a speed limit sign if the legal limit is lower than the maximum normally permissible under law.

RADAR AND LIDAR SPEED ENFORCEMENT LP-22-11 REV.

Page 2 of 6

4. A 0.3 miles tolerance shall be allowed from the point where a speed reduction sign is located.

5. Antenna

a. The radar antenna must be positioned so that the antenna are parallel to the length of the patrol vehicle and parallel to the ground and so that it’s beam is unobstructed;

b. At the discretion of the operator, the radar antenna may be mounted inside or outside the patrol vehicle. It is important that the antenna be mounted securely and that the operator has easy access to it for testing. The antenna must not be pointed at the counting unit.

6. The antenna must be properly aimed in the following manner:

a. Stationary Mode - as close to the direction of travel of the target

vehicles as possible and parallel to the ground; b. Moving Mode - straight ahead and parallel to the ground.

7. These rules apply to radar sets with more than one antenna.

8. The radar unit shall be connected directly to the battery by a shielded wire. 9. The radar counting unit should be placed so that it is easy to read and secure.

B. General – Lidar

1. It shall be the operator's responsibility to select safe locations to conduct lidar operations.

2. Officers should refrain from using the lidar to check vehicle speeds on steep

downgrades.

3. All selected speed enforcement locations shall be properly posted with a speed limit sign if the legal limit is lower than the maximum normally permissible under law.

4. A 0.3 miles tolerance shall be allowed from the point where a speed reduction

sign is located. 5. Lidar units must be pointed toward the target vehicle. Point of aim will include,

but not be limited to, headlights, taillights, license plates, or bumpers.

6. The lidar unit shall be connected directly to the battery by a shielded wire or by the handheld battery supplied with each unit.

7. Lidar units will not be mounted to the vehicle during speed detection operations,

but is required to be hand-held.

RADAR AND LIDAR SPEED ENFORCEMENT LP-22-11 REV.

Page 3 of 6

C. Testing the Calibration on Radar and Lidar Units

The radar or lidar unit must be checked for accuracy at a minimum of two times by the operator. This check for accuracy shall be conducted at the beginning of the officer’s assigned shift and again at the end of the officer’s assigned shift.

1. GOLDEN EAGLE, H.A.W.K., HR-12, and KR10-SP, PRO-1000 DS & Raptor,

and Talon Radar Units. a. Internal Circuit Test; b. Lamp Test; c. Doppler Audio Test; d. Tuning Forks Test.

1) 35 mph tuning fork in stationary mode; 2) 65 mph tuning fork in stationary mode; 3) Both tuning forks in the moving mode.

e. Moving Mode Test

1) Compare a calibrated speedometer with the radar unit's PATROL

reading at the posted speed limit in the area where the radar will be operated.

2) Verify the radar unit's PATROL reading to your speedometer speed at the time of the violation in the moving mode.

3) When operating a GOLDEN EAGLE or H.A.W.K. radar unit in the same direction mode, a target speed discrimination test must be conducted to ensure that the target speed is correct.

2. FALCON, Stalker, and Decatur Radar Units

a. Internal Circuit Test; b. Lamp Test; c. Doppler Audio Test; d. Tuning Fork Test (50 mph tuning fork); e. Moving Mode Test – compare a calibrated speedometer with the radar

unit’s PATROL reading at the posted speed limit in the area where the radar will be operated.

3. PRO LASER III (LIDAR) Unit

a. Turn unit on for internal testing (self-verifying).

b. Distance Test – at a location where two known distances have been pre-

measured, the officer will activate the lidar and compare the distance in the Range Mode display to the actual pre-determined distance. 1) If the accuracy of the lidar is within one foot of the

predetermined distance, the distance test will be considered accurate.

2) If the accuracy of the lidar is outside the foot of the

RADAR AND LIDAR SPEED ENFORCEMENT LP-22-11 REV.

Page 4 of 6

predetermined distance, the distance test will be considered inaccurate and the lidar unit should be turned in for repair.

c. Site Alignment Test – The operator will check the proper alignment of the sighting device by utilizing a fixed object with no other obstacles in the background. When the lidar beam is swept across this fixed object, the lidar will register a distance reading. This sweeping of the lidar should be performed both horizontally and vertically.

d. Differential Distance Test

1) Placing the unit in the Differential Test Mode; 2) Shoot a known distance and press “enter”; 3) Shoot a second known distance and press “enter”; 4) The lidar will display the difference on the right side of the

screen, and the distance will be multiplied by two on the left side of the screen;

5) If the unit measurement is within one foot, the test will be considered to be accurate;

6) If the unit measurement is more than one foot, the unit should be taken out of service and turned in for repair.

D. Group Radar/Lidar Assignments 1. For group radar and lidar operations, the units will be checked in the same

manner as stated above in section II.C by one of the participating members before and after each operation at a specific location.

a. Speed checks shall be made with a currently (within preceding six

months) calibrated, accurate Division vehicle. The same vehicle shall be used for both pre-operation and post-operation tests.

b. At any time that the radar operator changes, the set must be rechecked

for accuracy.

c. When conducting a group speed enforcement operation, all summonses shall be grouped together and collectively sent to the clerk of the appropriate court.

E. Moving Mode Operation for Radar and Lidar Units

1. When placed in the moving mode, radar may be used to monitor vehicles:

a. Approaching on a two-lane highway;

b. Approaching in either lane of a three-lane highway; c. Approaching in either lane of a four-lane undivided highway; or d. Approaching in either lane of divided highways, if conditions permit.

RADAR AND LIDAR SPEED ENFORCEMENT LP-22-11 REV.

Page 5 of 6

III. PROPER CARE AND UPKEEP

A. Care must be exercised in handling and transporting radar and lidar devices. B. It is the responsibility of each radar and lidar operator to ensure that the unit is kept

clean and dry. 1. If problems are experienced with a radar unit, it should be removed from service

immediately and returned to the County Radio Maintenance Shop. 2. If problems are experienced with a lidar unit, it should be removed from service

immediately and returned to the Special Enforcement Unit so arrangements can be made with Kustom Signals, Inc., for any necessary repairs.

IV. PROGRAMMED MAINTENANCE

A. The frequency of the radar shall be recalibrated at least once every six months.

B. The scheduling of tests shall be the responsibility of the County Radio Maintenance

Shop.

C. Lidar devices shall be recalibrated at least once every six months by Kustom Signals, Inc. or a Kustom approved dealer certified to calibrate the lidar units.

V. MAINTENANCE AND CALIBRATION RECORDS

A. Maintenance and repair records for radar and lidar units shall be maintained by the County Radio Maintenance Shop.

B. Notarized records pertaining to the findings of calibration tests of radar and lidar units

shall be maintained by the Criminal Records Unit. VI. OPERATOR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION

A. Only those members who have received the training prescribed for the specific radar or lidar unit being utilized may operate that equipment.

B. All radar operators shall be certified by the Division’s Training Unit and follow Virginia

Department of Criminal Justice Services rules and regulations.

1. Initial certification for radar operators shall consist of successfully completing a minimum sixteen hour course meeting Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) standards.

2. Certified radar operators shall be re-certified every three years after their initial

certification by successfully completing a minimum four hour course that meets DCJS standards.

3. Certified lidar operators shall receive at a minimum of twelve hours of training

and instruction that meets Virginia DCJS standards.

RADAR AND LIDAR SPEED ENFORCEMENT LP-22-11 REV.

Page 6 of 6

4. If an operator’s certification has expired, he may recertify at the existing level within twelve months of said expiration by attending a recertification course of a minimum of four hours that meets DCJS standards.

5. If an operator’s certification has expired, he shall not operate radar and/or lidar

for purposes of speed enforcement.

6. If an operator’s certification has been expired for longer than twelve months, that operator shall be required to attend a full certification course.

VII. TECHNICAL OR EXPERT TESTIMONY

A. Should the need for technical or expert testimony in court arise, a written request shall be forwarded to the Commander, Special Enforcement Unit.

B. Requests should indicate:

1. Date of the offense; 2. Court date; 3. Serial number of the counting unit, antenna, and tuning forks; and 4. All details surrounding the case.

By Order of:

Douglas A. Middleton Chief of Police

TYPE OF DIRECTIVE POLICY

NUMBER 200 (2012)

SUBJECT POLICY

EFFECTIVE DATE 12/20/12

REFERENCE CALEA

RESCINDS 200 (2008)

200.00 POLICY

Policy is a written statement of the principles under which the County of Henrico Police Division operates. It establishes guidelines that enable the Division to reach its goals and objectives.

200.10 DISCRETION

Inherent to the establishment of policy are the boundaries within which acceptable performance is found. The range of alternatives between the upper and lower boundaries is known as discretion. It is when discretionary limits are exceeded that the Division is in danger of falling into disfavor. To reduce the occurrence of misdirected discretion, applicable statements of policy in this directive are reinforced by rules, regulations, directives, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), policies, or orders of this Division. Further, the actions of the Division's personnel are subject to the specifics of federal, state, and local laws. It is solely the individual's understanding and application of this combination of factors that determines the limits of his discretionary authority. Those members who elect to extend their discretionary authority beyond the described parameters will be held accountable for their actions.

200.20 ALTERNATIVES TO ARREST

Even though the use of discretion is usually an individual decision, there are certain circumstances for which specific enforcement alternatives are preferred and encouraged. Each directive containing a preferred alternative to arrest will also cite the authority to initiate the alternative.

210.00 ADMINISTRATION – GENERAL PROVISIONS

The Chief of the Police Division shall be the chief executive officer and he shall have the authority and responsibility for the management, direction, and control of the operations and administration of the Division. This authority and responsibility are vested in the Chief of Police through the County Manager form of government approved by a referendum vote on September 19, 1933. Statutory authority for such status is provided through Code of Virginia 15.2-612, 15.2-614, 15.2-632, 15.2-635, and 15.2-637.

211.00 COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY

The County Manager, as Director of Public Safety, prescribes general policies, plans, and objectives for the Police Division and advises procedures when extraordinary situations arise, but the Chief of Police has complete internal control over police activities and police

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 2 of 13

personnel and he shall exercise wide discretion in the administration of the Division.

214.00 CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES CONFIDENTIALITY

Sworn civilian and non-sworn civilian members should be fully aware of the confidential aspects of records, investigations, and other police activities. Because of their position within the Division, they shall remain faithful to that confidence.

220.00 PERSONAL CONDUCT

Members of this Division shall not conduct themselves in a manner that would be detrimental to the Division's image as the law enforcement agency of the County of Henrico. All personnel shall adopt as their standard of behavior the following Code of Ethics: As a member of the Police Division, I will adhere to upholding our values, the very foundation of our agency: honor, professionalism, commitment, compassion, and accountability. I will keep my public and private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain calm in the face of scorn, or ridicule; develop self restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty. I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. Sworn personnel shall adopt as their standard of behavior the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics:

Law Enforcement Code of Ethics

As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice. I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.

I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 3 of 13

I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of the police service. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession – Law Enforcement.

220.05 APPEARANCE

Properly attired police personnel increase the public's confidence in and respect for the Division. Henrico County police officers have established a reputation of demonstrating pride in their appearance. The Division will not tolerate any appearance short of this standard. Civilian members, whether in uniform or in civilian clothing, are also a part of the Division's image. Personal appearance shall reflect a professional and favorable image upon the Division. This includes attire worn on designated casual workdays. Any questions regarding proper personal appearance and attire shall be addressed by a member’s appropriate section/unit Commander.

220.10 PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE

The attitude of the police officer is one of objectivity toward the people and situations they encounter. Professional police officers have been trained to understand the impulses in both themselves and the people with whom they deal. This understanding also eliminates their own expressions of prejudice and any unjustifiable action, thereby inspiring in the citizen a greater degree of respect and cooperation.

220.15 LOYALTY

Loyalty is a two-way process. Management, including all supervising and command officers, must have a concern for the welfare of subordinates and a responsibility to support them in their proper actions. This does not include protecting them from the consequences of misdeeds. No member will divulge Divisional information regarding a concern or grievance within the Division, unless authorized by the Chief of Police (or his designee). Whenever a member initiates action against an agency member of the criminal justice system, he must inform the Chief of Police (or his designee). Members of the Division have an obligation to be loyal to their peers, to their superior officers, to the administration of the Division, and to the County government that employs them as long as those to whom they are responsible are acting lawfully and in accordance with Division policy.

220.20 MILITARY COURTESY

Proper respect shall be accorded an individual's rank. Each member addressing another member above his rank must address such member by that rank. When in uniform, due

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 4 of 13

respect to the flag will be shown by a hand salute. 220.25 ACCEPTANCE OF REWARDS, GIFTS, AND FAVORS

Members of this Division shall not accept any money, loan, gift, favor, service, or business or professional opportunity that reasonably tends to influence the performance of official duties, except lawful salary (§2.2-3103). "Gift" means any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary value. It includes services as well as gifts of transportation, local travel, lodgings and meals, whether provided in-kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred (§ 2.2-3101).

221.00 BRIBERY

Bribery tarnishes the image of the Division, is a violation of Virginia State Code §18.2-439, and will not be tolerated.

222.00 SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment as defined in the County's Rules and Regulations will not be tolerated within the Police Division. Disciplinary action will be initiated against members engaging in such activities. Supervisors who are aware of such incidents and take no action will be considered negligent in their duties and shall be subject to disciplinary action.

223.00 DISCIPLINE

Discipline is a necessary function of command that must be exercised in order to maintain a police agency that is receptive to direction and control. Discipline is not a negative force, but a positive form of training and an important constructive leadership tool. Discipline and punishment should not be confused. Proper discipline results in an organization that voluntarily conforms to regulations.

224.00 GRIEVANCE

The County of Henrico Rules and Regulations manual states, “A grievance is a complaint or dispute by an employee relating to his employment, including but not necessarily limited to: disciplinary actions; applications of personnel policies, procedures, rules, and regulations, and the application of ordinances and statutes; acts of retaliation as the result of the use of or the participation in the grievance procedure or because the employee has complied with any law of the United States or of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has reported any violation of such law to a governmental authority, has sought any change in law before the United States Congress or the General Assembly of Virginia, or has reported an incident of fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement; discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, political affiliation, age, disability, national origin, or sex.”

The County Grievance Procedure will be followed by the Police Division. While County Personnel is responsible for grievances beyond Step 2, the Internal Affairs Unit is designated

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 5 of 13

to coordinate the grievance with County Department of Human Resources. Internal Affairs will be responsible for maintaining grievance records through Step 2 and copies of all grievance records from Steps 3 and 4, which are sent to the Chief of Police by the County Department of Human Resources. The Commander, Internal Affairs will analyze these records once a year for any problem solving benefit.

225.00 RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE

A police officer's duty is to protect life and property. In fulfilling this duty, every possible and reasonable alternative should be used before resorting to force. If it becomes necessary to employ force as a response to resistance or other action, a police officer should use only that force necessary to achieve the lawful objectives of the Division.

226.00 VOTER PARTICIPATION AND POLITICAL ACTIVITY

Police officers are a vital part of any community. As such, they should use their privilege to vote in local, statewide, and national elections. Local political activities by any police officer should be limited to preventing conflicts of interest or an infringement of the Division's neutrality.

227.00 RECOMMENDATION OF ATTORNEYS AND BONDSMEN

Members of this Division shall not recommend attorneys and bondsmen since this type of action presents a conflict of interest.

228.00 QUOTING FINES

Under no circumstances will any member of this Division quote the cost of fines for violations of the law. Citizens requesting this information should be instructed to contact a magistrate.

229.00 INTERFERING IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

Members shall not interfere in the administration of justice by attempting to subvert the lawful intent of any investigation or arrest made by any member of this Division or any other agency.

231.10 RE-HIRING

The Police Division will have an open re-hire policy. When appropriate, testing and evaluation may be required. Re-employment will be at the sole discretion of the Chief of Police and determined on a case-by-case basis. Upon successful re-employment, salary and benefits will be determined by the County Department of Human Resources. Nothing in this policy shall supercede the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, or other applicable provisions of law.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 6 of 13

231.20 INVESTIGATION AND SELECTION OF APPLICANTS

The selection process will consist of multipurpose testing, interviews, physical and psychological examinations, and an extensive background investigation. The background investigation will include verification of qualifying credentials, a review of any criminal record, and verification of at least three personal references. This process will be followed to identify any personal characteristic that would make the applicant acceptable or unacceptable. Unsuccessful applicants may reapply for a position during subsequent hiring processes. The process will follow all Federal and County guidelines. Files maintained on the investigation will be open for inspection only to those within the County Administration who have a need to know. All investigations and files on persons not employed will be destroyed five years from the date of application.

231.30 PROBATIONARY STATUS

In accordance with the Henrico County Rules and Regulations, sworn officers of the Police Division serve a probationary status of 24 months. The probationary period, which commences on the date of employment, provides an opportunity for the new member to develop his skills through intense classroom and field training. Further, it allows the Division to identify any unacceptable traits or areas in need of development so that the concentrated corrective effort can be initiated. The probationary period should be considered a learning experience for both the probationary officer and the Police Division and, as such, any adverse impact upon the ratio of persons employed to those who attain permanent status will remain within acceptable boundaries. Any exception to the prescribed probationary period will be in accordance with guidelines established in the Henrico County Rules and Regulations.

232.00 PERSONNEL FILES

Personnel files are accurately kept on every person employed by the Division. Five different files are maintained for all personnel: (1) Background Investigation, (2) General Information, (3) All evaluations, (4) Commendation/Disciplinary Action (refer to 400 Discipline), and (5) Accidents/Workers’ Compensation. These files are accessible only to the Office of the Chief, Section Commanding Officers, and Personnel Unit members directly responsible for the maintenance of these files. Charges of misconduct, complaints, commendations, and recommendations regarding disciplinary action will be initialed by the member prior to being placed in that member's file. It is required that all members desiring to review their own files do so by requesting such a review in writing through the chain-of-command to the Chief of Police.

233.00 HEALTH AND WELFARE

The functions of a law enforcement officer require a level of physical and psychological fitness not demanded by many other occupations. All police officer recruits receive a thorough medical and psychological evaluation prior to employment. In order to provide effective law enforcement service, all members are encouraged to maintain a satisfactory level of physical and emotional health.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 7 of 13

After consultation with the appropriate medical staff of the County’s Employee Health Services and in conjunction with/and supervised by a medical doctor, the Chief of Police (or his designee), may require a member to undergo certain medical examinations and/or tests for their own safety and the safety of others. All mandated examinations and/or test expenses will be borne in full by the County of Henrico.

A physically and emotionally fit member can more capably perform the requirements of an assignment. It is the responsibility of each member to maintain a level of health and fitness that will ensure the ability to perform the required tasks of any assignment within the Division.

235.00 REFUSAL TO WORK

Virginia State Code §40.1-55 states: “Any employee of the Commonwealth, or of any county, city, town, or other political subdivision thereof, or of any agency of any one of them, who, in concert with two or more other such employees, for the purpose of obstructing, impeding or suspending any activity or operation of his employing agency or any other governmental agency, strikes or willfully refuses to perform the duties of his employment shall, by such action, be deemed to have terminated his employment and shall thereafter be ineligible for employment in any position or capacity during the next twelve months by the Commonwealth, or any county, city, town, or other political subdivision of the Commonwealth, or by any department or agency of any of them.”

236.10 MOBILIZATION OF OFFICERS

The need to notify officers or call out officers for mobilization is essential in responding to unusual occurrences. The Chief of Police or a member of the Command Staff will determine the need to place officers on alert during the implementation of a Second Stage Mobilization. A Third Stage Mobilization can only be declared by the Chief of Police (or his designee). (Refer to the All-Hazards Critical Incident Response Plan)

237.10 RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFF-DUTY ASSIGNMENT

When working an off-duty assignment, officers are expected to respond to any lawful request for service, either handling it themselves or personally seeing that it is handled. There should be no further necessity on the complainant's part to contact other officers unless the provision of such assistance would be detrimental to the responsibilities of the off-duty assignment. Reporting of additional income earned from off-duty assignments to the Internal Revenue Service is the personal responsibility of the individual officer.

238.00 LEAVE REQUEST

All sections and units are required to operate at an established complement level. Request for compensatory time or annual leave will be granted only if the number of people working will be equal to the established minimum staffing level. The policies establishing all other forms of leave are covered in the County's Rules and Regulations.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 8 of 13

240.00 TRAINING

Training ensures that all personnel perform assigned tasks with maximum efficiency and in such a way as to protect their safety and give the best possible service to the public. Members’ actions shall be in accordance with the training they have received. Training is a continuing process.

241.00 RECRUIT TRAINING

Basic training is a process of developing a foundation for capable law enforcement work and of developing the individual officer for more advanced and specialized training. The Henrico County Police Academy exceeds the standard of training mandated by the Virginia Criminal Justice Officers' Training Standards Commission. Recruit training is also a continuation of the selection process. Those recruits not meeting the Divisional training standards shall be terminated by the Division.

241.10 FIELD TRAINING

Probationary officers shall be uniformly taught the basic patrol techniques when being instructed by a Field Training Officer (FTO). This precludes misunderstanding or a lack of knowledge in certain areas when the probationary officer transfers from one platoon to another. Field Training Officers will adhere to the standards established in the Field Training Officers' Training Manual.

242.00 IN-SERVICE TRAINING

In-service training provides an opportunity for an officer to update his knowledge of new techniques and procedures within the Division, as well as his knowledge of changes in state law and local ordinances.

243.00 SPECIALIZED TRAINING

The Division's members must not only be prepared for routine occurrences, but also those exceptional events that require specialized training in particular areas. The Division sends interested individuals to specialized schools and conferences and they in turn disseminate their newly acquired knowledge to others within the Division.

245.00 PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING

The Division and the County of Henrico are committed to providing for the mental health and welfare needs of its members. These needs are sometimes best satisfied when a member receives professional counseling. The Division and the County also recognize and identify various methods by which a member may receive needed counseling. It is recognized that confidentiality can be a critical factor in successful counseling. Confidentiality of those persons receiving assistance is maintained by the respective mental health agency, except in instances where the member presents a clear and present danger to themselves or others. Due to the stress factors associated with law enforcement and related functions, Division personnel are encouraged to seek counseling whenever a need is

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 9 of 13

identified.

251.00 LIAISON WITH THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM

It is the obligation of the Division as a member of the Criminal Justice System to work with and assist the judiciary and the prosecution agencies. Officers should be present in court on dates specified unless they are ill or involved in a serious situation that would preclude their timely arrival. In these instances, the court should be promptly notified. The final obligation for this notification rests with the officer. Pretrial conferences with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney aid in prosecution and certain aspects of an investigation.

251.10 MISHANDLING OF CASES

The Division will review any complaint brought to its attention concerning officers who cause a case to be dismissed or not prosecuted because of mishandling. This type of review may be initiated by any member of the court, any Commonwealth's Attorney, any citizen, or any Division member.

255.00 COMMUNITY YOUTH PROGRAMS

The Police Division supports all County agencies in its efforts to provide meaningful programs for the community's youth. Police personnel will endeavor to respond in a positive manner when assistance is requested from these agencies. Support shall include programs in public safety, providing program demonstration, supplemental employment for security, support equipment if applicable, routine patrol of activities to prevent program interruption, interpersonal interactions between participants and officers, and providing competitive teams.

264.20 DIVISION EQUIPMENT (AUTHORIZATION AND ISSUANCE)

The Division issues certain articles of equipment to various members and it is the responsibility of those members to whom it is assigned to properly maintain that equipment. Equipment not issued to officers and members, and not approved in writing by the Chief of Police (or his designee), is unauthorized equipment and shall not be worn or used by an officer of this Division. Members may be assigned Division owned vehicles and other owned property which includes, but is not limited to, offices, lockers, desks, safes, file cabinets, toolboxes, cases, and other equipment for the mutual convenience of the Division and its personnel. The retention of personal items in such containers or facilities is at the risk of the member and the Division will not be responsible for any losses. All Division equipment is subject to entry and inspection without notice, even if the member has placed a personally owned lock on Division property.

270.00 NOTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL LIABILITY

Any incident arising where there may be a question as to the liability of the Division, or those which may result in a heightened community interest, will be reported to the Chief of Police as soon as practical in accordance with RP-46.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 10 of 13

270.30 CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The Constitution of the United States provides all citizens with certain guarantees. Some of these guarantees are in the form of requirements placed upon law enforcement agencies to ensure that no infringement of individual rights occurs during a criminal investigation. Members of the Police Division shall adhere to any and all constitutional requirements in the conduct of criminal investigations that apply to the use of coercion or the involuntary nature of confessions and admissions, delays in arraignment, informing a defendant of his rights, deprivation of counsel, and/or prejudicial pretrial publicity.

271.05 PREVENTIVE PATROL

Unpredictability and flexibility are the keystones to effective patrol. Uniform officers will patrol all portions of their assigned areas.

271.10 PATROL AREA RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities of patrolling an assigned area require the officer to be well acquainted with the area, its problems, and people. The patrol officer should develop and maintain informational sources or contacts. Officers leaving their station’s coverage area in the performance of their duties shall properly notify their field supervisor or Communications.

272.40 HOSTAGE SITUATIONS

Hostage situations will be handled by negotiations, if possible, with every reasonable effort made to maintain the life of the hostage(s). The overriding principle that should be recognized is that the life of any person involved in a hostage situation is very important. No appeasement measures will be taken which will allow the situation to move from the contained areas.

272.90 RAPE CALLS

If available, an officer of the same sex as the victim should be assigned to rape investigations during the initial interview. Officers should refer victims of the crime to the available community counseling services.

273.00 TRAFFIC FUNCTIONS

Traffic law enforcement is an important aspect of the Division's mission. It is a responsibility shared by all enforcement personnel, particularly the uniformed officer. Enforcement activities shall be performed at a level that will maximize the safe flow of traffic and voluntary compliance with all traffic laws.

273.15 OFF-DUTY ENFORCEMENT

An off-duty officer operating a privately-owned motor vehicle will not engage in traffic enforcement unless the violation endangers life, limb, and property.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 11 of 13

273.35 FIRST AID

Police personnel are obligated to administer whatever first aid is possible to injured parties. Depending on the extent and help available (such as rescue squads), they must continue this effort until the situation is stabilized or until properly relieved.

273.45 ESCORTS

A police escort will be provided upon request only to the President of the United States, the Vice President, or heads of other governments recognized by the United States. Funeral processions will also receive service by marked police vehicles from the Division. All other escort requests must be approved by the Chief of Police (or his designee). No police vehicle will be used to escort an emergency vehicle or those private vehicles being used as emergency transportation.

275.10 PRIORITY OF INVESTIGATIONS

The severity of any criminal offense will necessitate the urgency and immediacy of the follow-up investigation. Criminal offenses will be assigned in accordance with criteria set forth in the Incident/Crime Report Manual.

275.20 CRIME SCENES

Protection of crime scenes is imperative to the solving of any case. Every officer shall endeavor to preserve crime scenes until a determination of subsequent handling is made.

276.00 COVERT FUNCTIONS

Covert police techniques are universally accepted as both a deterrent and an enforcement approach to crimes. This Division endorses both approaches and subscribes to their use. The covert nature of a member working in an undercover operation must be safeguarded. Officers working in an undercover capacity shall not be approached by a member of the Police Division in public view without prior radio clearance.

277.10 JUVENILE CRIMES INVESTIGATIONS

Special Victims Unit detectives must place major emphasis on cases involving juveniles either as the victims or the perpetrators of the crime.

277.20 MISSING PERSONS

The Special Victims Unit will be notified immediately following the preliminary investigation of all reports of missing persons under the age of 10 years. The Special Victims Unit will give first consideration to those missing persons investigations in which foul play may have taken place, or in which the health and safety of the juvenile is a factor.

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 12 of 13

277.30 SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS

School Resource Officers will handle investigations of offenses as outlined in the Incident/Crime Reporting Manual that occur on and off school property.

277.60 LIAISON WITH THE SCHOOLS

The Henrico County School Board has established a policy that the principals of the schools will lend full cooperation to all police officers entering upon school property to investigate incidents involving a student. When Division personnel conduct investigations on school property, the principal will be informed prior to the initiation of any interviews or investigations during school hours.

279.00 ANIMAL PROTECTION

Animal Protection Police Officers shall enforce State laws and County ordinances relating to animals within the County of Henrico. In addition, Animal Protection Police Officers may enforce all State and County criminal and traffic laws whenever violations of these laws occur in their presence. Animal Protection personnel will maintain the Animal Shelter and will develop programs to promote the health and welfare of animals in the County.

281.00 FIREARMS

Division personnel are equipped and trained with firearms to defend themselves or others from deadly force or when it is necessary to affect the arrest of a felon. When firing the weapon, the officer attempts to prevent further aggressive action. Deadly force shall not be employed except as a last resort in any situation in which such force is justified.

281.30 FIRING OF WARNING SHOTS

Warning shots are most often hazardous to innocent bystanders and to other officers within the area and shall not be fired.

281.40 OFFICER SURRENDERING WEAPON

Experience has shown that the danger to the officer is increased by surrendering the firearm. Officers of the Division shall use every tactical means at their disposal to avoid surrendering their weapon.

282.00 POLICE VEHICLE

Police vehicle operation is critical in performing the mission of the Police Division and is the sole responsibility of the operating officer. It is imperative that each officer realize that the operation of the vehicle is always in public view and often scrutinized by citizens. Officers shall obey Virginia state laws and all rules, regulations, directives, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), policies, or orders of this Division. Division members will exercise good judgment and appropriate caution when operating a vehicle. The operation of any computer equipment, wireless devices, or any other electronic equipment is secondary to

POLICY 200 (2012)

Page 13 of 13

safety. It is the responsibility of the Division to provide a fully equipped and operative vehicle that is safe to use as an emergency vehicle.

282.10 USE OF SEAT BELTS

The unpredictability of the driving situations faced by an officer requires that all precautionary measures be utilized. All persons riding in police vehicles shall utilize their seat belt.

282.20 EMERGENCY RESPONSE WITH POLICE VEHICLES

Officers engaged in emergency response (emergency lights and siren) shall operate their police vehicle with due regard for their safety and the safety of others. Officers shall adhere to the traffic law exemptions in accordance with Section §46.2-920 of the Virginia State Code. Officers cannot provide assistance if they do not arrive on the scene safely.

282.30 EMERGENCY RESPONSE – APPROACHING SCHOOL BUS

Any police officer, when operating a police vehicle in an emergency response mode (including pursuit), who approaches a school bus in any direction and that school bus is stopped or about to stop for the purpose of picking up or discharging students, shall bring the vehicle to a complete stop prior to reaching the school bus. The officer shall not proceed until such time as the school bus driver has signaled the police officer that it is safe to proceed and the officer has checked to ensure that no students are about to cross or are in a position that would endanger their lives should the emergency vehicle proceed.

290.00 POLICE FACILITIES

The appearance of police facilities leaves an impression on the public as great as that of the appearance of the officer. The members of this Division will maintain clean and orderly facilities.

290.10 SECURITY

Police facilities will be secured in a manner to prevent the free flow of unauthorized persons throughout the building. The degree of security should be elevated during other than normal working hours to assure optimum safety for police operations and personnel.

By Order of:

Douglas A. Middleton Chief of Police