General orders

300-15 Appearance and Grooming

‣ All employees wearing a department approved uniform, displaying on their person an HPD employee identification card, or representing the department in an official capacity shall follow the standards of appearance outlined in this section. Except where noted, this section does not apply to undercover classified employees when they act in that capacity. However, when undercover classified employees wear a department approved uniform, they shall abide by this section. ‣ Facial Hair and Skin Conditions ‣ • Beards and Goatees ◦Male civilian employees are allowed to have facial hair that is neatly trimmed and conservative in appearance. ◦Except for permitted mustaches and sideburns, classified employees shall not have beards of any type and/or goatees (this includes a small patch of hair under the lower lip). ◦If a dermatologist diagnoses a classified employee with a skin condition (e.g., pseudo folliculitis barbae) that precludes shaving or wearing a first responder respirator effectively (hereinafter referred to as a respirator), that classified employee shall be assigned to a transitional duty assignment that does not require the wearing of an official classified uniform or special assignment uniform. The transitional duty assignment shall continue until the condition is alleviated. While assigned to a transitional duty assignment, officers shall be allowed to work extra employment, but only if it is nonpolice-related (see Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines). ◦If a dermatologist diagnoses a classified employee with a skin condition that precludes shaving, that classified employee shall be permitted to temporarily wear a beard, provided the dermatologist prescribes a treatment. If a beard is worn it shall not exceed a length of one-quarter inch. Affected classified employees shall submit to their supervisors a physician's report including documentation of the diagnosis, prognosis, and the anticipated period during which the classified employee will need to refrain from shaving. ◦Classified employees who are diagnosed with a skin condition that precludes shaving or wearing a respirator shall adhere to all of the following guidelines: ‣ A) Classified employees must have a written excuse from a state of Texas certified physician who specializes in dermatology ‣ B) Classified employees may go to a dermatologist of their choice, but shall be responsible for all costs associated with the office visits and treatments ‣ C) Once the physician prescribes treatment directing the classified employee to wear a beard, the classified employee must have a written excuse from the physician every 30 calendar days ◦It shall be the responsibility of the classified employee's immediate supervisor to verify all pertinent information in the physician's written statement. ◦If the attending physician continues to prescribe the wearing of a beard by the classified employee for longer than 90 calendar days, the department shall require the classified employee to sign a medical release. The Authorization for Disclosure of Protected Health Information form (available on the department's Intranet Portal) shall allow the City's Medical Director to review any necessary medical reports and work with the classified employee's personal physician in developing a treatment plan that will assist the classified employee in returning to full duty. Any independent evaluation mandated by the City shall be at the City's expense. ◦If it is determined by the classified employee's attending physician and the City Medical Director that a classified employee's skin condition is of such a nature as to permanently prevent the classified employee from shaving, then the classified employee may be reassigned to a uniformed position, but is precluded from working Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Detail, Special Response Group, or the call for service loop in patrol. Classified employees who have been issued an escape hood due to a skin condition that permanently prevents shaving may be allowed to work extra employment in uniform with approval from the Chief of Police. • Mustaches ◦Male classified employees may have mustaches, but they shall be neatly trimmed and not extend ‣ D) More than 1/2 inch beyond the outer corners of the mouth ‣ E) Below the outer corners of the mouth ‣ F) Below the upper lip • Sideburns ◦Sideburns, for classified employees, shall not extend farther than the lowest tip of the earlobe. Sideburns shall be of a naturally even width and shall end with a clean-shaven horizontal line. • Hair ◦Any exceptions to the policies outlined in this subsection require approval by the Chief of Police. ◦All employees shall keep their hair clean and neatly groomed so as to present a professional appearance at all times. ◦Classified employee's shall wear their hair in a manner suitable to a quasi-military organization and shall not wear their hair in such a way as to interfere with the proper wearing of official classified uniform headgear. Hair is not to be worn in unusual ways as to detract from the professional appearance of the uniform. Unusual styles include, but are not limited to, abnormal coloring or multi-coloring, carvings, ducktails, dreadlocks, mohawks, and mullets. • Female Uniformed Classified Employees ◦The hair of female classified employees in uniform shall not extend more than four inches below the top of the collar of the official classified uniform shirt. Braids or a single ponytail shall be acceptable, but shall not hang below four inches from the top of the collar. Any braids must have a professional appearance. No style can interfere with the wearing of the uniform hat. ◦Hair restraints may be worn, but they must complement the hair color or be black, brown, silver, or gold in color and have no ornamentation. • Male Uniformed Classified Employees ◦The hair of male classified employees in uniform shall not extend more than half an inch below the top of the collar of the official classified uniform shirt. Hair on the sides shall not cover more than half of the ears. Hairstyles shall represent conservative and professional standards. • Jewelry ◦All personnel shall have a professional appearance and any visible jewelry shall be conservative in style. ◦Classified employees while wearing a department authorized uniform shall abide by the appearance standards regarding the wearing of jewelry and accessories outlined below. ‣ A) All jewelry shall be modest and conservatively styled. ‣ B) Only one wristwatch at a time may be worn. ‣ C) Only one ring per hand may be worn. (A wedding set is considered one ring.) ‣ D) Necklaces of any type shall be concealed at all times. ‣ E) Bracelets shall not be worn unless it is specifically for a medical alert notification. ‣ F) No insignia except that which is authorized by the Chief of Police shall be worn. Approved insignias are listed in this General Order and the Houston Police Department Uniform Standards Catalog. ‣ G) Female classified employees may wear small, conservative, single-colored earrings on their earlobes. Earrings shall not extend below the earlobes or have loose or dangling parts and shall not extend above the middle part of the outer ear. Only one earring per ear shall be permitted. ‣ H) Male classified employees shall not wear earrings. ‣ I) No jewelry or tie bar shall be worn on the uniform tie. Tie tacks may be worn, but must be concealed from view. ‣ J) All jewelry, except that which is specifically authorized by this General Order, shall be concealed and not visible while in uniform. ◦Employees (civilian or classified) shall not wear any type of exposed body piercing jewelry or articles (e.g., nose, tongue, eyebrow). This restriction does not apply to classified employees operating in an undercover capacity with written authorization from an executive assistant chief. Any method of concealment (e.g., bandage) is prohibited. • Makeup and Fingernails ◦Civilian employees' fingernails shall be conservative in appearance and length and not hinder them from their daily job functions. ◦Classified employees' fingernails shall be clean and neatly trimmed and shall not extend more than a quarter inch beyond the fingertip or be of such a length as to interfere with the efficient operation of police equipment or cause injury to the employee or others. ◦Only female employees may wear nail polish or makeup, but both must be subdued and moderate in tones and application. ◦When nail polish is worn by female classified employees, all fingernails shall be the same single color. When toenail polish is worn and exposed, all toenails shall be the same single color. No visible ornamentation on the nail is allowed. • Physical Standards ◦All employees shall exercise good bodily hygiene and cleanliness by bathing daily. ◦All classified employees should, through regular exercise and moderate living habits, maintain themselves in such a physical condition as to be able to handle strenuous physical contacts or the demands required of a law enforcement officer. ◦All classified employees should maintain their weight proportionate to their height and age as advised by their physician. • Tattoos and Body Art ◦No employee may have an offensive tattoo or body art visible. Examples of offensive tattoos include, but are not limited to, those that are racial, sexual, discriminatory, gang-related, or obscene in nature. If an employee has visible tattoos or body art that may be considered offensive, such employee shall properly utilize an approved black coverup tattoo sleeve to conceal such tattoos or body art. ◦Regardless of content, no tattoo or body art located on the hands or on or above the neck shall be visible on any employee. • Court Attire ◦Judges of each court have the right to establish their own courtroom dress code standard and all personnel shall adhere to that standard. However, when no standard exists, employees shall dress in professional conservative attire. ◦Classified employees shall wear an official classified uniform, special assignment uniform, or professional conservative attire to municipal court. ◦Classified employees shall not wear special assignment uniforms to county, state, or federal court unless required by the court. ◦Classified employees shall not wear uniform shorts to court. ◦When wearing plainclothes attire to court, employees shall be guided by the plainclothes regulations outlined in section 5 of this General Order. Male employees shall wear a business suit with shirt and tie, or a sport coat and dress slacks with shirt and tie, and appropriate footwear. ◦Female employees shall wear a business suit and blouse combination, or conservative dress, pantsuit or blouse and skirt combination and appropriate footwear.

200-04 Performance on duty

‣ Attention to Duty • Employees shall be attentive to their duties at all times. Employees shall perform all duties assigned to them. Officers while on duty shall not conceal themselves except for a police purpose. Employees shall keep themselves immediately and readily available at all times while on duty. Sleeping on duty is prohibited. • Employees shall cooperate, support, and assist each other whenever necessary. Employees shall not devote any of their on-duty time to any activity that is not directly related to their duties, unless approved by a supervisor. • Employees shall promptly report for duty properly prepared at the time and place required by assignments, subpoena, or orders. Employees shall remain at their posts or place of assignment until properly relieved by another employee or until officially dismissed by a supervisor ‣ Notes and Reports • Employees shall maintain written notes on police matters such as calls for service, arrests, and investigations. The information contained in these notes shall be sufficient to the extent that it will assist with the completion of official reports and will allow for the employee to accurately testify in official proceedings. Employees shall retain these written notes (field notes) and make them available to the prosecutor upon request. Investigators shall include the written notes or notes taken during the course of an investigation in the appropriate investigative file so they can be retrieved by the investigative division or the prosecution. • Unless otherwise directed, employees are responsible for ensuring that all reports are properly entered and uploaded in the department's records management system before going off duty. This requirement applies to each officer if riding a two-man unit. ‣ Reporting Crashes and Injuries • Employees shall immediately report all on-duty traffic crashes in which they are involved, all personal injuries received in the line of duty, and any illness or personal injury not received in the line of duty but that is likely to interfere with the performance of their official duties. Employees shall immediately report all property damage or injuries to other persons that resulted from the performance of their duties. ‣ Reporting Address and Telephone Numbers • All employees shall have a working personal telephone and shall register their correct residence address and telephone number with the department. Any change in address or telephone number shall be immediately reported and a supervisor shall update changes using the Personal Data Adjuster program. ‣ Firearms • All officers are required to carry an approved primary weapon while on duty. All weapons carried by officers in the performance of their official duties shall be registered with the department. Required registration information shall be kept current. See also General Order 400-05, Firearms Qualification and Control. • Classified employees while off duty and not wearing an approved department official classified uniform shall not openly carry a handgun in public regardless of whether the employee has obtained a License to Carry a Handgun. ‣ Dealing with Citizens • Employees having contact with the public shall promptly serve the public by providing direction, counsel, and/or assistance, and shall not interfere with the lawful business of any person. Employees shall not use their official positions to intimidate persons engaged in a civil controversy. • Employees shall attempt to respond to each inquiry or request for assistance personally and shall not refer any citizen to another department, division, or person when the employee has the capability to assist that citizen. • Officers shall give their names, badge numbers, and other pertinent information to any person requesting such facts unless doing so would jeopardize the successful completion of a police assignment. ‣ Duty to Respond • Employees shall respond to the call of citizens or other employees in need of assistance. All employees shall perform their official duties promptly and thoroughly and shall respond without delay to calls for police service. • Employees shall promptly report all crimes, violations, emergencies, incidents, dangers, hazardous situations, or police information that come to their attention. Employees shall not conceal, ignore, or distort the facts of such crimes, violations, emergencies, incidents, situations, or information. ‣ Districts and Locations • Officers shall know the location and boundaries of their assigned districts and beats. Employees shall also be familiar with the names and general locations of city streets and highways and the names and locations of hospitals and major public buildings.

200-32 Accepting Gifts from Subordinates

‣ Employees shall not receive or accept any gift or gratuity from subordinates, without approval from the Chief of Police.

200-01 Conduct and Behavior

‣ Personal Conduct • Employees shall exhibit professional conduct at all times and shall not engage in any activity, including unlawful activity, that would degrade or bring disrespect to the employee or the department. • Employees shall not communicate in any manner, directly or indirectly, any information that may delay an arrest or enable persons guilty of criminal acts to escape arrest or punishment, dispose of property or goods obtained illegally, or destroy evidence of unlawful activity. • Employees shall not join, participate with, or frequent any organization that advocates, incites or supports criminal acts or criminal conspiracies. ‣ Association with Criminals and Others • Employees shall not knowingly commence or maintain a relationship with or associate with convicted criminals or any person who is under criminal investigation, indictment, arrest or incarceration by any criminal justice agency, excluding traffic or municipal ordinance violations. • Employees shall avoid regular or continuous association with any person possessing a notorious reputation in the community. • Exceptions to the above restrictions are limited to employees performing their official duties or unavoidable family relationships. ‣ Respect for Others • Employees shall respect the rights of individuals and shall not engage in discrimination, oppression or favoritism whether by language, act or act of omission. • Employees shall maintain a civil and impartial attitude towards both complainants and violators. Employees shall be courteous, civil and respectful to all department employees and citizens and shall not use threatening or insulting language. • Employees shall not engage in any form of speech likely to be construed as a racial or religious slur or joke. ‣ Use of Discretion • When neither law nor policy provides clear guidance regarding a particular situation, employees shall exercise discretion in choosing the appropriate action. Employees shall make decisions based on sound judgement and the principles set forth in policies and procedures of the department. Discretion shall be exercised in such a manner that employees can reasonably assume that upon review their conduct shall be judged sound and reasonable by their supervisors. • Employee conduct shall always be consistent with the department's mission, values, ethics, guiding principles, and any instructions given by the employee's supervisors. ‣ Sound Judgement • Employees are expected to exercise sound judgement at all times. Employee's behavior shall be limited to conduct that is reasonable and prudent. No employee shall commit any act on or off duty in an official or private capacity that may bring reproach, discredit or embarrassment to the department. ‣ Conflicts of Interest • If an employee has a personal interest, direct or indirect, financial or otherwise, in any decision pending before such employee or a body or group of which the employee is a member, the employee shall not participate in the consideration of the matter. If such employee is in attendance at such meeting, he or she shall publicly disclose a conflict of interest to the body or group prior to any determination of the matter. • An employee shall not negotiate for or accept future employment or extra employment with any person, firm, association, or corporation that has a substantial interest in any propose ordinance or decision within such person's area of responsibility and upon which the employee may or shall act or make a recommendation. ‣ Disruptive Activities • Employees SHALL not perform any action that may disrupt the performance of official duties or obligations of employees of the department or that tends to interfere with or subvert reasonable supervision or proper discipline of employees of the department. ‣ Investigative Cases or Operations • Employees shall not interfere with cases assigned to others. Employees shall not interfere with the work or operations of any unit in the department or the work or operations of other government agencies. • Employees against whom a complaint has been made shall not attempt, directly or indirectly, by threat, appeal, persuasion or payment of money or other consideration to secure the abandonment or withdrawal of the complaint, charges or allegations. • When directed by a competent authority to make a statement or furnish materials relevant to a department investigation, employees shall comply with the directive. • All department personnel shall cooperate fully with any authorized persons conducting audits of department operations or activities. ‣ Criticism of the Department • Employees shall neither publicly nor at internal official meetings criticize or ridicule the department or any of its policies, city officials or other employees by speech, writing or other expression that is defamatory, obscene or unlawful or that undermines the effectiveness of the departments, interferes with the maintenance of discipline or is made with reckless disregard for truth or falsity. ‣ Giving Testimonials and Seeking Publicity • Employees acting as an agent of or representing the department in any way shall not give testimonials or permit their names or photographs to be used for commercial advertising purposes. Employees shall not seek personal publicity either directly or indirectly in the course of their employment. ‣ Recognition of Plainclothes Officers • A uniformed officer shall neither acknowledge nor show recognition of another police officer in civilian clothes unless that officer first addresses the uniformed officer. ‣ Surreptitious Recording • In order to maintain a unified and productive working environment and in keeping with the spirit of state Civil Service Law, the surreptitious audio or video recording of employees by other employees is prohibited. This section does not apply when the recording is done pursuant to the Texas Local Government Code or when conducted as part of a criminal investigation.

800-06 Suspicious activity

‣ Suspicious activity is defined as observed behavior reasonably indicative of preoperational planning associated with terrorism or other criminal activity. While a single instance of suspicious activity may not be a precursor to terrorist or criminal activity, other factors and circumstances may be present that cause concern and require additional investigation. If there is a criminal offense associated with the incident, officers shall utilize the appropriate criminal offense title and indicate the Criminal Intelligence Division (CID) as the secondary concerned division. ‣ When a suspect is in custody or suspicious circumstances require additional investigative assistance, officers shall contact the Houston Regional Intelligence Service Center (HRISC) supervisor. After business hours officers shall contact the on-call CID homeland security supervisor via the Command Center. ‣ In order to ensure appropriate review and analysis of suspicious incidents with a potential terrorism connection, officers shall complete an "Investigation Criminal Intelligence" report concerning any of the suspicious activities listed below: • A) Terrorist Watch List Encounters: Incidents when an officer receives an NCIC "hit" from the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) on a suspect or license plate. Officers shall first follow the instructions from the TSC on how to proceed with the encounter. Additionally, if a positive identification is made, officers shall contact the HRISC during business hours, or the oncall CJD homeland security supervisor via the Command Center at all other times. • B) Materials Acquisition or Storage, Weapons Collection or Discovery: Incidents involving suspicious events or persons associated with weapons that would arouse suspicion of terrorism. This includes incidents involving weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive) or the discovery of unusual amounts or types of weapons, explosives, chemicals, or other destructive material. • C) Violent Extremism and Radicalization: Incidents that involve suspicious persons that glorify violent, extremist acts or persons who express support for or inspire violence. • D) Photography: Incidents of a person taking photographs or video of a facility, critical infrastructure, or a secured, protected site in an unusual or surreptitious manner that would arouse suspicion of terrorism. This could include, but is not limited to, taking photographs or video of infrequently used access points, the superstructure of a bridge, personnel performing security functions (e.g., patrols, badge/vehicle checking), or security-related equipment (e.g., perimeter fencing, security cameras). • E) Observation/Surveillance: Incidents involving unusual or prolonged interest in facilities, buildings, or infrastructure beyond casual or professional interest that would arouse suspicion of terrorism. Examples include marking or noting distances, taking detailed notes, • or making diagrams. • F) Aviation Activity: Incidents involving suspicious events or persons associated with aviation that would arouse suspicion of terrorism. This could include interfering with the operations of an aircraft, disturbances at an airport, violating flight restrictions, pointing a laser beam at an aircraft, or flying a drone in a suspicious manner over a facility or infrastructure without consent of the owner. • G) Misrepresentation, Eliciting Information, Testing or Probing Security, Breach, or Attempted Intrusion: Incidents involving suspicious events or persons associated with the security of a facility, infrastructure, or secured, protected site that would arouse suspicion of terrorism. This could include presenting false documents, credentials, or badges or donning uniforms in order to gain entrance; or a person asking probing questions beyond mere curiosity about a building's purpose, operations, or security procedures; or a person who deliberately challenges the physical security or security systems of a facility; or a person who attempts or actually breaches a restricted area. • H) Theft/Loss/Diversion: The theft of badges, uniforms, identification, or emergency vehicles associated with a facility, infrastructure, or secured, protected site. • I) Sabotage/Tampering/Vandalism: Incidents involving the damaging, defacing, or destroying any part of a critical infrastructure. Critical infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, the chemical and petrochemical sector, government and emergency services sector, sporting venues and malls, energy and water facilities. • J) Miscellaneous Activity: Incidents of suspicious events or persons that cannot be vetted and based on additional factors continue to arouse suspicion of terrorism or criminal activity.

300-02 Official Classified Uniform

‣ When in uniform (on duty or off duty working extra employment) officers shall wear the official classified uniform or a special assignment uniform issued or approved by the Chief of Police. Off- duty classified employees wearing the departmental approved uniform shall respond to citizens or other law enforcement requesting assistance. If flagged down or approached, personnel shall stop and request assistance from on-duty personnel, if necessary. ‣ All uniformed classified employees shall be inspected at least once a month by their supervisor. The inspection shall ensure each classified employee's official classified uniform or special assignment uniform and equipment meet the standards of this General Order. ‣ All uniforms when worn shall be clean, neatly pressed, properly hemmed, in good repair, in working order, and worn in a manner that presents a professional appearance. ‣ All weapons and accessory equipment shall be clean, in good repair, in working order, neatly polished, and worn in a manner that presents a professional appearance. ‣ The official classified uniform shall include the following approved items or those issued by the department's Uniform Supply and approved by the Chief of Police and documented in the Uniform Standards Catalog. • A) Headgear (hat with shield). • B) Short- or long-sleeve dark navy blue uniform shirt. • C) Badge, name tag, pins, and other approved insignias. • D) Tie. • E) Dark navy blue pants or dark navy blue battle dress uniform (BOU) pants. • F) Black shiny lacquer finish, Accumold Elite, or Webb Nylon Ballistic style Sam Browne belt, firearm holster, closed case handcuff holder (single or double case), ammunition holder or case, accessory equipment holders or cases, keepers (if needed), and other equipment authorized by the Chief of Police. • G) Black footwear with black or dark navy blue socks. ‣ Classified employees voluntarily choosing to replace equipment or insignias listed above shall do so at their own expense. Item (c) replacements shall mirror the shape, size, and color of the approved insignia. Refer to the Uniform Standards Catalog for a list of uniform items approved for individual purchase. ‣ Unless otherwise approved by their supervisor, classified employees assigned to uniformed divisions shall wear their official classified uniform or approved special assignment uniform while attending or engaged in any of the following activities: • H) On-duty assignments or activities. • I) Approved uniformed extra employment. • J) Approved speaking assignments. • K) Testifying for the state in courts of law, unless the court approves of or requires plainclothes attire. ‣ Classified employees are issued a pair of dress pants that shall be worn in place of the patrol BOU pants when attending any of the following: • L) Activities authorized by the Chief of Police. • M) Formal occasions such as promotions, graduations, funerals, or other events for which the dress pants would be more appropriate. • N) Disciplinary Review Hearings. ‣ Headgear • The official classified uniform headgear for all classified employees shall consist of the department issued military officer style dark navy blue hat. The gold (supervisors) or silver (officers) colored band and department shield is mandatory and shall be attached to the front of the headgear. The top of the shield shall be even with the upper seam of the crown. • The official classified uniform headgear for classified Command Staff members shall be the same in appearance as for all supervisors; however, their visors will display the golden oak leaf embellishments. The goldcolored department shield is mandatory and shall be properly attached to the front center of the headgear. The top of the shield shall be even with the upper seam of the crown. • All uniformed classified employees shall wear the official classified uniform hat whenever performing extended assignments subject to high citizen visibility, whether on or off duty. Such specific assignments include traffic control, outside post assignments, and all occasions when the dress uniform is appropriate (e.g., parades, funerals, award and promotion ceremonies, and graduations). All headgear shall be worn level on the head, with the band of the hat parallel to the ground and the visor of the hat centered on the forehead. ‣ Shirts • All uniform shirts shall be clean and neatly tucked inside pants with no overhang. Shirts shall be worn with all buttons buttoned (except the top button) and all zippers zipped completely. When the long sleeve shirt is worn with a tie, the upper most button shall be buttoned. A tie shall not be worn with the short-sleeve shirt. • The cuffs of long-sleeve uniform shirts shall be buttoned and not rolled up. Officers shall not alter the sleeve length or width of the issued short-sleeve uniform shirt or special assignment uniform (issued or self-purchased). • All approved regular and special insignia items shall be attached to the uniform shirt in the manner prescribed by this General Order and the Uniform Standards Catalog. No shirt other than the one issued shall be worn as part of the official classified uniform or special assignment uniform unless specifically approved by the Chief of Police. • A crew neck undershirt or T-shirt may be worn under the uniform shirt, but shall not be visible at the neck unless it is dark navy blue or black. Longsleeve undershirts may be worn with only long-sleeve uniform shirts. Undershirts and T-shirts must be clean and in good repair. They shall not contain any inscriptions or decorative artwork. • There shall be no specific winter or summer uniform shirt. The wearing of either a short- or long- sleeve shirt shall be based entirely on individual comfort. ‣ Pants • The official classified uniform pants shall be the issued six-pocket BOU pants or the issued dress pants hemmed to the proper length required for a good fit. The pant leg openings may be altered for length only, not width, and shall be worn as issued. Additionally, uniform pants shall not be worn inside uniform boots unless this action is part of the officer's special assignment uniform. • A classified employee requiring nonstandard uniform pants is responsible for being measured by a department approved vendor, via Uniform Supply, in advance to ensure procurement of the pants prior to the date the officer is to receive this department issued piece of clothing. Questions regarding the approved uniform pants should be directed to Uniform Supply. ‣ HPD Collar Emblems • Except as noted below, police officers and sergeants shall have the option of wearing or not wearing the "HPD" collar emblems on their uniform shirt collar. Police officers and sergeants who choose to wear the "HPD" collar emblems (gold or silver according to rank) shall affix them to the official classified or special assignment uniform shirt collars. The leading edge of each emblem shall be one inch from the collar's leading edge. The bottom of the emblem shall be positioned half an inch from the collar's lower edge. The base of the letters shall be parallel to the lower edge of the collar. • Some specialized units, due to work environment, are authorized to have the "HPD" emblem embroidered on the collar of a special assignment shirt. Supervisors should refer to the Uniform Standards Catalog for validation of Chief of Police approval. • Police officers and sergeants shall wear the "HPD" collar emblems on their uniform shirt collar while wearing the dress uniform (official classified uniform with long-sleeve shirt, tie, and dress pants). ‣ Badges • The badge shall be affixed or sewn on to the front left side of the uniform shirt. The badge is a mandatory item of the official classified uniform. No officer shall wear a badge or a hat shield of another officer at any time or for any reason. • Some specialized units, due to work environment, are authorized to have the "HPD" cloth badge patch affixed to a special assignment shirt. Supervisors should refer to the Uniform Standards Catalog for validation of Chief of Police approval. ‣ Name Tag • The name tag shall be worn affixed to the front of the uniform shirt, centered immediately above the right shirt pocket flap or in the allotted slots. Customized designs or attachments to the name tag are prohibited (e.g., miniature badges, "Serving Since ... "). The name tag is a mandatory item of the official classified uniform. • Some specialized units, due to work environment, are authorized to have their name embroidered on the right chest area of a special assignment shirt. Supervisors should refer to the Uniform Standards Catalog for validation of Chief of Police approval. ‣ Rank Insignia • The senior police officer stripes ("corporal" two-bar chevron) shall be worn by all personnel holding the rank of senior police officer. The stripes shall be sewn on both sleeves of both the long-sleeve and short-sleeve official classified uniform shirts and select special assignment uniform shirts one quarter inch below the lower point of the shoulder patch. The stripes shall be centered laterally with the yoke seam and with the center point up towards the shoulder patch. • Sergeant chevrons shall be affixed to the official classified uniform shirts and select special assignment uniform shirts worn by all personnel holding the rank of sergeant. Sergeant chevrons shall be sewn on both sleeves of the long-sleeve uniform shirt directly below the shoulder patch and centered laterally with the yoke seam. Smaller chevrons shall be worn on shortsleeve shirts in the same manner. • Insignia bars for the rank of lieutenant shall be worn on the collar, parallel to and up against the front line of the top stitching on the collar in such a way that they are centered between the bottom point of the collar and the top fold. • Insignia stars for the ranks of Chief of Police, executive assistant chief, assistant chief, and commander shall be worn adjacent and parallel to the longer seam along the bottom of the collar beginning just inside the front seam. • Rank insignias are mandatory items of the official classified uniform and some special assignment uniforms. Refer to the Uniform Standards Catalog for details. ‣ Shoulder Patches • Shoulder patches shall be worn on all approved official classified uniforms, jackets, windbreakers, dress coats and some special assignment uniforms. The shoulder patches shall be sewn to the upper part of both sleeves. The top of each patch shall touch the shirt's yoke seam and be centered laterally. ‣ Ties • Wearing of the issued uniform tie is optional with the long-sleeve shirt except as described below. Ties shall not be worn with the short-sleeve shirt. A buttoned long-sleeve shirt with tie shall be worn on formal occasions. When the tie is worn, it shall be worn in the appropriate manner and shall not be affixed to the epaulets or buttonhole of the open collar, or worn in any other fashion contrary to its generally accepted usage. Additionally, if wearing a tie, personnel shall wear their body armor under their official classified uniform shirt and not wear the outer vest cover. • Only Solo Motorcycle Detail and Mounted Patrol officers may tuck their ties inside their shirts. Classified employees are authorized to sew the entire length of the smaller tie flap to the backside of the larger flap so long as this modification does not alter the appearance of the front of the tie. ‣ Sam Browne Equipment and Accessories • Mandatory equipment on the Sam Browne shall be as follows: ◦A) Loaded approved primary weapon ◦B) Issued or approved holster ◦C) Closed handcuff case ◦D) Handcuffs ◦E) Loaded conducted energy device (CED), if assigned to the employee. ◦F) Portable radio and radio holder ◦G) Fully loaded magazines or speedloaders ◦H) Ammunition case ◦I) Baton (mandatory as noted below) • All issued equipment shall be worn, carried, and used only as authorized by the Chief of Police. No changes, alterations, modifications altering the appearance, or substitutions shall be made to department issued equipment unless approved by the Chief of Police. • Classified supervisors are approved to modify the silver clasp snap on the closed handcuff case and the ammunition case to a gold clasp snap to match the gold clasps on keepers and HPD emblems. • All accessory equipment or carrying cases not issued by the department but authorized by the Chief of Police for self-purchase, shall be black and plain in design (no basket weave or ornamentation). • Specialized equipment items such as tactical ear pieces or body worn cameras shall be worn when required or necessary for an officer's assignment, according to training, policy, and procedures. Such items must be those approved by the Chief of Police and shall be maintained in the same manner as regular accessory equipment. • For classified employees who have small waists leaving no room on the Sam Browne belt for a closed handcuff case, the division commander of the Training Division may grant permission to wear a handcuff case other than the authorized closed handcuff case (e.g., handcuff loop or keeper). This shall be done on a case-by-case basis and the division commander of the concerned employee shall be notified of the exception. ‣ Baton • The police baton issued by the department is an optional accessory except as described in General Order 600-17, Response to Resistance. Classified employees shall maintain proper care of the issued baton and have the item readily available. • An approved expandable baton or metal PR-24 baton may be carried in lieu of the department issued wooden baton, providing the classified employee has been properly trained in its use. • Uniform Supply shall ensure that personnel wishing to carry a wooden baton are issued the item upon request for classified employees who choose not to train in the use of the expandable or PR-24 baton. ‣ Firearm Holster • The appropriate holster issues or approved by the department shall be the official classified uniform holster ‣ CED Holster • The CED holster issued or approved by the department shall be the official classified uniform CED holster. Modification of the issued or approved holster in any form is prohibited. Classified employees shall wear this holster only in a cross-draw manner. Under no circumstances shall the CED be worn adjacent to the holstered primary weapon. ‣ Knives • Knives shall not be worn in such a way that they are visible. ‣ Fox Listen Only Earphone • Classified personnel are required to have access to the utilization of the Fox Listen Only Earphone (ear piece) at all times, but it is optional for daily use unless personnel are involved in active shooter situations, protests, or other events where noise or understanding transmissions is an issue or concern. During such events the utilization of the ear piece is mandatory. ‣ Personal Electronic Equipment • Electronic devices furnished by the department shall be worn as mandated by the department. All personal electronic equipment (e.g., cellular telephones, pagers) carried by uniformed officers shall be worn only on the Sam Browne or shall be concealed. • When worn on the Sam Browne, electronic equipment shall be black or shall be carried in a black covered case. • While wearing the official classified uniform or special assignment uniform and in public view, classified employees may wear electronic earpieces, microphones (e.g., Bluetooth device), or cameras only as specifically assigned and/or authorized by the department. ‣ Footwear • Shoes ◦Shoes or boots are to be worn with all approved uniforms and shall be one of the following: ‣ A) Lace-type military dress shoes of a high or low-quarter style with rubber walking heels. ‣ B) Boots of Wellington or similar type with rubber walking heels and a rounded, smooth toe design. ‣ C) Lace-type, low-quarter leather shoes with smooth toes and rubber walking heels. ‣ D) Oakley SI Patrol Boots or a similar lace-type military boot that has mesh along the sides of the boot, as long as the boot has a smooth rounded toe capable of maintaining a shine. ◦Footwear must be capable of maintaining a shine. All approved footwear shall be black and have no ornate, decorative stitching or perforation that detracts from a professional appearance. Boot tops must be of sufficient height to prevent pant leg bottoms from falling into or hanging inside the boot. ◦Specially approved shoes may be worn with the uniform if a classified employee has a bona fide medical reason that has been approved by the officer's division commander. ◦Specially approved shoes may be worn when required to perform a special assignment for which the official classified uniform shoes would be inappropriate or prohibitive to the task. Classified employees in specialized units shall use the shoes approved for their assignment. • Socks ◦Plain black or dark navy blue socks shall be worn with all approved uniforms. ‣ Dress Uniforms • When attending formal occasions, classified employees shall wear a dress uniform. The dress uniform for classified employees consists of the official classified uniform with the issued "dress" pants, long-sleeve shirt, tie, HPD collar emblems, and official classified uniform headgear. Body • armor shall be worn under the official classified uniform shirt. • The Chief of Police and the classified Command Staff dress uniform consists of either the white or dark navy blue long-sleeve shirt, tie, uniform dress slacks, black belt, dress coat, and headgear. The Chief of Police and Command Staff members may wear their dress uniform on other occasions at their discretion. ‣ Cool or Cold-Weather Gear • Coats, Jackets, Windbreakers ◦During periods of cold or cool weather, uniformed classified employees may wear their department issued or approved coat, jacket, or windbreaker. Coats, jackets, special assignment uniforms, and gear are listed in the Uniform Standards Catalog. These items are approved by the Chief of Police and may be worn while on duty. ◦Classified employees shall not wear any cool or cold-weather gear not approved by the Chief of Police. ◦Senior police officers may individually purchase and affix silver metal two-bar chevrons to the collar areas of the cold weather gear in the same manner as indicated for the lieutenant bars (see prior subsection, "Rank Insignia"). These bars shall not be affixed to the official classified or special assignment uniform shirts. ◦Sergeants may individually purchase and affix gold metal sergeant chevrons to the collar areas of the cold weather gear in the same manner as indicated for the lieutenant bars. These bars shall not be affixed to the official classified or special assignment uniform shirts. • Cool or Cold-Weather Headgear ◦The approved cool or cold-weather headgear for employees will be the option of either the official classified uniform hat, the knit sock cap (black in color), or the Blauer B. Cool Performance Cap during the months of November through March and when the city of Houston temperature falls below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). ◦If not already sewn on, classified employees are advised to take their self-purchased knit sock cap or Blauer B. Cool Performance Cap to Uniform Supply to receive the official patches or small HPD shoulder patch. Uniform Supply staff shall examine the knit sock cap or Blauer B. Cool Performance Cap to make sure they are the approved items per the Chief of Police. If the items are approved, Uniform Supply shall provide a silver badge patch to police officers or a gold badge patch to supervisory personnel. For the Blauer B. Cool Performance Caps, the small HPD shoulder patch will be provided. The badge patch or the small HPD shoulder patch shall be stitched on the front portion of the cap (aligned and centered) in permanent fashion. Only one cloth badge patch or small HPD shoulder patch shall be provided per classified employee per hat. ◦Classified employees may wear black or dark navy blue earmuffs and mufflers along with the official cool or cold-weather uniform headgear. • Gloves ◦Classified employees may self-purchase cool or cold-weather gloves (not to be confused with search gloves) that are plain black or dark navy blue to wear as long as the gloves allow for the proper hand and finger use and control of police equipment. • Turtleneck Undershirts ◦During periods of cool or cold weather, uniformed classified employees may wear turtleneck undershirts beneath the long-sleeve uniform shirt. The turtleneck must be black or dark navy blue and may bear the embroidered "HPD" insignia on the upper collar (silver or white for officers and gold or yellow for supervisors). No other inscription or alternative colors are permitted. • Rain Gear ◦During periods of inclement weather, uniformed classified employees are advised to use the department issued rain gear for their own comfort and to avoid unnecessary damage to the official classified uniform and gear. Rain gear shall not be worn as a replacement for more appropriate department issued cool or cold-weather gear when the weather is cool or cold but not raining. ◦Only when classified employees have to respond on foot to areas with high water (above four inches but less than a foot) may the rubber boots issued by Uniform Supply be worn. Classified employees shall not wear rubber boots while driving a City vehicle or on a continuous basis throughout their shift. • Search Gloves ◦Officers may wear approved puncture resistant gloves only when searching suspects or. prisoners. The Training Division shall maintain a list of approved gloves. These gloves are not furnished by the department and purchasing the approved search gloves is the responsibility of the individual officer.

600-20 Response to Resistance Reporting

Definitions ‣ Bodily Injury • An injury causing physical pain, illness, or any impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. ‣ Discharge of a Conducted Energy Device (CED) • For purposes of this General Order, the firing of a CED, whether intentional or unintentional unless specified otherwise. This term includes using a CED in a drive stun manner. ‣ Firearm • For purposes of this General Order, any handgun, rifle, or shotgun (not including soft- impact weapon). ‣ Force • Any physical contact with a person by an employee using the body or any object, device, or weapon, not including unresisted escorting or handcuffing. ‣ Intermediate Weapons • In the context of this General Order, intermediate weapons include: ◦A) Baton B) Oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray ◦C) Soft-impact weapon (i.e., beanbag shotgun) ◦D) Conducted energy device (CED) ◦E) Remote Restraint Device (e,g,. Bola Wrap) ‣ Involved Officer • An officer (regardless of rank) who used reportable response to resistance. ‣ Reportable Response to Resistance • Use of force that requires specific notification and documentation of the R2R incident. ‣ Response to Resistance (R2R) • Actions taken to compel a person to comply with law enforcement objectives. This includes force and other less physical actions such as command presence and verbal commands. ‣ Serious Bodily Injury • An injury that creates a substantial risk of death or that causes death, serious permanent disfiguration, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. ‣ Soft-Impact Weapon • An intermediate weapon that is a distinctly marked shotgun designated for the exclusive use of soft-impact munitions.

600-17 Response to resistance

Policy ‣ Employees are authorized by law to use force to protect themselves or others, to effect an arrest, or to maintain custody of those arrested. When dealing with members of the community, suspects, or prisoners, employees must use only the amount of objectively reasonable force necessary to successfully protect themselves or others, to effect an arrest, or to bring an incident under control, even if under the circumstances the law would allow the use of greater force. ‣ Use of force must be objectively reasonable based on the totality of the circumstances. An officer's decision to use force requires careful attention to the facts and circumstances of each particular case, including the severity of the crime at issue, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officer or others, and whether he is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight. It is the duty of all employees to constantly assess the situation and adjust the use of force accordingly. ‣ Whenever practical, officers shall use de-escalation techniques to gain voluntary compliance and to seek to avoid or minimize use of physical force. When safe and feasible, officers shall attempt to slow down or stabilize the situation so that more time, options, and resources are available. Time, distance, numbers, cover, and concealment are key elements to reduce the severity and risk associated with scene management, de-escalation, and response to resistance. ‣ This General Order applies to all employees. ◦Definitions ‣ Bodily Injury • An injury causing physical pain, illness, or any impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. ‣ Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) • A team comprised of a uniformed CIT officer with a licensed mental health professional to respond to persons exhibiting mental health crisis. ‣ Crisis Intervention Trained (CIT) Officer • An officer who has successfully completed the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) 40-hour Mental Health Peace Officer/CIT course. ‣ Deadly Force • Force intended or known to cause or in the manner of its use or intended use is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury. ‣ De-escalation • Using techniques to stabilize the situation and reduce the immediacy of the threat, so that more options and resources are available to bring about a successful resolution to an encounter with a non-compliant individual. The goal of de-escalation is to gain the voluntary compliance of individuals, when feasible, thereby eliminating the need to use force in response to resistance. ‣ De-escalation Techniques • De-escalation techniques include, but are not limited to: ◦A) Reducing exposure to a potential threat using time, distance, numbers, cover, and/or concealment. ◦B) Containing a threat and establishing communication from a safe position intended to gain the individual's compliance, using verbal persuasion, advisements, and/or warnings. ◦C) Calling additional resources to assist, including more officers, a supervisor, crisis intervention trained (CIT) officers, and/or officers equipped with less-lethal tools. ◦D) Requesting a CIRT unit. ‣ Firearm. For purposes of this General Order, any handgun, rifle, or shotgun (not including soft- impact weapon). ‣ Force. Any physical contact with a person by an employee using the body or any object, device, or weapon, not including unresisted escorting or handcuffing. ‣ Intermediate Weapons. • In the context of this General Order, intermediate weapons include: ◦A) Baton ◦B) Oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray ◦C) Soft-impact weapon (i.e., beanbag shotgun) ◦D) Conducted energy device (CED) ◦E) Remote Restraint Device (e.g., Bola Wrap) ‣ Objectively Reasonable • In accordance with an objective standard viewed from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, without the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, and within the limitations of the totality of the circumstances present at the time of the incident. ‣ Response to Resistance (R2R) • Actions taken to compel a person to comply with law enforcement objectives. This includes force and other less physical actions such as command presence and verbal commands. ‣ Serious Bodily Injury • An injury that creates a substantial risk of death or that causes death, serious permanent disfiguration, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. ‣ Soft-Impact Weapon • An intermediate weapon, that is a distinctly marked shotgun designated for the exclusive use of soft-impact munitions.

300-13 Sexual Harassment

o Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to, unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome requests for sexual favors, or other unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, or unwelcome displays or distribution of sexually-oriented material. For conduct to be sexually harassing, at least one of the following must be true: a. Submission to such conduct is either an explicit or implicit condition of employment. b. Submission to or rejection of the conduct by an employee is used as the basis for an employment decision affecting the employee. c. The conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an employee's work performance. d. The conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. In cases alleging sexual harassment, all reasonable efforts shall be made to shield complainants, up to and including a voluntary transfer of assignments away from the respondent.

300-14 Extra Employment Policy

‣ After-hours club: • Any club that has extended hours beyond 2 a.m. Extra Employment Office (EEO) of the Professional Development Command will make the final determination as to what constitutes an after-hours club. ‣ Alcoholic Beverage Establishment.: • Any place at which the primary purpose is the sale of alcohol or 51 percent or more of its income is from the sale of alcoholic beverages for on premise consumption. This also includes rental or temporary facilities where alcoholic beverages are sold, served, or consumed. ‣ Business: • The term business means the owner, manager, or any person in control of the establishment, the physical location of the building, and all surrounding property related to the establishment (this includes the parking lot and any traffic control location that leads directly into the business). Businesses that share the same parking lot and are clearly operating independently are to be treated as sepa- rate extra employment. ‣ Eight liners: • Illegal gambling devices as defined by the Texas Supreme Court. ‣ Escort of convenience: • An escort conducted by a police officer either by vehicle or motorcycle with emergency equipment in use where no emergency exists (e.g., escorting sports teams, wedding parties, or corporate executives). Escorting funerals or oversized loads are not considered escorts of convenience. ‣ Extra employment hours: • Time spent on extra employment. ‣ House rules: • Rules of the extra employment employer that are not specifically authorized by state or federal law or city ordinance. ‣ Permanent extra employment: • Extra employment lasting more than 30 calendar days. ‣ Temporary extra employment: • Extra employment lasting 30 calendar days or less. ‣ Rave: • A large organized dance club type event promoted for young people. The typical age of participants is from 16 to 21 years old and the crowd can easily exceed one thousand participants. A rave generally does not open until midnight and is open well beyond the typical 2 a.m. closing time. • EEO makes the final determination as to what constitutes a rave. If an employee is uncertain whether an event is a rave, the employee will contact EEO prior to working the event. If EEO is closed or unavailable for guidance, the employee is not permitted to work the event.

300-12 Coordinators and staffing

‣ Coordinators • Extra employment coordinators act as administrative liaisons between the employer and the officers who provide a police service. Coordinators will not accept payment for work performed by other officers or pay officers working for the employer. • Each officer must be paid directly and individually by the employer as an employee or individual contractor. Extra employment coordinators will not exercise hiring and firing authority over officers working for the employer. Only the employer may hire and fire officers. • Coordinators will not arrange for the services of any higher-ranking supervisor in their chain of command to supervise or work extra employment. Coordinators may arrange for the services of supervisors who are not in their chain of command or who are of an equal rank or lower to work extra employment. • Coordinators may also supervise extra employment provided they are the rank of sergeant or above. No coordinator who is a supervisor will exercise authority over an officer of a higher rank. Extra employment coordinators will adhere to the Maximum Work Hour Limit while coordinating extra employment. • Officers who coordinate extra employee not will list themselves as the coordinator on their extra employment applications. ‣ Staffing Requirements • When six or more officers are simultaneously engaged in extra employment at the same location, one of the six will be of the rank of sergeant or higher and wi" be present at the extra employment site at all times. • When 12 or more officers are simultaneously engaged in extra employment at the same location, one of the 12 will be the rank of lieutenant or higher, and one will be a sergeant. The lieutenant and the sergeant must both be present at the extra employment site at all times.

600-19 Moving or Flee vehicle

‣ Discharging a firearm or soft-impact weapon at a moving vehicle is prohibited unless: • A) A person in the vehicle is immediately threatening the officer or any other person with serious bodily injury or death by means other than the vehicle itself (e.g., driver firing at the officer with a firearm); or • B) Vehicle is operated in a manner deliberately intended to strike officer or another person, and all other reasonable means of defense have been exhausted (or are not present or practical), which includes moving out of path of vehicle. ‣ Officers shall not discharge a firearm or soft-impact weapon from a moving vehicle unless there is an objectively reasonable belief that it is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury or death and no other reasonable alternative exists.

300-12 Discrimination

‣ Discrimination • Discrimination includes, but is not limited to, decisions regarding employment based on a protected category listed in section 1 and that adversely affects an employee's pay, status, position, or assignment, including opportunities for overtime pay and advancement, and includes decisions regarding recruitment, appointment, compensation, promotion, discipline, demotion, transfers, layoff, recall, termination, and training opportunities. Discrimination can manifest as disparate treatment and/or workplace harassment as described below based on a protected category. ‣ Disparate Treatment • Disparate treatment is when an employee of a protected category is treated less favorably than others and such actions are motivated by a discriminatory intent or purpose for taking a job- related action. Disparate treatment takes place when all of the following occur: ◦A) The employee is a member of a protected category listed in section 1. ◦B) The employee is qualified for a position or other job benefit. For example, the employee applied for an open position for which he was qualified, or the employee held a position that he was performing adequately. ◦C) The employee is denied the position or other job benefit. ◦D) The benefit remains available or was given to someone who is not in the employee's protected category. ◦E) The employment action was motivated by a discriminatory intent or purpose. ‣ Workplace Harassment • Workplace harassment is any demeaning, hostile, or offensive conduct. For conduct to be workplace harassment, a// of the following must be true: ◦A) The conduct is based on a protected category ◦B) The conduct is unwelcome ◦C) The conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile or abusive • Workplace harassment may be in the form of words, images, deeds or actions • In cases alleging workplace harassment, all reasonable efforts shall be made to shield complainants, up to and including a voluntary transfer of assignments away from the respondent, if deemed necessary by Alternative Dispute Resolution's Employee Relations Sections (ERS).

300-09 ERS responsibilities

‣ ERS is the primary unit responsible for immediately determining, initiating and creating a shielding plan for employees ‣ Intervention • ERS personnel shall take the following actions with regard to prohibited conduct: ◦A) Take immediate and appropriate action to stop and/or prevent further misconduct ◦B) Interview the complainant to determine the need for shielding. If shielding is necessary, take appropriate action to shield the employee ◦C) Forward the complaint to CIO for tracking purposes ◦D) Determine if a Chief of Police Notification is needed ◦E) If a Chief of Police Notification is required, review the issue with the Office of Legal Services ‣ Chief of Police Notification • When ERS determines a Chief of Police Notification is needed, ERS shall forward written notification of the incident to the Chief of Police via the ADR chain of command within 48 hours after receiving notice of the issue. • This notification shall follow the format indicated in the ERS standard operating procedures. The notice shall include, but not be limited to, the following information: nature of the conduct, supervisory status of the involved parties, complainant's preferences regarding informal resolution, and ERS's recommendations regarding shielding. ‣ Prevention • ERS shall engage in various activities to raise employees' awareness regarding prohibited conduct. ERS shall provide posters or notices designed for prominent display at all work locations as described above in section 8, Supervisor Responsibilities. • The Training Division and the Office of Legal Services shall assist ERS in the development and scheduling of training related to this General Order.

200-06 Chain of Command

‣ Each employee shall be under the direct control of one supervisor at a time. Employees are responsible for knowing their chain of command and shall operate within that chain of command. Employees initiating official correspondence to any supervisor shall forward such correspondence through the appropriate chain of command. Employees receiving correspondence from subordinates or supervisors shall sign and date the communication to indicate it was received, attach any appropriate comments, and forward the communication to the next level in the employee's chain of command. Correspondence shall be forwarded to the addressee. ‣ If an issue is resolved to the satisfaction of the author prior to reaching the addressee, the facts shall be documented in official correspondence and forwarded to the addressee. If the issue cannot be resolved, each employee in the chain of command shall attach correspondence explaining what, if any, action was taken at their level, and why the issue was not resolved. ‣ Written communication shall be returned to the author if it does not conform to the department's correspondence guidelines or other applicable policy. ‣ Employees shall obtain their division commander's approval to use official City or department stationery to communicate with others outside the department. ‣ Employees shall obtain their division commander's approval before communicating with others outside the department if the communication could be construed to represent the official position or policy of the Police Department. ‣ Employees shall obtain the Chief of Police's approval before engaging in department related communication with elected officials, unless the communication is part of the employee's assigned duties.

200-33 Accepting Gifts and Gratuities

‣ Employees shall not accept any reward, gratuity, gift, or other compensation for any service performed as a result of or in con- junction with their duties as employees of the department, regardless of whether the service was performed while on or off duty. ‣ Employees shall not directly or indirectly accept a benefit or gift under any circum- stances that create the appearance of impropriety or intent to influence department affairs. ‣ Any division or unit within the department must receive approval from the Chief of Po- lice before accepting any gift or donation.

500-04 Transporting Prisoners to Medical Facilities

‣ Employees transporting a prisoner or having a prisoner transported by ambulance to a medical facility for treatment shall assist the admission clerk in acquiring the necessary information from the prisoner. This information shall include the prisoner's: • A) Name and date of birth • B) Address or last known address for billing purposes (not an HPD or City of Houston address) • C) Telephone number at which the prisoner can be contacted • D) Emergency contact information, if known • E) In-custody status ‣ At least one officer shall ride in the ambulance transporting a prisoner to a medical facility if any of the following situations exist: • F) The prisoner is suspected of a felony • G) The prisoner is violent or combative • H) The officer's presence is requested by ambulance personnel ‣ When the prisoner has been treated and released from the hospital, the officer assigned to the prisoner shall acquire the prisoner's medical release paperwork and immediately transport the prisoner to jail. ‣ If the officer is informed that the medical treatment of the prisoner will extend past the officer's shift, the officer shall contact the roll call sergeant and provide the prisoner's identifying and arrest information, condition, and location. The shift commander shall review and evaluate the circumstances surrounding a prisoner's hospitalization to determine whether the prisoner should be guarded (see General Order 500-03, Guarding Prisoners at Area Hospitals).

200-42 Employee use of social media and the internet

‣ Employees who post or allow to be posted information or material to the Internet or on social media or in any publicly accessible communication application or medium are subject to the General Orders at all times. Actions taken while on or off duty and that violate any General Order shall be subject to appropriate review and possible disciplinary action. ‣ Employees are not barred from presenting themselves on the Internet or on social media as Houston Police Department employees. However, when posting information or material to the Internet or on social media or in any publicly accessible communication application or medium, employees shall carefully consider whether or not to identify themselves as employees of the Houston Police Department or members of law enforcement. Any information posted may remain accessible to the public for an indefinite length of time even if access is restricted, and this may impact open records requests, courtroom credibility, potential citizen contacts, or the ability to seek and obtain an undercover assignment within the department.

200-34 Soliciting and Accepting Special Privileges

‣ Except as noted below, employees shall not use their official position or identification to solicit any gift, gratuity, loan, present, fee, or reward or to seek or accept special privileges for themselves or others, such as free admission to places of amusement, dis- counts on purchases, or free or discounted meals or refreshments. Employees seeking to enter the roadway to solicit charitable contributions must file a written application with the City of Houston.

200-43 Restrictions

‣ Except as required by official duties, employees shall not knowingly post or allow to be posted to the Internet or on social media or in any publicly accessible communication application or medium: • a. Photographs or anything depicting or regarding themselves or other employees in compromising or inappropriate locations or circumstances. • b. Anything that would identify an employee or another person in law enforcement as a coworker, police officer, police employee, or member of law enforcement, without permission from that person. • c. Anything identifying, depicting, or regarding employees or other persons in law enforcement, on or off duty, who work in an undercover capacity. ◦Undercover officers shall not post or allow to be posted images of themselves on any Internet or social media site, whether the image is of the undercover officer in an on-duty or off-duty capacity. Additionally, undercover officers shall not identify themselves as police officers or as Houston Police Department employees on any Internet or social media site. Undercover officers who engage in any of these activities may be considered for reassignment within the division or elsewhere in the department. • d. Anything depicting or regarding an employee without permission from that person. • e. Anything depicting or regarding City of Houston property or policy, the public release of which would compromise national, local, or employee security or the department mission. ◦Anything that would produce a reasonable expectation of harm to the reputation of the Police Department, the City of Houston, or any City employee. • g. False, derogatory, offensive, or inappropriate comments, material, or depictions regarding any coworker or other City employee. • h. Anything false, derogatory, offensive, or inappropriate regarding their official duties or any department or City policy. • i. Anything depicting or regarding an ongoing law enforcement or City of Houston investigation, including investigations that have not resulted in a final adjudication. • j. Anything that relates to official department activities including, but not limited to, crime scenes, potential evidence, witnesses, incident reports, or personnel performing official duties. • k. Confidential or privileged information or material made available to them by their capacity as police officers or their position within the Police Department. • I. Anything appearing to be, but that is not officially sanctioned by the Police Department or the City of Houston. • m. Anything appearing to use a City of Houston employee's official position for personal profit or business interests, to endorse a political candidate, platform, or commercial product, or to participate in political activity. • n. Anything that would attribute personal statements or opinions to the Police Department or the City of Houston.

800-01 Criteria for submitting incident reports

‣ Exceptions to this policy include certain misdemeanor thefts or criminal mischief incidents. Prior to arrival, officers who receive a call to a misdemeanor theft or criminal mischief case having no solvability factors (e.g., suspect, witness, or physical evidence), may request that the police dispatcher redirect the call either to the Teleserve Unit or to the "Online Police Report" via the department's website, if eligible. The police dispatcher shall examine the queue for the Teleserve Unit and if possible, redirect the call. The dispatcher shall be the final authority regarding these matters. ‣ The primary duty of the Teleserve Unit is to take preliminary incident reports by telephone, which allows patrol units to be available for response to higher priority calls for service. Teleserve services "delayed report" calls that deal with lost or stolen property or willful damage to property in which there is no evidence to gather and there are no witnesses able to identify possible suspects. Teleserve shall not handle "In Progress" calls for service. Teleserve Unit eligible calls include: • A) Telephone Harassment/No Threat • B) Theft - Lost or Stolen Under $10,000 • C) Theft of Service • D) Theft from Motor Vehicle • E) Criminal Mischief • F) Burglary of Motor Vehicle • G) Burglary of Coin Operated Machine • H) Auto Theft/LoJack • I) Auto Theft/Investigation Auto Theft • J) Forgery/Investigation Forgery • K) Out of Jurisdiction/Long Distance ‣ Under most circumstances, officers are not required to generate an incident report regarding civil matters. A first-line supervisor shall be contacted in all cases in which there is disagreement between a citizen and an officer regarding the generation of a report. ‣ With the exception of City property, firearms, explosives, or circumstances addressed in section 6, Suspicious Activity, of this General Order, generating lost or stolen property reports for items believed to be lost rather than stolen, shall be left to the discretion of the officer. ‣ When a loss involves credit cards, banking checkbooks, automated teller machine (ATM) cards, pagers, keys, or other items that can be devalued by closing accounts, discontinuing service, or changing locks, complainants shall be directed to notify the concerned company or financial institution. When a wireless device is stolen, officers shall contact the relevant investigative division prior to advising the complainant to terminate services associated with the device. ‣ Nothing prohibits completing a lost or stolen property report if the officer feels the circumstances surrounding the loss support generating an incident report (e.g., sensitive documents, expensive items, driver licenses, or social security cards).

600-15 Plainclothes and undercover officer guidelines

‣ Foot pursuits of suspects by plainclothes or undercover officers can be inherently dangerous. Officers should exercise extreme caution in these situations including, but not limited to, the following guidelines: • A) Although circumstances may dictate that a plainclothes or undercover officer may need to pursue suspects, they shall always follow a uniformed officer's commands (e.g., to lay down a weapon). Plainclothes and undercover officers must be mindful that other officers, not apprised of their operation, may be responding to the scene and may not be aware of the officer's identity. • B) Plainclothes and undercover officers shall notify the police dispatcher as soon as practical that they are in plainclothes and attempt to provide their clothing description. • C) Plainclothes and undercover officers shall terminate participating in a foot pursuit when uni- formed officers have joined the pursuit and it is reasonably safe to do so. • D) Plainclothes personnel should ensure that they are readily identifiable as police officers by wearing an outer garment such as a raid jacket along with their official police identification. Displaying the official police identification alone may not be sufficient.

600-12 Tactical Considerations

‣ Generally, the primary (initiating) officer should not try to overtake a fleeing suspect but shall keep him in sight until sufficient back-up is available to apprehend the suspect. ‣ Officers in a foot pursuit should: • A) Stop, Look, and Listen if the officers lose sight of the suspect. • B) Avoid going over the same obstacles or barriers as the suspect. • C) Utilize the "slicing the pie" technique when rounding corners or at the end of a fence. • D) Use a "quick peek" to obtain a glimpse of what is on the other side of an obstacle or barrier. • E) Be aware of hazards (dogs, swimming pools, clotheslines, etc.). ‣ Officers should move to active suspect search mode if the suspect is no longer in sight. The primary officer, if possible, should immediately coordinate, directly or indirectly, through the dis- patcher and with secondary officers to establish a perimeter in the geographic area to contain the suspect. Pursuing officers are reminded that voice transmissions while running and in other field tactical situations may be difficult to understand and may require repetition. ‣ Assisting officers should immediately attempt to contain the pursued suspect. Unless the prima- ry officer needs immediate assistance, secondary or back-up officers should consider that a better strategy may be to set up a perimeter rather than respond to the primary officer's loca- tion. ‣ Under most circumstances officers shall have their firearms holstered when involved in a run- ning foot pursuit. Although circumstances may dictate that officers may need to pursue a sus- pect fleeing on foot with an un-holstered weapon, special caution should be given to running with a firearm in hand. When handling a firearm, officers should always follow indexing proce- dures by keeping the trigger finger outside of the trigger guard until the officer has made the conscious decision to fire the weapon. Officers must re-holster the weapon, if possible under the circumstances, before physically restraining a person. ‣ When pursuing a suspect believed to have a firearm, rather than continuing with a foot pursuit, it may be a better course of action to move to a containment strategy or to active suspect search mode. Officers moving to a containment strategy or to active suspect search mode should consider available tactical options, such as cover and concealment. The decision to pursue an armed suspect for apprehension may be accomplished when the suspect is at a tactical disadvantage and an arrest can be accomplished with limited risk to officers or innocent persons.

200-36 Reporting Bribe offers

‣ If any employee receives an offer of a bribe, the employee shall immediately submit a letter to the employee's commander. Officers shall generate an incident report. All civilian employees shall contact an officer to generate an incident report for them.

300-12 Resolution process

‣ In an effort to encourage the reporting and successful resolution of complaints, the department has developed informal and formal mechanisms to resolve reported incidents. ‣ Cases resolved through IAD or ADR shall be documented and retained in accordance with records retention policies of those divisions. Confidentiality of all records shall be maintained as required by law. ‣ Informal Resolutions • Class II complaints may be resolved by means other than an IAD investigation. This resolution process is referred to as informal resolution. The informal resolution process is designed to promote communication in an effort to resolve conflicts. • ERS in consultation with the Office of Legal Services has the responsibility of determining whether informal resolution is appropriate. • Informal resolutions require ERS to conduct an initial interview with the complainant. • If warranted, ERS shall recommend an informal resolution process to the Chief of Police. Informal resolutions require approval by the Chief of Police before implementation. • Informal resolutions may be accomplished through mediation, training, chain of command management plan, counseling, or any other process approved by the Chief of Police. Informal resolutions shall be administered through ADR. • Participation in the informal resolution process is voluntary and must be agreed to by all parties to the complaint. If anyone involved with the complaint declines to participate in the informal resolution process, the matter shall be referred to CIO. ‣ Formal Resolutions • Class I violations and certain Class II violations (see Definitions section of this General Order) require formal investigation by IAD. • Formal resolution requires a thorough investigation by IAD in conjunction with appropriate discipline for sustained violations of department policy.

800-04 Reports and approval in the records management system

‣ Incident Report Approval Time Frames (Patrol and Investigations) • Anytime an original or supplement incident report is created in the department's records management system (RMS), the owner of that report shall complete and Owner Approve (OA) the report by the end of the shift, with the exception of high priority reports (e.g., stolen or recovered vehicles, stolen or recovered license plates), which shall be Owner Approved immediately. Once an original or supplement incident report is Owner Approved, RMS automatically places the report in Supervisor Approved status. The Records Division shall leave the report in Supervisor Approved status for three calendar days to allow supervisors time to review the reports. Supervisors shall be responsible for the quality of work performed by their subordinates. • After a report has been OA and it is determined that corrections or modifications need to be made, the officer or supervisor can reopen the report for the modifications if it has not been frozen by Records Division. The system will allow a supervisor to send a follow-up request, if necessary. In this case, the supervisor would reopen the report for the user and send the user a follow-up request. If the supervisor does this, the recipient's employee number shall be entered on the form to ensure the author of the report receives the request. • After the initial three-calendar-day period, the report shall be frozen and transferred to RMS by the Records Division. Once the report has been frozen and transferred, it shall not be reopened and all changes or corrections shall then be done through a supplement. ‣ Unapproved Reports and Corrections • All employees who enter incident reports in RMS shall log into the system daily to obtain any notification (e.g., follow-up requests) regarding their reports. If an employee receives notification that a report has been unapproved by either a supervisor or the Records Division, the report shall be corrected and OA by the end of the employee's shift, regardless of the due date listed on the follow-up request. Corrected and OA reports shall be frozen after three calendar days following the date the report was OA. ‣ Reports Created in Error • If an incident report was created in error (e.g., incorrect incident number was used), whether it is an original or a supplement, then the report shall be titled: "Report Created in Error." If a supplement report was created under the wrong incident number, with no original report entered, then an original report shall be created under the same incident number in order for the supplement report to be OA and transferred into RMS. If an employee finds that a correct incident number was previously used in error for another report, then a new incident number can be requested for the same location in order to complete a report. ‣ Homicide Reports • When a Homicide investigator responds to a scene, the Homicide hold desk personnel shall be responsible for completing, at a minimum, the Incident Tab of the original incident report with the primary investigator entered as the primary officer. The Homicide hold desk personnel shall also OA the report so that supplement reports can move through the approval process within the time frame described above. Patrol personnel shall not write an original report when a Homicide investigator is responding to the scene. Patrol officers shall generate only supplement reports for such incidents. ‣ Extra Employment • All incident reports created while working extra employment shall be OA on the officer's own time by the end of the extra employment hours. See General Order 300-14, Extra Employment.

200-41 Department Presence on Social Media and the Internet

‣ Information or material posted to the Internet on a website (a connected group of pages on the World Wide Web regarded as a single entity) or on a social media platform (e.g., Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, lnstagram) may be considered part of the public domain even if access is restricted, or it may be geotagged, and as such, privacy of the information should not be assumed. Photographs and other material posted to websites, social media, or other applications may become the property of that website or provider. ‣ While employees are allowed to maintain a web page and make comments or postings on a social media platform, this General Order outlines the department's right to regulate the speech and actions of its employees in certain circumstances. ‣ Employees shall refer to General Order 600-25, Social Media Use for Investigations, for policy regarding the use of social media for investigations. ‣ This General Order applies to all employees.

600-23 Extra Employment response to resistance

‣ Inside the City of Houston • Anytime an officer uses reportable R2R during extra employment, the officer shall immediately notify the Emergency Communications Division (ECO) and the Command Center. All other notification and reporting requirements are the same as the on duty R2R requirements set forth in this General Order. The Extra Employment Exception may apply in some circumstances. • If the Pointing/Empty Hand exception applies, in addition to notifying the ECO dispatcher or Command Center, the involved officer shall as soon as possible notify an on-duty supervisor at the division where the involved officer is assigned. "As soon as possible" means at the earliest time during the operational hours of the involved officer's division when a supervisor is on duty. ‣ Outside the City of Houston • If the reportable R2R occurs outside the city of Houston when the involved officer is off duty including extra employment, the involved officer shall do the following: ◦A) Immediately contact the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction. ◦B) Notify the Command Center. ◦C) Obtain a copy of any report generated from the investigation and forward the copy through the chain of command to the officer's commander with a cover letter explaining the R2R incident. ◦D) If no report is generated, the officer shall write a letter explaining the R2R incident and send it through the chain of command to the officer's commander. • The involved officer shall verify with a classified supervisor in the Command Center whether an on-duty supervisor will or will not be responding to the scene. • When the Extra Employment exception applies, the Command Center does not have to be notified; however, the involved officer shall immediately notify the Houston Police Department supervisor who is working at the same location of the reportable R2R incident. • When the Pointing/Empty Hand or Outside City of Houston exception applies, the involved officer shall, as soon as possible, notify an on-duty supervisor at the division where the officer is assigned. ‣ Supervisor Working Extra Employment with an Involved Officer • When the Extra Employment exception applies, the Houston Police Department supervisor who is working extra employment with the involved officer and who is notified of the reportable R2R shall do all of the following: ◦A) Review each involved officer's incident and/or supplement report. ◦B) Review all applicable R2R form(s). ◦C) Complete the R2R After-Action Report. ◦D) Complete a supplement to the original incident report. However, a supplement report does not have to be completed by the supervisor if the reportable R2R solely involves: ‣ 1) The involved officer pointing a CED, soft-impact weapon, and/or firearm at a single person or multiple persons and/or ‣ 2) The involved officer using empty hand tactics when all of the following apply: • A) There is no visible injury. • B) The person does not lose consciousness. • C) The person does not complain of any bodily injury.

200-07 Obedience to orders

‣ Insubordination • Employees shall promptly and respectfully obey all lawful orders and directions given by supervisors, Internal Affairs investigators, or dispatchers. Failure to obey an order is insubordination. • Employees shall not flout the authority of a supervisor by displaying disrespect or disputing a supervisor's orders. ‣ Conflicting and Unjust Orders • Employees receiving an order that they believe is unjust or contrary to department policy or that appears to conflict with a previous order, shall respectfully notify the supervisor that a conflict exists. If the supervisor does not change the order, employees shall obey the order to the best of their ability. Employees may then appeal the order up through their chain of command to the Chief of Police if necessary. • Orders shall be countermanded only when necessary for the safe and lawful completion of the police mission. ‣ Unlawful Orders • No employee shall obey an order contrary to law. Employees receiving such orders shall notify the supervisor issuing the order that compliance with the order as issued is unlawful. Supervisors shall contact their immediate supervisor and request that person's presence at the scene. Employees receiving an unlawful order shall report the incident in writing to the Chief of Police through their chain of command.

100-04 Law enforcement code of ethics

‣ It is expected that all employees' conduct be compatibly with the department's law enforcement code of ethics as follows: • As a LEO, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all people 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 selfrestraint; 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 isn't he 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. I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol fo public faith and I accept it as a public trust ot 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 to my chosen profession ... Law Enforcement.

600-11 Use of Deadly Force

‣ It is the policy of this law enforcement agency to value and preserve human life. The use of deadly force shall be limited to those circumstances in which an officer has an objectively reasonable belief deadly force is necessary to protect themselves or others from the imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death. Officers shall exhaust all reasonably available alternatives, such as, without limitation, issuing a verbal warning when possible prior to the use of deadly force. Officers shall consider their immediate surroundings and the safety of uninvolved persons before using deadly force. ‣ Officers shall not justify the use of deadly force by intentionally placing themselves in imminent danger. ‣ Officers are prohibited from using firearms in any of the following ways: • A) Firing warning shots. • B) Firing at fleeing suspects who do not represent an imminent threat to the life of the officer or another person. • C) Firing at suspects whose actions are a threat to only themselves (e.g., attempted suicide).

300-14 Police-related extra employment outside harris county

‣ Officers may work police-related extra employment in Harris County and the following adjacent counties: • Brazoria • Chambers • Fort Bend • Galveston • Liberty • Montgomery • Waller. ‣ Officers working police-related extra employment in areas outside of Harris County must receive verbal approval from the highest-ranking law enforcement official in that jurisdiction. When entering these extra employment applications via the Intranet, the official's name, title, and telephone number, and date of approval must be placed in the appropriate field before submitting the application for approval. ‣ Officers are reminded that extra employment at an alcoholic beverage establishment outside the city limits of Houston is strictly prohibited.

1: Department Use of Social Media, Websites and the Internet

‣ Only the Chief of Police may approve an official department website or other official department presence on social media. ‣ The Office of Public Affairs shall exercise oversight of each official department website and social media site to ensure the content information and postings are correct and appropriate, and to ensure adherence to federal, state, and local laws, department policies, and City of Houston Executive Order 1-18. This includes, but is not limited to, adherence to copyright and privacy laws, records retention requirements, the Texas Public Information Act, and information security policies established by the department. ‣ Division commanders who want to establish an official department website or social media account shall contact the Office of Public Affairs. Public Affairs will provide the requester with the Appendix A- Social Media Site Proposal form from City of Houston Executive Order 1-18 as well as reference material to assist in completing the form. The requesting division commander shall ensure the form is completed, reviewed and approved by the appropriate assistant chief (or executive assistant chief) before returning it to the Office of Public Affairs. ‣ The Office of Public Affairs, after consultation with the Office of Technology Services and the Office of Planning and Data Governance, will forward the Social Media Site Proposal with any recommendations of approval or denial from this social media committee to the Chief of Police. Proposals authorized by the Chief of Police shall be forwarded to the Director of the Mayor's Office of Communications for review and approval. ‣ Divisions authorized by the Chief of Police and approved by the Mayor's Office of Communications to administer a website or social media account will adhere to the Office of Public Affairs Standard Operating Procedures for Website Administration and/or Social Media Administration.

100-02 Values

‣ Preserve and Advance Democratic Values • All employees SHALL uphold this country's democratic values as embodied in the US Constitution, State Law and City Ordinances and SHALL dedicate themselves to the preservation of liberty and justice for all. ‣ Improve the Quality of Community Life • All employees SHALL strive to improve the qualify of community life through the provision of superior and equitable services. ‣ Improve the Quality of Work Life • All employees SHALL strive to improve the working environment for the department's employees by engaging in open and honest communication and demonstrating a genuine concern for one another. ‣ Demonstrate Professionalism • All employees SHALL engage in behavior that is beyond ethical reproach and reflects the integrity of police professionals.

600-41 Racial Profiling (Scope)

‣ Racial profiling pertains to any law enforcement-initiated action based on an individual's race, ethnicity, or national origin. The policy against racial profiling does not preclude the use of race, ethnicity, or national origin as factors in a detention decision. Race, ethnicity, or national origin may be legitimate factors in a detention decision when used as part of the description of a specific suspect for whom an officer is searching. ‣ Examples of racial profiling include, but are not limited to, the following: • A) Initiating a motor vehicle stop on a particular vehicle because of the race, ethnicity, or national origin of the driver of the vehicle. • B) Stopping or detaining the driver of a vehicle based on the determination that a person of that race, ethnicity, or national origin is unlikely to own or possess that specific make or model of vehicle. • C) Stopping or detaining an individual based on the determination that a person of that race, ethnicity, or national origin does not belong in a specific part of town or a specific place. • D) Allowing race to enter into a criminal profile in which the characteristic activities being observed are likely to be conducted regardless of race. ◦For example, characteristics often associated with a drug courier (short trips to and from areas of high drug activity, tickets paid for in cash, nervous/furtive surveillance of surrounding areas, etc.) do not depend on a person's race. • E) Allowing a suspect's race, given as part of a suspect description, to play an overly broad role in developing reasonable suspicion to support the detention of a person. The person detained should generally fit the totality of the description provided (i.e., a description that contains a particular race and gender shall not necessarily support detaining all persons of that race and gender). ◦Further, race and gender should serve to exclude persons from detention when appropriate. For example, if the suspect description includes a particular vehicle being occupied by persons of a particular gender and race, officers should not detain a vehicle matching the described vehicle if the officer can determine that the occupants do not match the race and gender description prior to stopping the vehicle. ‣ The term racial profiling is not relevant as it pertains to witnesses, complainants, or other citizen contacts.

600-21 Reportable response to resistance

‣ Reportable R2R does not include mere police presence, including the presence of a K-9, verbal commands, handcuffing, or escorting without resistance, or when an Oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray device is pointed at a person. ‣ Reportable R2R includes, but is not limited to, the use of any of the following: • A) Empty hand tactics (e.g., grabbing, pushing, pressure points, forcing arms behind back, taking suspect to the ground, leg sweeps). • B) Baton when a person is struck. • C) OC spray when any of the following occurs: ◦1) Intentionally sprayed in the direction of a person whether contact is made or not. ◦2) Unintentionally sprayed and there is contact with a person. • D) Conducted energy device (CED) when any of the following occurs: ◦1) It is pointed at a person. ◦2) Intentionally discharged and directed at a person whether contact is made or not. ◦3) Unintentionally discharged and a person is struck. • E) Soft-impact weapon when any of the following occurs: ◦1) It is pointed at a person. ◦2) Intentionally discharged, except when the discharge is directed toward an animal and it does not result in bodily injury to any person. ◦3) Unintentionally discharged and it results in bodily injury to any person. • F) Firearm when any one of the following occurs: 1) It is pointed at a person. ◦2) Intentionally discharged, except when the discharge is directed toward an animal and it does not result in bodily injury to any person. ◦3) Unintentionally discharged and it results in bodily injury to any person. K-9 when injuries are sustained as a result of K-9 bites. • G) K9 when injuries are sustained as a result of K9 bites • H) Interlocking by handcuffing the wrists and ankles together behind the back. • I) Spit Cover when used on an individual. • J) Remote restraint device when injuries are sustained as a result of the deployment of such device.

300-10 Shielding

‣ Shielding is preventative action taken to protect employees in cases involving allegations of prohibited conduct. ‣ ERS in consultation with the Office of Legal Services has the responsibility of determining whether shielding is necessary. If shielding is warranted, ERS shall recommend a shielding plan to the Chief of Police to protect the parties during the prohibited conduct investigation. ‣ The ERS facilitator shall notify the complainant's division commander (or the next higher rank if the division commander is the respondent) and the complainant's assistant chief (or the next higher rank if the assistant chief is the respondent) if ERS accepts an employee relations issue in which shielding is a consideration. ‣ It is the responsibility of the division commander to consult with his or her assistant chief regarding shielding preferences so that such preferences may be included in the shielding plan recommendations if the assistant chief desires. If possible and not constrained by time, the ERS facilitator shall be involved in the discussions between the division commander and assistant chief in formulating a shielding plan. ‣ However, the Chief of Police Notification and shielding recommendation from ERS shall not be delayed waiting for recommendations from a division or command. ‣ Shielding plans require approval by the Chief of Police. ‣ Shielding may include: • A) A voluntary reassignment of complainants to other supervisors during the investigation should the issue occur between subordinates and their immediate supervisors. • B) A voluntary reassignment of complainants to other units, divisions, or commands including, but not limited to, any of ADR's predesignated shielding assignments. • C) A voluntary or involuntary reassignment of respondents to other locations during the investigation. • D) Relief of duty for either the complainant or respondent. • E) An Order of No Contact may be issued to the complainant, respondent, or both. ‣ Interim Shielding • Interim shielding is a shielding action taken near the time the alleged violation was discovered. Interim shielding remains in place only until a final shielding plan is approved by the Chief of Police. • The complainant's supervisor may provide interim shielding of the complainant pending directions from an ERS facilitator concerning the issue. • With approval from the ADR lieutenant, ERS facilitators have the option of leaving the complainant in an interim shielding situation or moving the complainant to another interim shielding situation. ‣ Predesignated Assignments • Commands shall assist ERS in identifying predesignated assignments throughout the department that will facilitate immediate shielding as needed

200-36 Solicitation, Gifts, and Bribery

‣ Solicitation. The direct or indirect seeking of contributions or selling of products, ser- vices, or programs; or the approaching of any employee regarding support of an out- side agency, organization, or company. Solicitation shall further include the posting or distribution of non-work-related literature or notices as well as electioneering activities.

600-42 Data Collection of motor vehicle stops

‣ The Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP), Articles 2.132 and 2.133, mandate the collection of specified data for motor vehicle stops conducted by peace officers. The CCP delegates the responsibility to collect such data for all law enforcement agencies in the state of Texas to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). ‣ Upon conducting a motor vehicle stop, officers shall collect all of the following information on the driver of the motor vehicle and any other person who is searched, arrested, or issued a citation as a result of the stop: • A) A physical description of the person, including: ◦1) The person's gender; and ◦2) The person's race or ethnicity as stated by the person or, if the person does not state the person's race or ethnicity, as determined by the officer to the best of the officer's ability. • B) Whether the officer knew the race or ethnicity of the individual detained before detaining that individual. • C) The initial reason for the stop. • D) Whether the officer conducted a search as a result of the stop. • E) The reason for the search, including whether: ◦1) The person detained consented to the search. ◦2) Any contraband or other evidence was in plain view. ◦3) Any probable cause or reasonable suspicion existed to perform the search. ◦4) The search was performed as a result of the towing of the motor vehicle or the arrest of any person in the motor vehicle. • F) Whether any contraband or other evidence was discovered in the course of the search and a description of the contraband or evidence. • G) Whether the officer made an arrest as a result of the stop or the search, including a statement of whether the arrest was based on a violation of the Penal Code, a violation of a traffic law or ordinance, or an outstanding warrant, and a statement of the offense charged. • H) The street address or approximate location of the stop. • I) Whether the officer issued a citation as a result of the stop. • J) Whether the officer used physical force that resulted in bodily injury during the stop. ◦Officers shall enter the above data collected into one of the department's data collection systems by the end of each shift to "document" each concerned individual. The department currently has the following two methods for entry of such data: • K) The Records Management System Demographic Tracking Module. • L) The handheld ticket writers. ‣ Who must be documented • Officers shall document the driver of every motor vehicle stopped by entering the required collected data into one of the above listed data collection systems. Additionally, any passenger who becomes a part of the stop through arrest, search, or ticketing shall be documented. For example, an officer stops a vehicle with numerous occupants for running a red light. The violation observed is for the driver and, unless the officer expands the stop to include the passengers, only the driver would be documented. ‣ Stop Dispositions: Arrests and Tickets • An arrest means the subject was taken into custody to be placed in jail or transferred to another agency. Citations shall be documented as Ticketed and not as Arrested. In those specific cases in which a person involved in a stop has been arrested and issued a citation, the disposition Arrested and Ticketed shall be used. ‣ Occupant Type • An occupant is either a driver or a passenger. These are the only permissible entries. In the • Demographic Tracking Module, this field is called Occupant Location.

600-45 Complaint process

‣ The department shall accept complaints from any person who believes he or she has been stopped, searched, or inappropriately ticketed or arrested based on racial profiling. ‣ No person shall be discouraged, intimidated, or coerced from filing such a complaint, or ‣ discriminated against because he or she filed such a complaint. ‣ Employees and supervisors shall report any racial profiling practice they observe. When individuals want to file a complaint that alleges racial profiling, all department employees shall follow the procedures set forth in General Order 200-03, Investigation of Employee Misconduct and General Order 300-32, Processing Complaints and Employee Issues. ‣ The Internal Affairs Division shall investigate allegations of racial profiling. If a video or audio recording of all or any part of the detention giving rise to the allegation was made, a copy of the recording shall be promptly made available to the employee who is the subject of the complaint upon written request by the employee. ‣ Data collected pursuant to this General Order shall not constitute prima facie evidence of racial profiling. Any employee found to have engaged in racial profiling shall be subject to corrective action or discipline up to and including indefinite suspension.

100-03 Guiding principles

‣ The guiding principles of the HPD are as follows: • Life and individual freedoms are sacred. • All persons should be treated fairly and equitably. • The role of the police is to resolve problems through the enforcement of laws and not through the imposition of judgement or punishment. • The neighborhood is the basic segment of the community. • Because LE and public safety reflect community wide concerns, the police must actively seek the involvement of citizens and residents in all aspects of policing. • The fundamental responsibility of the department's employees is to provide quality services of the citizens and residents of the city of Houston. • The department's employees are its most valuable assets. • Employee involvement in department activities is essential for maintaining a productive working environment. • Employees shall be treated fairly and equitably in recognition of basic human dignity and as a means of enriching their work lives. • The department and each of its commands, offices and divisions shall strive to reflect the ethnic and cultural make-up of the community it serves.

800-02 Online Police reports

‣ WebCop is an online based self-reporting incident report writing system that allows citizens to file their own police reports for minor crimes with low solvability and without any evidence, witnesses, or possible suspects. With these criteria in place, WebCop serves to help increase the efficiency of patrol and investigative operations by allowing officers more time to respond to and investigate higher priority incidents. WebCop eligible incidents are limited to theft and criminal mischief reports for which the loss is less than $5,000 in value. ‣ Online police reporting is intended as a convenience for citizens who wish to use the Internet to report certain crimes. Officers shall not direct citizens to the online police reporting application as a substitute for taking a report call or as a substitute for a walk-in transaction at a police facility.

500-01 Safety and security of prisoners

‣ When a person is taken into custody, employees are responsible for that person's safety. Employees shall be cognizant of the well-being of all prisoners and shall respond appropriately if prisoners are in danger, whether intentionally or unintentionally. ‣ Employees observing circumstances believed to be an immediate threat of serious injury or death to a prisoner (including those in the custody of another employee) shall do all of the following: • A) Take custody of the prisoner. • B) Take the appropriate actions necessary to prevent injury to the prisoner. • C) Immediately notify a supervisor. • D) Submit a written report of the incident to the Chief of Police through the chain of command. ‣ In these circumstances, the arresting officer is still responsible for submitting the incident report related to the original arrest. ‣ All persons under arrest shall be properly handcuffed behind the back prior to being thoroughly searched and shall remain handcuffed while being transported in a police vehicle. If a medical or specific physical condition precludes handcuffing behind the back, the prisoner shall be secured in the safest possible manner before being placed in a police vehicle. Multiple prisoners transported in a prisoner van may be secured by a multiple prisoner transport chain. ‣ Employees shall not place or leave objects capable of inflicting injury or death in a location accessible to a prisoner or suspect. Employees shall thoroughly check areas intended to house a suspect or prisoner prior to placing the person in that area (e.g., police vehicles, holding cells, offices, and interview rooms). ‣ All police vehicles shall be thoroughly searched immediately following the transportation of a prisoner, suspect, or other citizen. ‣ Traffic stops shall not be conducted while transporting prisoners unless a violator's actions pose an immediate threat to public safety and no other officer is available to stop the vehicle. Officers shall make every effort to follow the vehicle until another officer arrives. If no other officer is available, the officer should stop the vehicle, taking into consideration the totality of the circumstances of the situation, and follow the procedures for leaving a prisoner unattended in a life-threatening situation. ‣ Prisoners shall not be left unattended in police vehicles unless employees can maintain visual contact of the prisoner. The only exception to this policy is if an officer is responding to a life- threatening situation and must immediately exit the police vehicle. Under this circumstance, officers shall notify the dispatcher as soon as possible of their situation and the location of their police vehicle so another officer can be dispatched to assist and take custody of the prisoner. When abandoning their police vehicle in response to a life-threatening situation, officers shall take the vehicle's keys with them.

300-11 Duty to respond and offense reports

‣ When an officer is working extra employment and becomes aware of a reportable incident at that location, that officer is responsible for preparing the incident report. Incident reports will be completed according to General Order 800- 07, Criteria for Submitting Incident Re- ports. Unless exigent circumstances exist, incident reports will be completed and reported to the department by the end of the extra employment duty hours. An officer may be required to provide an account of the circumstances that prevented the officer from meeting this requirement. Extra employment incident reports will not be completed during regular duty hours unless authorized leave is taken. ‣ Officers may contact Records Division to enter an original or supplemental report. Handwritten reports may be faxed to the Records Division provided the officer contacts the division to verify receipt of the report. ‣ If an arrest is made and transportation is required, the arresting officer will provide the necessary booking information to the on-duty officer who will then transport the prisoner and file all appropriate charges. ‣ If an officer working extra employment is informed of an incident occurring at a location other than that of the extra employment, the officer will inform the dispatcher and request an on-duty unit to be assigned to investigate. Officers working extra employment will make a supplemental report if they collect physical evidence, receive information about or from a suspect, or interview a complainant or witness. ‣ Supplemental reports will be completed during the hours of the extra employment or immediately following the extra employment. Extra employment supplemental reports will not be completed during regular duty hours unless authorized leave is taken.

500-03 Response to Resistance

‣ When dealing with citizens, suspects, or prisoners, employees shall limit their use of force and physical contact to only the amount reasonably necessary to protect themselves or others, to effect an arrest, or to bring an incident under control. See General Order 600-17, Response to Resistance. ‣ Officers who use force against any person must be able to state in detail the specific reasons for using the force. If force is utilized during an incident, the officer and the supervisor must ensure that such force is documented according to General Order 600-17, Response to Resistance. ‣ Suspects Who Ingest Contraband • The department's primary objectives in dealing with suspects who are believed to have ingested narcotics or other contraband are the preservation of life and the safety of the officer. The secondary objective is to preserve and recover evidence whenever possible. • Officers are prohibited from choking and/or restricting the airway of a suspect in an attempt to extract contraband from the suspect's mouth. Officers using reasonable force to extract contraband from a suspect's mouth should be cognizant of the risks and dangers associated with putting the officer's hands in or near the suspect's mouth. • Employees should be aware of and look for potential signs of distress following an ingestion, which could include, but are not limited to, loss of consciousness, trouble breathing, choking, profuse sweating, nonresponsiveness, loss of mobility, and/or vomiting. • When an employee reasonably believes that a suspect has ingested narcotics or other contraband, which could present a health hazard, the employee shall immediately summon emergency medical personnel to provide assessment and treatment. • When a suspect has been transported to a medical facility after ingesting narcotics or other contraband, the arresting officer shall: ◦A) Notify a supervisor as soon as is practical ◦B) Advise the attending physician of the situation, including an estimate of the amount of time elapsed since the ingestion and, if possible, the type, quantity, and packaging of the item(s) ingested. ◦C) Generate an incident report or supplement that includes a detailed statement of the incident, medical treatment received (if known), and any actions taken by those on the scene • Employees are advised that when a suspect ingests narcotics or other contraband and evidence is destroyed, they are to consult with the appropriate district attorney's office to discuss the acquisition of a search warrant, if necessary, and the possibility of filing all applicable charges including, but not limited to, Tampering with Evidence. • In the event that, after medical evaluation, medical personnel release the prisoner back to the officer, the officer shall: ◦D) Immediately transport the prisoner to the designated jail facility ◦E) Document in the RMS "Arrest Tab" under "physical condition" that the prisoner "possibly ingested narcotics/contraband" ◦F) Notify the jail HPD sergeant and jail personnel of the incident upon arrival at the jail facility

500-02 Health of Prisoners

‣ When handling or transporting prisoners, officers shall be conscientious of prisoners who need immediate medical attention or have known medical issues. For prisoners experiencing serious or life-threatening medical conditions and depending on circumstances, officers shall either transport the prisoner or have an ambulance transport the prisoner to the hospital to receive medical attention. Officers shall follow the procedures outlined in section 4 of this General Order. ‣ Prisoners who received medical assistance on scene or at a hospital and have been released by medical personnel shall be taken to jail. The officer shall inform jail personnel of the prisoner's medical issues upon arrival at the jail. Officers shall document the prisoner's physical condition in the incident report along with details of the officer's actions.

600-11 Foot pursuits

◦Definitions ‣ Active Suspect Search. A dynamic situation in which an officer no longer has sight of a sus- pect and substitutes approved tactics for apprehension, such as establishing a perimeter, ca- nine search, helicopter search, etc. ‣ Evading Arrest or Detention. A person commits an offense if he intentionally flees from a per- son he knows is a peace officer attempting to lawfully arrest or detain him. (Texas Penal Code § 38.04(a)) ‣ Foot Pursuit. An incident in which an officer is actively chasing (on foot) a person who is evad- ing arrest or detention. A foot pursuit may evolve into an active suspect search. ‣ Perimeter Search. An active search for a suspect in which the suspect is contained within specified geographic borders. ‣ Plainclothes Officer. For the purposes of this General Order, any on-duty or off-duty officer not in a department uniform.

500-04 Restraints and Transportation

Handcuffs • An exception to the handcuff policy is if a medical or specific physical condition (e.g., suspect's age or size) precludes handcuffing behind the back. Then the prisoner shall be secured in the safest possible manner before being placed in a police vehicle. • If a prisoner cannot be handcuffed, the transporting officer shall clearly document the reasons and specific justifications for not doing so in the incident or supplement report. The safety of the officer and the suspect or prisoner must be assured before the decision to transport without handcuffs is made. Unless otherwise approved by a supervisor, only twoofficer units shall transport prisoners without handcuffs. • Whenever handcuffs are used, they shall be secured by double-locking the cuffs to prevent them from being inadvertently tightened. Officers shall not tighten handcuffs to the extent that circulation is impaired, or allow handcuffs that are clearly interfering with circulation to remain tightened. Prisoners who remain handcuffed for an extended period of time shall be checked often to ensure proper blood circulation. ‣ Transporting • When placing a prisoner in a police vehicle, officers shall position the prisoner's back toward the upper back seat with the prisoner sitting upright and facing forward. Officers shall then properly secure the prisoner in the seat restraint (seat belt and shoulder harness). The transporting officer shall watch the prisoner and ensure the prisoner does not become entangled in the seat restraint and that the seat restraint does not wrap around the prisoner's neck. • If the design or configuration of the transporting vehicle is such that it cannot safely transport a prisoner in accordance with this General Order, a more appropriate unit shall be dispatched. ‣ Interlocking Technique • The interlocking technique shall be used by only officers trained in and utilizing the approved interlocking devices. • No changes, alterations, or modifications are permitted to approved leg restraints or interlocking devices. • In all arrest or transporting situations, especially those involving an interlocking technique, employees shall ensure prisoners are placed in a position that enables them to breathe freely and is the most comfortable position possible. Additionally, while officers may use their weight to initially gain control over a prisoner and to maintain control if necessary, officers are to use caution that the resulting compression of the chest or abdomen does not interfere with the prisoner's breathing. • WARNING: DO NOT leave the prisoner face down when using the interlocking technique as positional asphyxia may occur. • Interlocking is meant only as a temporary measure and suspects must be released from the interlocked position as soon as it is safe and practical. • A prisoner who initially appears to be in little or no distress after being interlocked may still develop respiratory difficulties. Therefore, whenever the interlocking technique is used: ◦A) A supervisor shall be dispatched to ensure the technique conforms to department policies. ◦B) The prisoner shall be transported by only a two-officer unit unless otherwise approved by a supervisor. • When the interlocking technique is used, officers shall: ◦C) Ensure there are at least 12 inches between the interlock (wrist to ankle). ◦D) Constantly ascertain the prisoner's condition. ◦E) Maintain verbal contact with and keep a close watch on the prisoner. ‣ Spit Covers • Officers may encounter individuals who attempt to spit on them or others. Due to the potential health hazards associated with bodily fluids, officers shall have the option of employing department-issued spit covers on aggressive individuals. The use of a spit cover shall be only in response to the behavior exhibited or the immediate threat made by the person. Only department-issued spit covers shall be used. Spit covers shall be applied as described below: ◦A) Officers shall first handcuff the person before attempting to apply the spit cover. ◦B) When practicable, officers shall wear protective gloves when applying and removing a spit cover. ◦C) When applying a spit cover, officers should safely approach the individual from the rear and place the spit cover over the person's head. This is best accomplished with at least two officers. ◦D) The suspect's head gear and eyewear should be removed prior to a spit cover being applied. ◦E) Officers shall ensure that the spit cover is in a position to allow the suspect adequate ventilation for nasal breathing and sight afforded by the mesh. • Spit covers shall not be used on anyone who is vomiting, having difficulty breathing, bleeding profusely from the mouth or nose area, or exhibiting signs of lethargy or drowsiness. • Spit covers shall not be used on anyone who has been sprayed with oleoresin capsicum (OC) and who has not been properly decontaminated. • Under no circumstances shall a person wearing a spit cover be left unattended; officers shall constantly monitor the suspect due to the risk of asthmatic attack, vomiting, and/or suffocation. • If a suspect should spit on an officer or other public servant, the officer shall contact the appropriate district attorney's office to discuss possible felony harassment charges. Officers are reminded that the use of spit covers constitutes a response to resistance and shall be reported as described in General Order 600-17, Response to Resistance. Transporting officers shall notify jail personnel in the event a spit cover was used on a suspect. • Spit covers are to be used once and then disposed. Officers shall not reapply a used spit cover. If a subsequent application is required for the same individual, a new spit cover shall be used. Due to possible biological contamination, spit covers shall be disposed of properly as described in General Order 300-21, Communicable Disease Policy. • If a spit cover has been applied to an individual who subsequently dies in custody, the spit cover shall be placed in an evidence bag pursuant to the evidentiary property procedures outlined in General Order 700-01, Property and Evidence Control Regulations.

600-14 Intermediate Weapons

• Before carrying or using an intermediate weapon, an officer shall be currently certified with the intermediate weapon by the Training Division. The Training Division is responsible for maintaining a list of approved intermediate weapons and carrying devices. • Intermediate weapons shall be carried or used as issued or authorized by the department. No changes, alterations, or modifications are permitted. • Unless an officer has a reasonable belief there is an imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death to the officer or another person, the officer shall not use weapons for which the officer has not received requisite training or provide weapons to others to use when such persons have not received requisite training. ‣ Batons • Officers shall carry a baton when: ◦A) Responding to disturbance calls. ◦B) Working an event where there are a large number of persons. • Supervisors responding to situations requiring a baton are responsible for ensuring each officer at the scene complies with this policy. • Unless deadly force is warranted, baton strikes shall be made only to areas of the body below the shoulders and only with the degree of force necessary to counter resistance or establish control of the suspect. Additionally, there are circumstances that occur in which flashlights may also be used as batons. Strikes made with flashlights shall be made in accordance with the same guidelines as those made with batons. ‣ OC Spray • The department does not furnish officers with OC spray or related equipment. If an officer wants to carry OC spray on-duty or while working extra employment, the officer must obtain OC spray certification by Academy personnel. The officer may only carry OC spray and related equipment that is approved by the Training Division. Uniformed officers carrying OC spray shall store the canisters on their duty belts in an appropriate case. ‣ Soft-Impact Weapons • On each shift, soft-impact weapons shall be assigned to, and stored in, designated patrol sergeants' vehicles. An officer may check out a softimpact weapon if there is one available. Officers who choose to check out a soft-impact weapon shall notify the dispatcher at the beginning of their shift. • Sergeants and officers who are assigned or who check out a soft-impact weapon shall inspect the soft-impact weapon prior to signing on duty. If the sergeant or officer observes any new damage, missing parts, or defective equipment, the sergeant or officer, as applicable, shall notify his supervisor before signing on duty. • Unless deadly force is warranted, officers shall not target soft-impact weapons for munition impacts above a person's shoulders. • Officers in specialized divisions needing a soft-impact weapon shall coordinate with an appropriate district patrol sergeant. • When a division is assigned soft-impact weapons, the division commander is responsible for ensuring the weapons are properly maintained. ‣ Conducted Energy Devices (CED) • Conducted Energy Devices (CED) are a non-lethal device used to gain control of a suspect. As with any intermediate or deadly weapon, officers must always guard against having a device or weapon taken from them. The CED is capable of incapacitating the officer, leaving the officer's deadly weapon accessible. In such situations, if a suspect gains control of a CED, officers should attempt to use the tenets of de-escalation - time, distance, numbers, cover, or concealment, unless to do so would present a greater danger to the officers or the public. ‣ Remote Restraint Device • A remote restraint device is a non-lethal remote device used by officers, from a distance, to gain control of a suspect by strategically wrapping the suspect's torso or legs with a tether.

600-13 Deescalation of potential force encounters

• When safe and reasonable under the totality of circumstances, officers shall use de-escalation techniques to gain voluntary compliance and to reduce or minimize the use of physical force. • Recognizing that circumstances may rapidly change, officers may need to abandon de-escalation efforts after they have commenced. ‣ Assessment • Whenever possible, at least two officers and a field supervisor shall respond to scenes involving individuals exhibiting violent or irrational behavior, extreme agitation and/or brandishing a weapon. In all high-risk situations, if time and other circumstances allow, the responding supervisor and officers shall assess the scene and develop a plan for approach. In cases of imminent danger, responding officers should not delay the approach to wait for backup unit(s) or a supervisor. • As officers arrive on the scene, observe conditions, and interact with the persons there, they should continue to gather additional relevant information and facts. These assessments, along with reasonable inferences help to develop an understanding of the totality of the circumstances of the incident. After an officer has gathered sufficient information to ascertain anticipated threats at the scene, they shall consider what police actions are appropriate. ‣ Use of De-Escalation Techniques • Employing de-escalation techniques may involve securing additional resources, tactical repositioning, and employing verbal persuasion. ‣ Verbal Persuasion • To the extent possible and reasonable under the totality of the circumstances, officers may use one or more of the following verbal techniques to try to calm an agitated individual and promote rational decisions. ◦A) Explain what the officer is doing, what the individual can do, and what needs to happen; ◦B) Explain why the officer is taking a specific action, again permitting the individual to respond and acknowledging their perspective; ◦C) If possible, provide the individual with alternatives, even though those alternatives may be limited; ◦D) Advise the individual of the consequences for noncompliance; or ◦E) Provide the individual with reasonably sufficient time within which to respond to directives. ‣ Time • When safe and feasible under the totality of the circumstances, officers shall attempt to slow down or stabilize the situation so that more time, options and resources are available for incident resolution. ‣ Distance • Maximizing tactical advantage by increasing distance to allow for greater reaction time. ‣ Numbers • Team approaches to de-escalation are encouraged and should consider officer training and skill level, number of officers, and whether any officer has successfully established rapport with the individual. Where officers use a team approach to de-escalation, each individual officer's obligation to deescalate will be satisfied as long as the officer's actions complement the overall approach. ‣ Cover and Concealment • Utilizing cover and concealment for tactical advantage, such as placing barriers between an uncooperative individual and officers using natural barriers in the immediate environment.

500-03 Transporting prisoners or other persons

• Whenever possible, prisoners shall be transported in vehicles with protective screens. Employees shall transport only as many persons as can be safely carried at one time in a police vehicle. Employees shall ensure that the number of persons being transported does not exceed the number of functioning seat restraints in the police vehicle. Vehicles shall not be placed in motion until the driver and all passengers have been fastened in their seat restraints. • The below listed persons shall be transported in separate vehicles, unless the persons have been arrested as a result of the same incident or the transporting vehicle is a prisoner van or bus equipped with multiple, separate, and secure holding compartments. ◦A) Adult and juvenile prisoners. ◦B) Prisoners of the opposite gender or gender identity. ◦C) Prisoners and persons who are not under arrest (except as noted below). • Employees shall not transport a domestic violence suspect and victim in the same vehicle at the same time. • A person who is not under arrest shall not be transported with a prisoner unless it is hazardous to leave the person at the scene. A person who is not arrested shall not be left in an area of potential danger and shall not be left on the side of a freeway. Another police officer may be called to transport a non-prisoner away from a dangerous area. Any person being placed in a police vehicle is subject to a weapons search. ‣ Transporting Notification • When transporting a person, employees who have access to a mobile computing device (MCD) shall document all of the following information utilizing their MCD: • a. Origin and destination of the transport. • b. Gender or gender identity of the person being transported (e.g., if the suspect identifies as a male then the officer shall enter "male" in the message to the dispatcher regardless of what is displayed on the prisoner's identification). • Employees who do not have access to an MCD and who conduct an onview investigation that requires a person to be transported shall notify the dispatcher that they do not have MCD access and shall provide the above listed information to the dispatcher. The dispatcher shall enter the information into the computer aided dispatch (CAD) event. • The ethnicity of the person being transported shall not be broadcast. The dispatcher shall provide time checks on departure and arrival. All transports shall be made via the safest, most direct route. ‣ Transporting Persons with a Physical Disability • Employees shall exercise due care in transporting persons who are physically disabled or who require special equipment. Wheelchairs, crutches, prostheses, and other necessary medical equipment shall be transported with the person. • When transporting a person aided by a mobility device (e.g., wheelchair, walker, or crutches), a supervisor shall be called to the scene. The supervisor shall determine the most appropriate means of transporting the person (e.g., using a patrol vehicle or calling for a paratransit vehicle). At no time shall a person with a mobility limitation be transported in the rear of a transport van. The supervisor shall remain on the scene to monitor the loading of the person. • Information as to the method of transport shall be documented in the call history and incident report if generated. ‣ Transporting Violent Prisoners or Persons Exhibiting Signs of Being in a Mental Health Crisis • When transporting a violent prisoner or a person exhibiting signs of being in a mental health crisis, officers shall use approved restraints to ensure their safety and that of the person, remaining mindful that persons in crises can be very unpredictable. Employees are expected to use sound judgment in deciding on the type and amount of physical restraint to be used and on the most appropriate mode of transporting such a person.

600-22 On duty response to resistance

‣ Officer's Responsibilities • If reportable R2R occurs when the involved officer is on duty, whether inside or outside the city of Houston, the involved officer shall immediately notify an on-duty supervisor. The involved officer shall choose the best method of requesting an on-duty supervisor to respond to the scene (e.g., via the dispatcher, radio, mobile computing device [MCD]). If the involved officer is unable to make immediate notification to an on-duty supervisor, the most senior officer at the scene shall make the notification. ‣ Documentation • Each involved officer that uses reportable R2R shall do all of the following: ◦A) Complete an original or supplement incident report, as applicable. ◦B) Complete the appropriate R2R form via the R2R Entry System on the department's Intranet Portal. ◦C) Thoroughly document the suspect's actions and the officer's response (See also "Details in the Incident Report" later in this subsection). • The incident report and R2R form shall be completed prior to the end of the involved officer's shift. ‣ Pointed Weapons Exception to Completing an Incident Report and Response to Resistance Form • Pointed Weapons Exception exists when the reportable R2R solely involves pointing a CED, soft- impact weapon, and/or firearm at a single person or multiple persons and there are multiple involved officers on the same call. This reportable R2R may be documented in one incident report and one R2R form by the primary officer or one of the involved officers. When the Pointed Weapons exception applies and one officer completes the documentation, this officer shall complete both the standard R2R form and the Multi-Weapons Drawn form. • The officer completing the documentation (i.e., incident report and R2R forms) shall do all of the following: ◦A) List identifying information of one person (e.g., suspect) on the Multi-Weapons Drawn form. B) Document the other persons' (e.g., suspects) identifying information in the narrative of the incident report. ◦C) Thoroughly document the suspect's actions and officers' response ◦D) List all officers, including payroll number and division assigned, who used this type of reportable R2R on the Multi-Weapons Drawn form. ◦E) List the on duty supervisor notified of the reportable R2R. ‣ Short Form Criteria for Pointed Weapons • The Short Form in the R2R Entry System shall be utilized when a reportable R2R incident involves an officer pointing a CED, soft-impact weapon, or firearm at a single person. The Short Form requires minimal information, but can only be utilized when the employee's involvement is limited to pointing a weapon (firearm, CED, Soft-Impact weapon) at a person. If an officer points his weapon at multiple persons then a Short Form may still be utilized although the officer must complete separate forms for each individual that he pointed his weapon at. • The Short Form shall not be utilized when multiple officers on the scene point their weapon (CED, soft-impact weapon, or firearm) at a single person or at multiple persons. • If necessary, the officer shall also complete an incident report in addition to the Short Form (see General Order 800-07, Criteria for Submitting Incident Reports). • The Short Form will not require a supervisor review or a R2R After-Action Report to be completed. ‣ Details in the Incident Report • Incident reports involving reportable R2R shall contain the following information: ◦A) The name and employee numbers of: ‣ 1) All employees on the scene at any time during the R2R incident. ‣ 2) The on-duty supervisor who responded to the reportable R2R incident or the on-duty supervisor who was notified when an onscene response was not required. ‣ 3.)The supervisor in the lockup or detention facility where the prisoner was booked. ◦B) The unit number of responding medical personnel, if applicable ◦C) The employee's specific reasons for using force. The documentation shall thoroughly explain what force was used and why it was used. This shall include a detailed description of all actions taken by the officer and by the person against whom the force was used. When describing the suspect's actions, the report shall not be simplified to conclusions statements (e,g,. The suspect was acting crazy, resisting, combative, making a furtive gesture). Rather a detailed description of the suspect's specific action(s) that led to the amount of force used shall be included (e,g,. The suspect was punching, kicking, pushing, twisting/pulling away, spitting, etc.) D) The part of the person's body receiving the strike, hit, spray, injury or other reportable R2R ◦E) Location on the person's body of any known injury, even if the injury was not obtained as part of the incident ◦F) Any other pertinent information related to any offense committed ‣ Supplemental Incident Report • Each officer who used force shall write his own supplemental incident report to the primary • officer's original incident report unless the Pointed Weapons exception applies. The supplement report shall include, but is not limited to: ◦A) The specific reason(s) for using force as described directly above in item (c). ◦B) The part of the person's body receiving the strike, hit, spray, injury, or other reportable R2R. • In addition to the above specifications, involved officers shall comply with all applicable documentation requirements contained in General Orders 400-26, Conducted Energy Devices and 600-18, Firearm and Soft-Impact Weapon Discharges. ‣ Delayed Report of Injury • If a suspect's injury is not apparent at the time of arrest and the arresting officer is made aware of it later, that officer shall immediately notify an onduty supervisor. Furthermore, the officer shall complete a supplement detailing the delayed injury. ‣ Supervisor's Responsibility • Response Requirements ◦Upon receiving notification of a reportable R2R incident, the on-duty supervisor shall respond and proceed immediately to the scene unless one of the exceptions delineated below applies. Immediately upon arrival, the supervisor shall determine if anyone is injured and shall ensure the injured are treated. ◦In accordance with General Order 500-01, Effecting Arrests and Searches, an on-duty supervisor is always required to respond when the interlocking technique is used. ◦An on-duty supervisor is not required to respond to the scene in any of the following circumstances: ‣ A) Pointing/Empty Hand Exception. This is when reportable R2R solely involves an officer: • 1) Pointing a CED, soft-impact weapon, and/or firearm at a single person or multiple persons and/or • 2) Using empty hand tactics and all of the following apply: ◦A) There is no visible injury. ◦B) The person does not lose consciousness. ◦C) The person does not complain of any bodily injury. ‣ B) Extra Employment Exception. This is when reportable R2R occurs while an involved officer is working extra employment and only if all of the following apply: • 1) A Houston Police Department supervisor is working extra employment at the same location. • 2) The involved officer immediately notifies that supervisor. • 3) That supervisor did not use reportable R2R. • 4) The reportable R2R does not involve the discharge of a firearm or soft-impact weapon, or result in serious bodily injury to any person. ‣ C) Outside City of Houston Exception. This is when a reportable R2R incident does not meet any of the previous exceptions, yet both of the following apply: • 1) The reportable R2R occurs Outside the City of Houston. • 2) A classified supervisor in the Crime Analysis and Command Center (hereinafter referred to as Command Center) has determined that an on-duty supervisor does not have to respond to the scene after giving consideration to the proximity of the reportable R2R incident to the city of Houston and the severity of injury. ◦If an on-duty supervisor is not required to make the scene of a reportable R2R incident as specifically provided in this General Order, yet an on-duty supervisor does respond, the on-duty supervisor is not required to complete a supplement to the original incident report. ‣ Notification Responsibilities • The supervisor shall immediately contact the Command Center when any one of the following occurs: ◦A) A firearm is discharged. ◦B) A soft-impact weapon is discharged. ◦C) A CED is discharged. ◦D) A person sustains serious bodily injury. ◦E) A person is sprayed with OC. • Anytime the on-scene investigation reveals violations of department policy regarding R2R, the supervisor shall contact the Internal Affairs Division (IAD) and speak with an IAD lieutenant for direction. However, if it is after hours, the supervisor shall contact the Command Center. ‣ Documentation • When an on-duty supervisor is notified and required to respond to a reportable R2R incident as provided herein, the on-duty supervisor shall do all of the following: ◦A) Review each involved officer's incident and/or supplement report. ◦B) Review all applicable R2R form(s). ◦C) Complete a supplement to the original incident report. ◦D) Complete the R2R After-Action Report. ◦E) Complete Significant Event Notification if applicable. • Details in the Supplemental Incident Report ◦The supervisor's supplement shall include whether or not the suspect has sustained any visible injuries, the identity of such injuries, injuries complained of by the suspect that are not visible, whether or not the suspect refused medical transport and any other relevant information. ◦In addition to the above specifications, supervisors shall also comply with further documentation requirements contained in General Orders 400-26, Conducted Energy Devices and 600-18, Firearm and SoftImpact Weapon Discharges. • Review and Completion of Reports ◦Within five calendar days after a reportable R2R incident, the supervisor, as indicated above shall: ‣ A) Review all applicable incident and/or supplement reports, Body Worn Camera videos, and R2R form(s) to ensure the incident was properly documented and in compliance with department policy. ‣ B) Complete a supplement, if required, and the R2R After-Action Report. ◦There are times when the BWC video is not available and may be delayed for several days. In those instance where the video is delayed, supervisors shall complete the administrative forms within 5 days of the videos being uploaded. In instances where the video is not available within 5 days, supervisors shall inform their supervisor of the delay. Upon completion of the above requirements, the supervisor shall forward the documentation through the supervisor's chain of command to his supervisor for review of the R2R documentation. • Response to Resistance After-Action Report ◦The supervisor responsible for completing the After-Action Report shall select one of the following: ‣ A) Recommend Training Listed Below. Provide specific training recommendations; ‣ B) Officer's actions within policy if the officer's actions did not violate policy; or ‣ C) IAD made the scene or IAD is or will be investigating the incident. When this check box is selected, the following statement will automatically populate in the comments section of the AfterAction Report: "The incident is being investigated by IAD to determine compliance with departmental policy." The on-duty supervisor shall not make any comments on the After- Action Report as to whether the officer's actions were appropriate, whether there are any opportunities for improvement, or whether there are any policy or training implications. ◦After the first reviewer selects one of the above options, they shall then select Submit to Next Level so that the completed After-Action Report can be reviewed by the next highest ranking supervisor. • Second Reviewer's Responsibilities ◦Once the After-Action Report has been submitted to the next higher ranking supervisor, he shall complete one of the below options: ‣ A) Concur and select Finalize Review. Once finalized, the review is complete and the report shall not proceed any further up the chain of command. ‣ B) If the second reviewer wants to add additional training, the second reviewer shall select the Recommend Training Listed Below box and type in the additional training, and then select Finalize Review. ‣ C) If the second reviewer believes the incident requires additional review, the second reviewer shall select the Submit up the Chain for Further Review button to send the After-Action Report to the next higher ranking supervisor who shall determine the appropriate course of action. ◦When the After-Action Report is finalized by the last level of review, all R2R form activity for the incident shall be frozen. No previous saved R2R forms shall be modified or added unless approved by a supervisor that is one level higher in the chain of command than the person who last finalized the form.

100-05 Oath of office

‣ Classified employees shall conduct themselves in accordance with the Oath of Office to which each officer has sworn as follows: • I, (Name), do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the duties of police officer of the city of Houston, Texas, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution and laws of the United States and of this state and city, so help me God.

500-02 Legal Warnings

‣ When suspects are arrested, they shall be told as soon as possible they are under arrest and the charge or cause for the arrest. ‣ If custodial interrogation is to take place, suspects shall be given the legal warnings as set out in the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.

300-03 Extra Employment Office

‣ The EEO of the Human Resources Divi- sion has primary administrative authority over all extra employment applications, investigations, and permits. All provisions for extra employment, including permit denial or revocation, as well as conditions which prohibit extra employment, will be enforced by EEO

500-01 Effecting arrest and searches

◦Definitions ‣ Body Cavity Search: • A search involving the internal physical examination or probing of all body cavities. ‣ Gender Identity: • An individual's innate identification as either male or female, although it may not correspond to the individual's body or gender as assigned at birth. ‣ Interlocking: • A technique used to accomplish the arrest or restraint of a violent person by handcuffing the wrists and ankles together behind the back. ‣ Positional Asphyxia: • An impairment of the respiratory system due to body positioning that results in the reduction of oxygen or the increase of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream and tissues. ‣ Strip Search: • A search of an individual requiring the removal of some or all of the clothing to allow visual inspection of the breasts of a female or the genitalia of either sex. ‣ Systematic Search: • A thorough search of a prisoner including removing the prisoner's shoes and socks for inspection. ‣ Transgender: • An umbrella term that describes individuals whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex at birth.

500-20 Treatment of prisoners, Suspects and other citizens

◦Policy ‣ Employees of the Houston Police Department shall treat all prisoners, suspects and citizens in a humane and lawful manner. This GO applies to all employees. ◦1: Guidelines ‣ Employees shall avoid all unnecessary physical contact with all prisoners, suspects, and other citizens. Unnecessary contact may include, but is not limited to, pushing, shoving, dragging, punching, or kicking. · ‣ Employees shall not place handcuffs on prisoners tighter than is necessary to ensure the prisoner does not remove the handcuffs. Tightening the handcuffs to the point circulation is impaired is prohibited. Officers shall double lock the handcuffs to ensure that they are not inadvertently tightened during transport.