General Policy Information
Law Enforcement Code of Ethics
Latest Revision Date: 5/15/2013
Title 1 - Department Structure and Function
1.010 - Authority and Jurisdiction
1.025 - Consultant Contract Administration
1.040 - Department Mission Statement and Priorities
1.050 - Functional Structure and Command of the Department
1.060 - General Information and Definitions
1.090 - Organization and Function-Administration
1.100 - Organization and Function-Chief of Police
1.110 - Organization and Function-Operations
1.119 - Unit Number Assignments
1.140 - Special Event Planning
1.160 - University of Washington
1.170 - Inspections and Audits
Title 2 - Department Employment
2.020 - Appointments and Probation
2.030 - Retirements and Separations
Title 3 - Employee Welfare
3.035 - Reasonable Accommodation (ADA)
3.050 - Coordinating Officer Fatalities
3.070 - Early Intervention System (EIS)
3.080 - Travel Training System
3.090 - Employee Recognition Awards Program
3.170 - Honoring Those Killed in the Line of Duty
3.200 - Limited Duty Assignments
3.270 - Police Charity Committee
Title 4 - Timekeeping
Title 5 - Employee Conduct
5.002 - Public and Internal Complaint Process
5.030 - Criminal Case Testimony
5.040 - EEO Complaints and Investigations
5.060 - Employee Political Activity
5.090 - Operations Bureau General Personnel Matters
5.100 - Operations Bureau Individual Responsibilities
5.130 - Supervisor/Employee Relationships
5.150 - Use of Private Vehicles for City Business
5.160 - Citizen Observation of Officers
5.170 - Alcohol and Substance Use
5.175 - Critical Incident Stress Management Communications
Title 6 - Arrests, Search and Seizure
6.010 - Reporting Arrests and Detentions
6.020 - Arrests and Detentions of Foreign Nationals
6.060 - Collection of Information for Law Enforcement Purposes
6.090 - Full Restraint Position
6.140 - Locating a Cell Phone during an Emergency
6.150 - Advising Persons of Right to Counsel and Miranda
6.181 - Performing Inventory Searches
6.220 - Social Contacts, Terry Stops and Arrests
6.247 - Reviewing Use of Force Incidents
Title 7 - Evidence and Property
7.010 - Converting Property-Evidence for Departmental Use
7.020 - Evidence, Private Property collection & Release
7.050 - Firearms and Shell Casings as Evidence
7.070 - Narcotics and Firearms Property Release for Training Canines
Title 8 - Use of Force
8.050 - Use of Force Definitions
8.300 - Use of Force Reporting and Investigations
8.400 - Reviewing Use of Force
Title 9 - Equipment and Uniforms
9.010 - Employee Appearance Standards
9.050 - Reinbursement for Personal Property
9.070 - Uniform and Equipment Committee
9.080 - Firearms Qualification Review Board
9.090 - Rifle and Shotgun Program
9.100 - Department Firearms Management
Title 10 - Police Facilities & Security
Title 11 - Detainee Management
11.010 - Detainee Management in Department Facilities
11.020 - Transportation of Detainees
Title 12 - Department Information Systems
12.030 - Computer Hardware & Devices
12.055 - Criminal Justice Research
12.060 - Department Forms Control
12.070 - Department Publications
12.080 - Department Records Access, Inspection & Dissemination
12.090 - Departmental Correspondence
12.091 - Mobile Reporting Entity (MRE) Laptops
12.110 - Use of Department E-mail & Internet Systems
Title 13 - Vehicle Operations
13.010 - Collisions Involving Department Vehicles
13.015 - Collision Review Board
13.030 - Emergency Vehicle Operations
13.031 - Vehicle Eluding/Pursuits
13.040 - Patrol Operations Equipment, Police Vehicles and Facilities
13.050 - Policing by Mountain Bike
Title 14 - Emergency Operations
14.060 - Serious Incident Plan
14.070 - Serious Injury or Fatality to a Police Officer
Title 15 - Primary Investigation
15.015 – Bomb Threats and Explosive Devices
15.055 - Death Investigations (Non Traffic)
15.080 - Follow-up Unit Notification and Follow-up Investigation
15.140 - Narcotics Activity Report
15.180 - Primary Investigations
15.185 - Vulnerable Adults-Elder Abuse and Neglect
15.210 - Investigating Property Held by a Pawnshop or Used-Goods Store
15.215 - Domestic Violence Firearms Seizures 15.250 - Interpreters/Translators 15.260 - Collision Investigations 15.270 - Trespass Warning Program 15.275 - Enforcing Trespass in Parks 15.290 - Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution (SOAP) 15.300 - Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA)-Define Boundaries 15.310 - Foreign Nationals Seeking Asylum 15.320 - Police Action on Military Reservations
Title 16 - Patrol Operations
16.030 - Citizen Rider Program
16.040 - Community Police Teams
16.070 - Responding to Monitored Alarms
16.080 - Fireworks Disposal and Disposition
16.100 - Patrol Training and Publications
16.110 - Referring Subjects to the Crisis Solutions Center
16.130 - Sick and Injured Persons
16.140 - Traffic Direction and Control
16.170 - Automatic License Plate Readers
16.180 - Patrol Operations Order
16.190 - Labor Management Disputes
7.080 – Physical Evidence
Effective Date: 6/28/2007
I. Types of Evidence
A. Certain types of property require special handling, storage, or other considerations when collected as evidence. There may be particular safety considerations associated with the evidence as well. The Evidence Unit may not accept certain items.
II. Evidence that Requires Special Handling
A. Ammunition components/explosives
1. Factory ammo less than 50 cal. in small quantities can generally be handled as regular evidence.
B. Bio-hazards
1. See P&T 047-Bloodborne Pathogens
C. Boats
1. The Harbor Unit will provide storage for boats recovered as evidence. A Vessel, Watercraft, or Obstruction Theft and Impound Report (form 5.42) must be completed to document the investigatory impound.
D. Cash
E. Cellular phones/pagers
1. Officers shall turn off the power when logging cellular phones/pagers into the Evidence Unit.
2. When completing paperwork, officers shall include the telephone number and area code assigned to the device (if known) as an “owner applied number”.
F. Chemicals (known and unknown)
G. Computers
H. Firearms
1. See Seattle Police Manual Section 7.050 - Firearms as Evidence.
I. Fireworks / Explosives
J. Hazardous materials
K. Knives / Sharp bladed instruments
L. Large items
1. e.g., safes, lumber, truck loads of goods, etc.
M. Narcotics
N. Needles / Syringes
O. Vehicles
1. See Seattle Police Manual Section 6.120 - Impounding Vehicles.
III. Storage Practices for Physical Evidence
A. Physiological fluids (i.e., blood, saliva, semen, etc.) must be preserved using the following methods.
1. Refrigerate liquid blood samples.
2. Air dry at room temperature and then freeze items such as:
a. Saliva samples,
b. Stained clothing/fabrics,
c. Stained swabs,
d. Stained gauze cuttings, and
e. Dried blood or semen crusts.
3. Without air-drying, place used condoms in a plastic container and then freeze ASAP.
4. Stained hard objects such as guns, rocks, metals, etc. should not be frozen or refrigerated. Subse-quent condensation may dilute or otherwise impact physiological fluid evidence. Store objects at room temperature and notify the lab ASAP.
5. If other types or forms of physiological fluid evidence are encountered, call the WSP Crime Lab Biochemistry Unit Forensic Scientist at 206-262-6020 for acceptable methods of preservation.