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 Dress 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
12.090 – Department Correspondence
Effective Date: 3/8/2012
I. Definitions
A. Outgoing correspondence: Any official communication by letter emanating from the Seattle Police Department.
B. Original letter: Any original correspondence from the Office of the Chief of Police, Deputy Chief, Bureau Chief or Section Captain.
C. Form letter: All pre-printed correspondence sent out from any segment of the Department under the signature of the Chief of Police, Deputy Chief, Bureau Chief or Section Captain.
II. Requirements
A. Bureau and Section Captains shall:
1. Ensure that all concerned personnel comply with the established format for original and form letters.
2. Be the approving authority for all outgoing correspondence originating from their respective Bureau or Section.
3. Provide copies of all printed form letters to the Audit, Policy and Research Section prior to ordering the printing of any form letter.
B. The Audit, Policy and Research Section shall:
1. Maintain a complete and accurate file of all form letters in use by the Department.
2. Screen all new and reordered form letters to ensure they conform to the established format.
III. Memorandums
A. Official written communications within the Department shall be by Memorandum.
1. The sender shall initial next to their name in the “from” block.
2. If practical, first names, rather than initials, shall be used.
3. See sample Memorandum:
IV. Outgoing Correspondence
A. Departmental correspondence, including official letters and emails, addressed to entities outside the Department must be signed or approved by a Lieutenant or higher authority. Blanket approval for routine/repetitive correspondence may be granted by a Lieutenant or higher. Such routine correspondence shall be reviewed for content and compliance with policy on at least an annual basis.
B. When placing your name and address on any mailing list associated with Seattle Police Department correspondence, please use your unit name instead of unit number and use your exact building address instead of 610 5th Avenue (unless you work in Police Headquarters in which case use the Department P.O. Box Address).
Example: Seattle Police Department
Detective Jane Doe/East Precinct Burglary
1519 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
C. All original letters shall be in the following format:
1. On Department letterhead stationary, using block text with mixed punctuation.
2. See Outgoing Correspondence letter example:
