MONROE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

General Order

CHAPTER:		TITLE:
021		Inspection Services
EFFECTIVE DATE:	NO. PAGES:	REVIEWED/REVISED:
November 2, 2011	4	July 12, 2019
REFERENCE:		RESCINDS:
CALEA 53.1.1, 53.2.1
Sheriff of Monroe County

I.PURPOSE: The purpose of this General Order is to establish guidelines for line and staff inspections.

II.DISCUSSION: This directive shall apply to all Sheriffs personnel. Inspections and control by management are necessary to ascertain if policies, procedures and rules are adequate and are being obeyed; whether office resources are adequate and being properly utilized; to evaluate the overall performance of the office and to recognize commendable performance. The ultimate purpose and objective of an inspection is to improve the performance of the office and its members, its operational efficiency and to upgrade its professional standards. All inspection efforts will be directed toward these objectives. The Inspections component falls under the purview of the Commander of Professional Standards.

III. DEFINITIONS:

A.Line Inspection: The objective and purposeful observation and evaluation of an activity, event, equipment or personnel within the direct chain of a command of the inspecting supervisor.

B.Staff Inspection: An objective and purposeful observation and evaluation of an activity, event, equipment or personnel by inspecting officers who are acting at the direction of the Sheriff.

IV. POLICY:

A.Line Inspections [CALEA 53.1.1 a]

1.All commanders and directors are responsible for insuring line inspections are conducted of members and areas under their command.

2.All supervisors shall, on a daily basis, make careful inspections of their subordinates to ensure they are properly attired, uniformed, equipped and fit for duty. [CALEA 53.1.1 b]

3.Line supervisory members who have direct authority and responsibility for the operation of a specific component or function will conduct line inspections. In addition, they will monitor the activities of subordinates to determine if duties, services to the public, orders and instructions are being promptly, efficiently and effectively performed.

4.Line supervisory members shall frequently, and at random, interview complainants to ensure that citizens are receiving proper attention and an appropriate level of service. [CALEA 53.1.1 c]

B.Informal Line Inspections

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1.Routine informal line inspections shall be practiced at each level of command. By constant observation, all supervisors shall be able to determine whether members of their command maintain a working knowledge of the law and perform their duties in accordance with agency orders. Supervisors shall constantly examine and inspect the work of their subordinates for compliance with agency objectives.

2.Informal line inspections performed by supervisory members during routine operations do not usually require written reports. Their intent is to serve as periodic inspections to ensure compliance with agency orders. Any deficiencies noted by a supervisory member shall be corrected immediately. [CALEA 53.1.1 c]

C.Formal Line Inspections [CALEA 53.1.1 b]

1.Formal line inspections shall be conducted on all sworn/certified members annually to determine if members continuously maintain a satisfactory level of efficiency in compliance with agency orders. Annual inspections shall include, but are not limited to, work area, personnel and vehicle inspections. Identified deficiencies shall be brought to the attention of the members involved so appropriate corrections can be made. Line supervisors supervising sworn/certified members shall document a monthly inspection of members to include at a minimum:

a.Uniforms or attire

b.Weapons

c.Equipment

d.Vehicles

e.Work area

2.Completed written reports or forms shall be sent through the chain of command to the commander. The commander is responsible for ensuring corrective action and proper retraining of members with noted deficiencies. The inspection reports shall include any specific action taken to correct discrepancies or recommendations for long-range solutions. [CALEA 53.1.1 c, d]

3.A follow-up inspection shall be conducted within thirty days of a noted deficiency to ensure it has been corrected. [CALEA 53.1.1c, e]

D.Staff Inspections

1.Staff Inspections shall be conducted by the Office of Professional Standards. The Unit shall conduct staff inspections through the authority of the Sheriff and be directly responsible to the Commander of Professional Standards.

2.Staff Inspections are carried on outside the normal lines of authority and responsibility. Those conducting the staff inspections process are neither responsible to the supervisors of the function being inspected nor for the performance of those units. The staff inspector does not have line or command authority; the primary duties are to observe, evaluate, and report, however, personnel assigned to an inspection shall be considered equal with the ranking members of the organizational component being inspected. [CALEA 53.2.1 a]

3.Staff Inspections shall be responsible for conducting administrative inspections within all

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organizational components of all units and functions at least once every three years to provide necessary information to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the office. Unannounced inspections of evidence and property storage areas shall be conducted semiannually or as directed by the Sheriff. [CALEA 3.1.1 b, 53.2.1 e]

4.The Staff Inspection is principally directed at Division, Sector, Unit and Section performance. The staff inspection includes, but is not limited to, ensuring the following tasks and goals are achieved: [CALEA 53.2.1 b]

a.The office fulfills its legally mandated responsibilities

b.Division, Sector, Units and Sections comply with office policies and procedures

c.Progress is being made and/or program goals and objectives are being achieved through observation of selected programs of critical field law enforcement incidents either as they occur or after the fact review

d.Crime, arrest and other reporting integrity are achieved and maintained

e.Service rendered to line personnel by support elements is adequate and productive

5.Pre-Inspection Notification

a.Written notice of formal inspection shall be provided to the division commander of the component to be inspected at least 14 days in advance but not less than 7 days prior to the inspection.

b.The memorandum shall indicate the nature of the inspection and may include a specific request for desired action, questions to be answered, documents to be produced or other action necessary to complete the inspection.

6.It shall be the responsibility of the division commander or director to identify liaison personnel to assist with the inspection, if requested by the Staff Inspector, and to convey information regarding the scheduled inspection to the members of the Division, Section, or Unit.

7.Types of inspections which may be conducted:

a.Personnel

1)Conduct

2)Appearance

3)Discipline

4)Job performance

5)Job knowledge

6)Integrity

7)Morale

b.Operations

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1)Facilities and equipment condition

2)Investigative techniques

3)Communications discipline

4)Incident response time

5)Quality of service

6)Report preparation and records

7)Roll calls

8)Supervision and command

9)Court appearance and presentations

10)Selectivity of enforcement

11)Manpower scheduling and deployment c. Administration

1)Cooperation within other components or agencies

2)Manpower utilization

3)Control of overtime

8.An exit conference will be held between the Staff Inspection officer and the commander or supervisor at the completion of the inspection to provide an informal report of the findings and recommendations.

9.Inspection findings will then be formally submitted to the Sheriff and appropriate supervisors having the responsibility for solving any identified issues and for directing specific action or initiating further study. Upon receipt of the inspection report, the concerned supervisor(s) will provide an appropriate response to the Sheriff through the chain of command. The response shall demonstrate that the concerned supervisor(s) have given full consideration to the overall importance of the inspection findings and has taken action to ensure conformance to the identified policy or procedure. [CALEA 53.1.1 c, 53.2.1 c]

E.Follow-up Inspections: At prescribed time intervals following the initial inspection, inspectors shall be directed by the Sheriff or the Under Sheriff to conduct follow-up inspections and report on the progress of the implementation of recommended changes. [CALEA 53.1.1 e, 53.2.1 d]

F.Spot-Check Inspections

1.Spot-check inspections shall be conducted continuously on an unscheduled basis, requiring no advance notification. [CALEA 53.1.1 b]

2.If a spot-check inspection reveals the need for a more comprehensive inspection, the pre- inspection notification shall be initiated prior to a formal inspection.

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