DOCUMENT CONTROL

PREFACE

This policy outlines the use of the tools and weapons that the department provides to its employees.

DEFINITIONS

For the purpose of this document:

    1.1 'PLPD' will represent the organisation: Paralake Police Department.

    1.2 'PLPD personnel' refers to any persons involved in the activities of PLPD either directly or indirectly.

    1.3 'Taser' refers to the M26C Taser.

    1.4 'Shotgun' refers to the Remington shotgun carried in the trunks of PLPD vehicles owned by officers ranked Corporal and above.

    1.5 “PBC” refers to a city-wide police broadcast that can be created by a Road Traffic Officer, Police Supervisor or Tactical Firearms Officer.

REMINGTON SHOTGUN

2.1 The Remington 870 shotgun may only be used and carried by an officer rank Corporal or above.

M26C TASER

3.1 Tasers should only be used against persons who are actively resisting, exhibiting active aggression, or to prevent individuals from physically injuring themselves or others.

3.2 The Taser may be used on suspects fleeing on foot, however, 3.5 of this policy is emphasised in this circumstance.

3.3 Tasers should not be replaced with deadly force and should only be used as defined in 3.1.

3.4 The M26C taser may not be deployed for an elongated amount of time, the shock should generally last a few seconds.

3.5 The Taser should generally be announced prior to being used (unless there is a threat to life), giving suspects a chance to comply before deploying the Taser when life or well-being is in danger.

POLICE BROADCASTS

4.1 Police Broadcasts can be created to transmit a city-wide alert about any ongoing situations, hazards or otherwise share information that is appropriate and felt to be of relevance and importance to the citizens of Paralake from a policing perspective.

4.2 Police Broadcasts must be written with the utmost professionalism and concisely detail only necessary information about the subject of the PBC.

4.3 When it is felt that a PBC must be created as a safety measure or in order to warn citizens about a specific hazard, the broadcast must be submitted at the earliest time that is practicable.

4.4 The ability to cast Police Broadcasts has been allocated based on divisional needs. For example, Tactical Firearms Officers could create a PBC to alert the public of an ongoing gunfight to warn them to keep their distance, whereas Road Traffic Officers could create a PBC to warn drivers of a large collision in a certain area so they can approach with caution. However, usage of Police Broadcasts is not limited to an officer’s divisional needs, and a PBC may be created for any purpose outlined in this policy by any person with the ability to do so.

4.5 Police Broadcasts must not contain distasteful or threatening language, be disrespectful in nature, or cause any person to be in danger of (or to perceive) bodily harm. Data Protection should be considered when creating a PBC.

WHEEL CLAMPS

5.1 The tool should be used responsibly and professionally at all times.

5.2 You must only clamp a vehicle when:

• It is liable to asset forfeiture as prescribed within the relevant offence that the driver or vehicle has committed.
• It is in a position where it is causing or is suspected that it will cause an obstruction to access, the flow of traffic and/or pedestrians.
• You have a reasonably held belief that clamping said vehicle would significantly benefit an ongoing or planned situation and/or provide a strong tactical advantage. For example, clamping vehicles belonging to criminals prior to a police raid of their property in order to prevent escape.

The wheel clamp should not be used to escalate situations, and should only be used to this effect if it is in the interest of preventing crime before it happens.

5.3 After clamping a vehicle, you must not leave that vehicle unattended until the vehicle has been towed away by roadcrew and/or impounded, or the wheel clamp has been removed, other than for any reason prescribed within 5.4.

5.4 When a vehicle has been clamped and another situation arises, it is at the officer's discretion whether that situation does or does not take priority over the clamped vehicle. Where the vehicle is obstructing a road or highway, you must remain with it unless you are called to a life-threatening or otherwise urgent emergency. When leaving a clamped vehicle, you must remove the wheel clamp if it is practicable to do so.

5.5 If for any valid reason you must leave a clamped vehicle before it has been impounded, or before the wheel clamp has been removed, you must remind all on-duty officers of its presence and location via either text or voice radio, or the Road Crew text channel, and return to it as soon as/if possible.

5.6 If a vehicle has been clamped by an officer, but there is no intention for said vehicle to be impounded, the wheel clamp must be removed as soon as it is practicable to do so. Prolonged, unjustifiable retention of a vehicle is not permitted.