(a) Administrative Time. It is essential that the Commission and Department maximize the time that officers can spend performing their core law enforcement and crime prevention functions, as opposed to administrative tasks. When adopting or revising policies governing the conduct of officers, the Commission and Department shall endeavor to minimize imposing administrative tasks on officers so that officers can primarily focus their time and efforts on law enforcement and crime prevention. It shall be City policy that patrol officers shall spend no more than 20% of their on-duty time conducting administrative tasks, except for tasks required by law, such as the completion of arrest reports and the booking of arrestees and property, and except for training and education.
(b) Recordkeeping and Reporting. To minimize redundancy and administrative tasks with respect to recordkeeping and reporting, the Commission and Department shall revise their existing policies and procedures to reduce all recordkeeping and reporting requirements to the extent allowed by law, and shall apply this rule to all future policies and procedures. Further, officers shall be authorized to comply with recordkeeping and reporting requirements through the use of technologies such as body-worn cameras. This subsection (b) is intended to ensure accurate reporting and recordkeeping, promote trust in the Department, and maximize the ability of officers to focus their time and efforts on law enforcement and crime prevention as opposed to administrative tasks that remove officers from the field.
(c) Use of Force Policy. The Department's highest priority is to safeguard the life, dignity, and liberty of all persons. Consistent with this priority, in encounters with criminal suspects or others, it shall be Department policy when feasible for officers to use rapport-building communication, crisis intervention approaches, and de-escalation tactics before they resort to using force. Officers shall be required to provide a written report for uses of force only when (1) the use of force resulted in a physical injury, including where the officer believes the use of force is likely to have caused a physical injury or where a person has complained of a physical injury; or (2) an officer removed a firearm from a holster and pointed the firearm at a person or used it to compel a person to comply. In all other instances involving a reportable use of force, the officers shall satisfy these reporting requirements using body-worn cameras, to the maximum extent possible, consistent with subsection (b). The use of force policy shall also minimize duplicative reporting by multiple officers regarding the same incident.
(d) Vehicle Pursuit Policy. An officer may engage in a vehicle pursuit if the officer has reasonable suspicion or probable cause that a felony or violent misdemeanor crime has occurred, is occurring, or is about to occur. In evaluating whether to engage in a vehicle pursuit, the officer must weigh the seriousness of the crime and the likelihood that the pursuit will prevent the crime or lead to the apprehension of a suspect against the potential dangers to the community and officers; and to minimize the dangers from vehicle pursuits, officers shall be authorized to use unassisted aerial vehicles (“UAVs,” also known as “drones”) along with or in lieu of vehicle pursuits, consistent with all applicable City policies on data and privacy and subsection (e). The Department shall annually report to the Commission on the total number of vehicle pursuits; the reason(s) for the pursuits; the number of pursuits that resulted in a collision; the number of pursuits that resulted in death or injury to an officer or member of the public; and the number of pursuits that were found to be within or outside of policy.
(e) Technology Policy. The Department shall use technology to the maximum extent possible to improve its efficiency and effectiveness in combatting crime, and to reduce dangers to the public, subject to the City’s policies to protect privacy and civil liberties. Consistent with these principles:
(1) officers shall be authorized to use technologies such as body-worn cameras to comply with recordkeeping and reporting requirements as set forth in subsections (b) and (c);
(2) the Department shall have the authority to use UAVs along with or in lieu of vehicle pursuits as set forth in subsection (d), and to assist with active criminal investigations; and
(3) the City may not adopt or impose any new restrictions on the use of technology by the Department, unless such restrictions are approved by the Board of Supervisors pursuant to Section 96I.4;
provided, however, that the Department must use technology for legitimate law enforcement purposes only, rather than for the purpose of infringing on the lawful exercise of rights protected by the First Amendment; must not retain any public footage for longer than 30 days unless a sworn member holding the rank of Captain or higher has determined that a longer retention period is necessary due to an open criminal investigation; and must not allow any Department staff to access any public footage unless a sworn member holding the rank of Captain or higher has determined that access is necessary for an open criminal investigation; and provided further, that the Department’s use of UAVs under this subsection (e) shall not be subject to the requirements of Chapter 19B of the Administrative Code.
(Added by Proposition E, 3/5/2024, Eff. 4/12/2024)