Law Enforcement Policies
This Policies section highlights how law enforcement policy plays out in the real world, while also connecting you with best practices for drafting, updating and ensuring accountability with policies.
Officers say mental health calls are the top safety risk — here’s how patrol and leadership can work toward change
Lt. Eric Burgett shares how he stayed on the job after a life-changing diagnosis — offering officers guidance on treatment, ADA protections and workplace accommodations
A Florida PD now requires supervisors to visit cops who call out sick — a policy aimed at preventing abuse and protecting officer safety, but one that could erode morale and trust
Scottsdale Police didn’t follow a template; it built a Drone as First Responder program designed around its terrain, staffing and commitment to transparency
Citing past sick leave abuse, Miramar Chief Delrish Moss defended the new oversight policy despite union leaders calling it harassment and a “direct hit to morale”
Despite a $2.1 million budget increase, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office cut community policing programs to reallocate resources toward emergency call response
The program aims to lessen the burden on officers facing traffic and potentially responding slowly to calls because they were getting gas at city fueling stations
The notice calls on deputies to pledge to “avoid speaking about others negatively in their absence unless required for work-related purposes”
Facial recognition in law enforcement is promising, but concerns about accuracy, bias and privacy demand careful implementation
The 10th Circuit denied qualified immunity to deputies who made a warrantless entry and allowed a K-9 to bite the resident
In U.S. v. Pinder, the 10th Circuit questioned a car search and discovery of evidence under the search-incident-to-arrest doctrine
In United States v. Giambro, the 1st Circuit ruled officers unlawfully entered a home without a warrant under the emergency aid doctrine
PTSD in law enforcement threatens lives and inhibits performance – here’s what to do about it
The Lexington police union argues the 2021 ban ignored collective bargaining agreements and put officers at greater risk
The city alleges that the new law violates a provision of the Missouri Constitution that prohibits unfunded mandates from the state
Gov. Joe Lombardo said the “Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act” has provisions that increase penalties for cyberstalking, retail theft, DUIs and fentanyl trafficking
Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall’s team is drawing from European models to train officers in non-confrontational crowd management
Capt. Steve Hirjak alleged that he was blamed and mistreated after a different commander violated protest response policies
In U.S. v. Turner, officers conducted a lawful warrantless protective sweep after exigent circumstances linked to a reported gunshot
The 287(g) program allows ICE to deputize local officers to perform immigration enforcement duties, including identifying and processing noncitizens in custody for potential removal
Annapolis Police lost their Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies accreditation after missing a deadline for filings last year
A former sheriff and a volunteer firefighter created a bill that makes harassing first responders engaged in their lawful duty a first-degree misdemeanor
The law, House Bill 495, requires Gov. Mike Kehoe to appoint a transition director to oversee the state takeover’s implementation; that period will need to end by July 1, 2026
Following a Ninth Circuit decision on use of force, one sheriff’s new policy has sparked debate over legal interpretation, responder safety and the future of crisis response models
Three officers who were fired and charged for using a TASER in an arrest were later reinstated; a court ruled that the mayor who publicized their firings was acting within her role
The Omaha Police Department has adopted an approach where its interviewing investigators do not watch video evidence before interviewing officers involved in serious uses of force
Aurora Chief Todd Chamberlain said he hopes the policy change will disrupt the cycle of crime tied to stolen vehicles, such as carjackings and related offenses
The DOJ released a report following a two-year investigation into the Worcester Police Department, which stated that officers engaged in acts of excessive force without justification
Mayors Michelle Wu, Brandon Johnson, Mike Johnston and Eric Adams are set to appear in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
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- Calif. sheriff’s office ends response to non-criminal mental health calls after qualified immunity ruling
- Mich. PD switches to 12-hour shifts, offers raises and increased benefits as part of recruitment push
- N.Y. police department adopts program cementing partnership with ICE
- From burnout to rejuvenation: How a Minnesota PD’s sabbatical program is transforming officer wellness
- Baltimore County PD to enforce ‘light duty’ policy that could force wounded officers to change roles, retire