Metropolitan Police Department Washington D.C.

Subject:

Casual Clothes Units

Series    Number  Change

308       13

Effective Date

July 23, 1979

Revision Date

December 05, 1986

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The purpose of this order is to set forth the procedures to be followed in the utilization of personnel in casual clothes units. This order consists of the following parts:

 

PART I    Responsibilities and Procedures for Members of the Department

 

A.   Operations.

B.   Identification.

C.   Tentative Recognition Signal.

D.   Casual Clothes Units.

 

PART II   Responsibilities and Procedures for Supervisory and Command

Personnel

 

A.   Assignment of Casual Clothes Officers.

B.   Notification by SOD.

C.   Director, Communications Division.

D.   District Commanders

E.   Use of Citizens in Tactical Police Operations.

 

PART I

 

A.   Operations.

 

1.   The casual clothes unit is designed primarily as an offensive operation which has the objective of having police present in the vicinity of areas where It is anticipated that crimes will occur and where the presence of uniformed police would only delay the commission of such crime or cause it to be committed outside of that immediate area where apprehension of the perpetrators would probably be delayed or impossible. The personnel in these units are not "undercover," but are dressed in those types of civilian attire which will permit them access to areas in which they have operational objectives. In order to attain this objective and to ensure the maximum possible safety of all personnel, an optimum balance between security of operation and awareness of the presence of casual clothes members by other operating units must be maintained.

 

 

 

 

Publication                   Effective Date

Change       Page

General Order 308.13           July 23, 1979     2

  2

of 5

 

 

2.   The Manual of the Metropolitan Police Department clearly defines the responsibility of each police officer and what his/her actions shall be if he / she observes a crime being committed in his/her presence. In general, however, casual clothes/non-uniform members shall not respond to a crime scene which is being handled by uniformed units unless instructed to do so by competent authority.

 

B.   Identification.

 

1.   It is of utmost importance that members of casual clothes/non-­uniform units be identified as police officers by the general public, as well as fellow police officers, in their true role so as to prevent false reports, mini­mize confusion at any crime scene, and eliminate erroneous identification as armed criminals.

 

2.   Should it become necessary for casual clothes/non-uniform members to overtly exercise their responsibilities as police officers they shall, as soon as practicable, affix the standard recognition device, the yellow or orange MPD arm band, on the sleeve of their outer garment. Blue and Yellow Headband

 

3.   In addition to the standard recognition device every casual clothes/non-uniform member shall have in his/her possession his/her police iden­tification card and Police badge.

 

4.   Members, in either uniform or civilian attire, shall always exer­cise sound judgment and tact when speaking to or conversing with other members in civilian attire. This is of utmost importance in order to prevent the inad­vertent exposure of members working in confidential or sensitive assignments. Members must realize that even a casual acknowledgement of a member working in a confidential assignment could possibly place the member and his/her assignment in jeopardy. Therefore, it is imperative that all  members of the department strictly adhere to this policy.

 

C.   Tentative Recognition Signal.

 

     1.   Upon being directed by any police officer to halt or to raise           his/her hands Over his/her head, an officer shall comply                instantly, making no other immediate attempt to identify                himself/herself. He/she will comply by straighten­ing his/her           arms over his/her head and then crossing them at the wrists with           the palms forward and the fingers wide-spread.

 

Publication                     Revision Date

Change       Page

General Order 308.13           June 25, 1986     2

  3

of 5

 

 

2.   An officer who receives this signal shall regard it only as a ten­tative indication that he/she may ‘be dealing with a fellow officer. Accordingly, he/she shall proceed with caution until positive confirmation of identity has been achieved by means which he/she has directed. The challenged officer shall follow instructions exactly until recognition is acknowledged.

 

D.   Casual Clothes Units.

Unless directed otherwise by an official of this department, members of the casual clothes unit shall adhere to the following guidelines.

 

1.   They shall remain within their assigned Boundaries unless situa­tions develop justifying their official attention outside assigned boundaries.

 

2.   They shall maintain contact at such intervals and in such manner as may be directed by their supervising official.

 

3.   They shall not respond to or remain at the scene of a crime or incident, the responsibility for which has already been assumed by uniformed mem­bers of the department.

 

4.  Casual clothes units shall not respond to the scene of a reported crime unless so close to the scene as to be reasonably assured of arriving there before responding mobile units, thereby Increasing the likelihood that a pris­oner’s escape shall be prevented.

 

5.   Should a casual clothes member, at the scene of a crime, become involved in the pursuit or arrest of the offender, he/she shall, as soon as prac­ticable affix the standard recognition device on the sleeve of his/her outer gar­ment.

 

PART II

 

A.   Assignment of Casual Clothes Officers.

 

1.   Officials who assign members to duty in casual clothes shall en­sure that such members are ass4gned to a specific objective for a specified per­iod of time or given a clearly defined assignment. Guidance as to the limits of their responsibilities and their duties to respond to crime scenes shall also be given.

 

 

2.   In addition to requiring that the standard recognition device be carried, the official in charge shall re-instruct each casual clothes officer on the confidential tentative recognition signal which he/she shall use in the event a fellow officer should direct him/her to halt or place his/her hands ever his / her head.

Publication                   Effective Date

Change       Page

General Order 308.13           July 23, 1979     2

  4

of 5

 

 

3.   Except in emergencies, casual clothes officers shall not partici­pate in raids or serve warrants of any kind. All warrants coming into the pos­session of the police department should be served by uniform personnel; however, in the event it becomes necessary for plainclothes officers to execute warrants, they shall be assisted by uniform personnel. ‘The uniform personnel shall be so deployed as to remove any question as to the Identity of the persons executing the warrant.

 

B.   Notification by SOD.

 

1.   In those instances where teams from the Special Operations Divi­sion are scheduled to be 3peratlng In any district, the official of Special Oper­ations Division who dispatches those teems shall ensure that the district is made aware of such plans prior to their arrival in the area so that the announcement can be made at roll call for that tour of duty.

 

2.  The Special Operations Division official shall also notify the Communications Division of the areas in which the teems are to operate.

 

C.   Director, Communications Division.

The Director, Communications Division, shall be responsible for warning all units when they are dispatched to the areas In which casual clothes teems are located of the presence of non-uniformed police personnel In that vicinity. This information shall not be broadcast, until such time as a unit Is dispatched to the area, In order to maintain the security of such teems.

 

D.   District Commanders.

 

1.   District Commanders. or their designated representative, may de­ploy their personnel on casual clothes/non—uniform details. They shall ensure that proper notification be made to the Communications Division. They shall also inform unit supervisors within the district of casual clothes/non—uniform details and their area of operation.

 

2.   Commanding officers shall ensure that members in casual clothes/non-uniform assignments, who have not been issued yellow or orange arm bands, respond to the Uniform and Equipment Section, Property Division, for issuance of the arm band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Publication                     Revision Date

   Change     Page

General Order 308.13           December 05, 1986      2

  5

of 5

 

 

E.   Use of Citizens in Tactical Police Operations.

 

1.   It is the policy of this department that no citizen will be uti­lized In any tactical police operation until all necessary details, precautions, and plans have been reviewed by the affected element’s commanding officer, the Commander, Criminal Investigations Division, any affected bureau heads, the General Counsel and approved by the chief of Police.

 

2.   In emergency situations where the above officials are unavailable and the use of a citizen in a tactical police operation Is necessary, prior approval must be obtained from the official then in charge of the department.

 

3.   Before any such operation is carried out, the commanding officer of the affected element shall fully advise the citizen of the potential hazards of the operation.

 

4.   Commanding officers shall ensure that the primary factor in any tactical police operation, where the use of a citizen(s) is anticipated, is that all possible precautions have been taken to ensure the citizen’s safety.

 

 

 

MTT :WAH:jtw                                          General Order No. 308.13

(Revised 12-5-86)