Metropolitan Police Department Washington D.C.

Subject:

METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT’S
FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

Series    Number  Change

310       07

Effective Date

January 09, 1998

Revision Date

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

The purpose  of this order is to define the jurisdictional and operational responsibilities of the Metropolitan Police Department in relation to the District of Columbia Housing Authority Police Department. This order consists of the following parts:

 

PART I    Responsibilities and Procedures for

          Members of the Department

 

A.   Policy.

B.   Definitions.

C.   General.

D.   Arrests and Prisoner Processing.

E.   Records and Information Systems.

F.   Warrants.

G.   Reporting Requirements/Notifications.

H.   Criminal Investigations.

I.   Administrative Investigations.

J.   Property and Evidence.

K.   Juveniles.

L.   Traffic and Towing.

M.   Radio Communications.

 

PART II   Responsibilities and Procedures for Special Assignment Personnel

 

A.   Court Liaison Division.

B.   Resolution of Conflicts.

 

PART I

 

A.   Policy.

 

1.   It is the policy of the Metropolitan Police Department to support the District of Columbia Housing Authority Police Department’s ability to execute its mission to prevent crime, protect life and property, and preserve the peace and safety of the residents, buildings and grounds of the District of Columbia Housing Authority.

 

 

 

 

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B.   Definitions.

 

1.   “DCHA” means the District of Columbia Housing Authority.

 

2.   “HAPD” means the District of Columbia Housing Authority Police Department.

 

3.   “HAPD officer” means a sworn police officer, of any rank, of the District of Columbia Housing Authority Police Department.

 

4.   “HAPD special police officer” means a commissioned special police officer employed by the District of Columbia Housing Authority Police Department.

 

5.   “Housing Authority community” means the area within 300 feet of a public housing complex or other real property owned or managed by the DCHA.

 

6.   “Housing properties” means any of the public housing complexes owned or managed by the DCHA.

 

7.   “Housing Authority property” means actual property owned or operated by the DCHA, not including any public space or the area within 300 feet of DCHA property that is included in the legal definition of “Housing Authority community.”

 

C.   General.

 

1.   The HAPD is charged by the “District of Columbia Housing Authority Act of 1994” with “the duty of enforcing the laws, ordinances, rules and regulations of the District of Columbia in the Housing Authority Community, and the rules and regulations of the Authority.”

 

2.   The Metropolitan Police Department and the HAPD have concurrent jurisdiction within any Housing Authority community.

 

3.   HAPD officers and special police officers have full powers of

arrest within Housing authority communities.

 

a.   HAPD arrest authority is limited to offenses committed upon or against Housing Authority communities.

 

b.   The arrest authority of HAPD special police officers is limited to the property owned and/or administered by the DCHA, and does not include the area within 300 feet of a public housing complex or property.

 

 

 

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c.   These limitations do not prevent HAPD officers or special police officers from making arrests outside of Housing Authority communities when in fresh pursuit of a suspect.

 

4.   HAPD officers have the power to execute any Notice of Infraction or criminal process issued by any court of the District of Columbia within Housing Authority communities.

 

5.   HAPD special police officers may issue Notices of Infraction for parking violations committed on Housing Authority property.

 

6.   Except in minor situations, the MPD shall provide crowd control services for demonstrations or disturbances within Housing Authority communities.

 

a.   Upon receipt of a request from the HAPD for assistance with a demonstration or disturbance, members shall

immediately notify the patrol district watch commander.

 

b.   The watch commander shall notify the watch commander, Special Operations Division, if assistance is required beyond the resources available in the patrol district.

 

7.   Upon request and as available, the MPD shall provide the services of police canine teams to the HAPD.

 

D.   Processing Prisoners.

 

1.   HAPD officers and special police officers will respond to the patrol district headquarters in which an arrest occurs to process their prisoners.

 

2.   HAPD sworn officers will process HAPD special police officer arrests that are not handled by the special police officer.

 

NOTE:     In instances when HAPD sworn officers cannot handle an arrest because they are not available, or because they are on an assignment that does not permit them to assist the HAPD special police officer, an MPD officer shall process the case.

 

3.   The MPD shall provide to the HAPD:

 

a.   All arrest booking services through the Criminal Justice Information System;

 

b.   Support services such as fingerprinting and photographing prisoners;

 

c.   Detention and confinement facilities for all prisoners;

 

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d.   Prisoner transportation services, upon request, for the purpose of on-scene viewing, booking, and processing

through the courts; and

 

e.   Medical treatment and/or hospitalization for prisoners in accordance with the procedures outlined in General Order 502.7 (Medical Treatment and Hospitalization for Prisoners).

 

NOTE:     Prisoner transports and guard details for prisoners requiring medical treatment or hospitalization must be provided by MPD officers; HAPD officers and special police officers have no police authority/powers outside Housing Authority communities.

 

4.   Station personnel shall accept and process collateral for regulations enforced by the HAPD according to existing MPD procedures.

 

5.   Station clerks shall arrange for the release of persons arrested by the HAPD, if the arrested person qualifies for release under the provisions of the Citation Release Program.

 

6.   HAPD detention journal cases shall be handled in accordance with the procedures for releasing persons arrested by other law enforcement agencies, as outlined in General Order 502.5 (Use of the Detention Journal).

 

E.   Records and Information Systems.

 

1.   HAPD officers and special police officers shall have access to all MPD records necessary for the performance of their duties and to prosecute HAPD cases. HAPD members are responsible for obtaining such records as are required to prosecute their cases in court.

 

2.   The HAPD is authorized access to the Washington Area Law

Enforcement System (WALES) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).  HAPD officers and special police officers are authorized access to MPD WALES/NCIC terminals and records generated for law enforcement purposes.

 

3.   HAPD records which may be necessary for the prosecution of criminal cases will be available to sworn members of the department.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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F.   Warrants.

 

1.   The HAPD has the authority to secure and execute warrants and other criminal process within Housing Authority communities for offenses committed upon or against Housing Authority communities.

 

a.   The HAPD does not have the authority to secure and execute warrants for offense committed outside of

Housing Authority communities.

 

b.   The HAPD has the authority to secure and execute warrants against individuals who are not residents of Housing Authority properties, but is not authorized to execute them outside of Housing Authority communities.

 

2.   When requested, the HAPD shall provide assistance to the MPD within Housing Authority communities for the execution of warrants or other criminal process obtained by the MPD for offenses committed upon or against Housing Authority property.

 

3.   When requested, the MPD shall provide assistance for the service of HAPD warrants within Housing Authorities communities.

 

4.   Prior to obtaining a warrant prior to execution, HAPD officers will contact the Major Narcotics Branch, Criminal Investigations Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure that an HAPD warrant will not jeopardize an on-going MPD investigation.

 

G.   Reporting Requirements/Notifications.

 

1.   HAPD officers are responsible for reporting events occurring within Housing Authority communities when given the primary assignment by the MPD dispatcher to handle a call for service.

 

2.   When preparing reports, HAPD officers will:

 

a.   Utilize MPD official report forms;

 

b.   Utilize MPD central complaint numbers; and

 

c.   Make and record such notifications as are required by MPD policies and procedures.

 

3.   At the expiration of each tour of duty, original field reports prepared by HAPD officers will be delivered to the MPD patrol district in which the offense or incident occurred.

 

 

 

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4.   MPD shall review field reports submitted by HAPD officers for accuracy of content and classification and return them to HAPD for correction as necessary. The HAPD will make corrections when appropriate and resubmit the report within 24 hours of receipt.

 

5.   MPD patrol districts shall provide the HAPD with copies of reports prepared by MPD officers reporting offenses and incidents occurring within Housing Authority communities.

 

H.   Criminal Investigations.

 

1.   The Criminal Investigations Division shall be responsible for the follow-up investigation of all felony offenses which occur on Housing Authority property that fall within the investigative responsibilities of that division.

 

2.   The follow-up investigation of all other felony and misdemeanor offenses which occur on Housing Authority property shall be conducted by investigators assigned to the patrol district in which the offense occurs in accordance with existing MPD procedures.

 

3.   MPD officers shall:

 

a.   Investigate all deaths occurring on Housing Authority property;

 

b.              Make all death notifications in accordance with the procedures

outlined in General Order 401 .8 (Notification

to Next of Kin in Cases of Serious Injuries or Fatalities);

 

c.   Investigate all bomb threats or suspected explosive devices in accordance with the procedures outlined in General Order 309.2 (Bomb Threats and Explosive Devices).

 

Administrative Investigations.

 

1.   The HAPD will:

 

a.   Receive and investigate all citizen complaints made against HAPD officers and special police officers;

 

b.   Conduct the administrative investigation of all uses of force by HAPD officers and special police officers; and

 

c.   Conduct the investigation of any alleged criminal uses of force by HAPD sworn members and special police officers

which occur within Housing Authority communities.

 

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NOTE:     Should a HAPD use of force case involve a death or other serious crime requiring a follow-up investigation by MPD investigators, the MPD shall assume responsibility for the criminal investigation.

 

2.   The MPD shall conduct the investigation of any alleged criminal uses of force by HAPD officers and special police officers which occur outside HAPD jurisdiction.

 

3.   The HAPD may request the assistance of the Office of Internal Affairs to conduct investigations of serious and sensitive matters, which the HAPD considers beyond its ability to properly and effectively handle.

 

4.   Administrative investigations of special police officer commission violations by HAPD special police officers will be conducted by the

HAPD.

 

a.              Violations which involve a criminal matter occurring within Housing Authority communities will be investigated by the HAPD.

 

b.              MPD officials who observe violations within Housing Authority communities which do not require immediate action shall report the violation to a HAPD supervisor for investigation.

 

c.   MPD officials who observe violations within Housing Authority communities requiring immediate action shall stop the offending special police officer, conduct a preliminary investigation, and request through the radio dispatcher that a HAPD supervisor respond and assume responsibility for the investigation.

 

d.   MPD officials who observe a violation by a HAPD special police officer outside of Housing Authority communities

shall take appropriate action.

 

(1)  If the matter involves a criminal act, the MPD official shall handle the criminal aspect, as well as any immediate administrative procedures. The official shall immediately notify the HAPD which will assume responsibility for the administrative investigation.

 

(2)  If the matter involves a violation of the D.C. Municipal Regulations, the MPD official may cite the offending special police officer and report the violation to a HAPD supervisor for further administrative action.

 

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e.   Nothing in this section precludes an MPD official from fully investigating a special police officer commission

violation which he/she observes.

 

(1)         Such action shall be approved by the official’s watch

commander.

 

(2)  The watch commander shall notify the HAPD of the incident and the fact that the violation will be fully investigated by the MPD official.

 

(3)  A complete copy of the investigation shall be forwarded to the HAPD upon the conclusion of the investigation.

 

f.   The HAPD will forward a copy of all completed special police officer commission violation investigations to the Security Officers Management Branch, Identification and Records Division.

 

J.   Property and Evidence.

 

1.   The MPD shall retain and process prisoner property resulting from arrests by HAPD officers and special police officers.

 

2.   The HAPD will handle all property classified as “found property” recovered by HAPD officers or special police officers on Housing Authority property, including the public space located within Housing Authority property.

 

a.   In situations where the found property is valuable, in large quantity, sensitive, or otherwise significant and a HAPD supervisor believes the property cannot be secured adequately by the HAPD, the supervisor may request that the MPD recover the property.

 

(1)  The HAPD official will contact the appropriate patrol district watch commander to request approval.

 

(2)  If the MPD watch commander approves the HAPD official’s request, the recovering HAPD officer or special police officer shall respond to the patrol district headquarters and process the property in accordance with the procedures outlined in General Order 601.1 (Recording, Handling and Disposition of Property Coming into the Custody of the Department.)

 

 

 

 

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b.   Found property recovered outside of Housing Authority property by HAPD officers will be processed by the recovering officer in accordance with General Order 601.1 and retained by the MPD.

 

c.              Found property recovered by an MPD officer within Housing Authority property shall be processed in accordance with General Order 601 .1 by the recovering officer.

3.   Household goods and furniture, etc., classified as “property set out for eviction” within Housing Authority property will be handled and monitored by HAPD personnel

 

NOTE:     MPD involvement is limited to the extent required to assist HAPD officers and special police officers with maintaining public order and preventing breaches of the peace.

 

4.   The MPD shall retain all property recovered by HAPD officers and special police officers that is classified as “evidence” and “suspected proceeds of crime.”

 

5.   All other types of property not specifically addressed in this order shall be recovered and processed according to the procedures outlined in Part I-J-2 of this order.

 

6.   The MPD shall provide services to the HAPD for processing crime scenes, evidence collection and processing, firearms exarnnation and ballistics testing, chemical testing, and narcotics testing.

 

7.   Firearms and narcotics evidence recovered by HAPD officers and special police officers shall be processed in accordance with existing MPD policies and procedures.

 

8.   The MPD shall permit HAPD special police officers to sign for and transport evidence for presentation in court or for required laboratory testing, with the exception of firearms, narcotics and dangerous drugs, and drug paraphernalia.

 

a.   HAPD special police officers are prohibited from signing for or transporting firearms, narcotics and dangerous drugs, and drug paraphernalia that are in MPD custody classified as evidence.

 

b.   HAPD special police officers are authorized only to sign for evidence in cases they will present to court.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(Missing letter c. in original, renumbered)

 

d.              Since HAPD special police officers would be listed on case documents as witnesses and not as arresting officers, they will bring with them the following documents to verify that they are presenting the case in court:

(1)  PD Forms 251, 252, 163, and 81;

(2)  A subpoena, if applicable; and

(3)  A DCHAPD Form 003 (Request for Release of Evidence to a DCHAPD Special Police Officer),signed by a HAPD supervisor.

K.   Juveniles.

 

1.   HAPD officers and special police officers arresting, contacting, or otherwise interacting with juveniles will be guided by the procedures outlined in General Order 305.1 (Handling Juveniles).

 

2.   The MPD shall provide transport services for juveniles upon the request of a HAPD officer, special police officer, or official.

 

L.   Traffic and Towing.

 

1.   The MPD and the HAPD have concurrent jurisdiction regarding traffic enforcement responsibilities within Housing Authority communities.

 

2.   The HAPD will:

 

a.   Handle all traffic accidents occurring on Housing Authority property, including the public space located within Housing Authority property, with the exception of:

 

(1)  Accidents involving fatalities,

(2)  Accidents involving MPD vehicles, and

(3)  Accidents involving serious injuries that would be more effectively handled by accident investigators assigned to the Traffic Enforcement Branch, Special Operations Division, subject to the agreement of the on-scene MPD and HAPD officials.

 

b.  Handle the towing of all impounded vehicles, except vehicles impounded as evidence;

 

(1)  The HAPD officer or special police officer will request MPD crane service to impound all vehicles being held for evidence.

 

 

 

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(2)  Vehicles impounded as evidence will be recovered and processed in accordance with the procedures outlined in General Order 601.1.

 

(3)  The HAPD officer or special police officer will notify the Telecommunications Branch, Communications Division, of all towed vehicles.

 

c.   Provide towing service for all HAPD-owned vehicles.

 

M.   Radio Communications.

 

1.   The HAPD is authorized to operate on the radio frequencies assigned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to the MPD, as determined by the Technical Services Officer and approved by the Chief of Police.

 

2.   HAPD officers and special police officers will:

 

a.   Transmit and receive on the radio zones and tactical channels assigned to the patrol districts in which their

assigned Housing Authority communities are located; and

 

b.  Observe all applicable FCC and MPD rules, regulations, and protocols when transmitting and receiving radio communications. HAPD supervisors will monitor radio transmissions by HAPD personnel and take appropriate corrective action when necessary.

 

3.   The Communications Division shall assign calls for service on

Housing Authority property, including the public space located within Housing Authority property, to available HAPD units in accordance with the procedures contained in General Orders 302.1 (Calls for Police Services) and 302.5 (Radio Communications).

 

4.   The HAPD will be fully incorporated into the MPD Computer­ Aided Dispatch (CAD) System and will provide the Communications Division and the patrol districts with a personnel/unit deployment schedule on a daily basis.

 

5.   If a HAPD unit is on the scene or can respond to a call for service more quickly than an MPD unit:

 

a.   The HAPD handle the advised to unit will advise the radio dispatcher that it can call and the primary MPD unit shall then be disregard the call.

 

b.  The same procedure applies to secondary units; a secondary MPD unit shall only respond if a HAPD unit is not on the scene or cannot respond more quickly than a secondary MPD unit.

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6.   MPD personnel are not precluded from taking police action on Authority properties, should circumstances warrant such action.

 

PART II

A. Court Liaison Division.

 

1.   The HAPD will utilize the Court Liaison Division (CLD) facilities and follow CLD procedures when HAPD officers and special police officers attend court.

 

2.   The Computer-Assisted Notification System will be used to notify HAPD officers and special police officers of court commitments.

 

3.   The Director, CLD, shall provide liaison with the HAPD concerning appropriate procedures for use of CANS and other CLD standard operating policies and procedures.

 

B.   Resolution of Conflicts.

 

1.              When a disagreement arises on the scene of an incident relating to the appropriate procedure to be followed or service to be provided, by either or both agencies, the situation shall be resolved by the MPD and HAPD supervisors. If the on-scene officials are unable to reach an agreement, the patrol district watch commander shall be requested to respond to the scene. In the event that the watch commander cannot resolve the disagreement with HAPD officials, he/she shall notify the official then in command of the department.

 

2.                All incidents referred to the district watch commander or the official in command of the department shall be documented on the official’s PD Form 150 (Tour of Duty Supervisor’s Report). A copy of the PD Form 1 50 shall be forwarded to the appropriate bureau head for informational purposes.