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- Office of Professional Standards: Inspections, G.O. No: 2.4.10 Page 1 ALBANY, NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT 165 HENRY JOHNSON BOULEVARD ALBANY, NY 12210 OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS: INSPECTIONS GENERAL ORDER NO: 2.4.10 Issue Date: April 22, 2015 Effective Date: March 1998 Revision Date: July 1999 NYSLEAP: N/A Volume 2: Logistics Chapter 4: Office of Professional Standards Distribution: All Personnel Page: 1 of 9 Issuing Authority: Chief Eric Hawkins PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to standardize the methods for conducting inspections, thereby ensuring uniformity in operation, compliance with department policies and procedures, and efficient use and proper care of departmental equipment and facilities. POLICY: It is the policy of the Albany Police Department that inspections shall be conducted on a regular basis to ensure that the department is operating efficiently and in compliance with established professional standards, and to promote the Albany Police Department’s mission, maintain standards of ethical behavior, and to ensure that critical services provided by the department meet community expectations. DEFINITIONS: Inspection Process – An inspection process is a mechanism for observing and evaluating the quality of the department’s operations, ensuring that the goals and objectives are being pursued in a uniform manner and identifying the need for change. Line Inspection – A line inspection means a routine periodic inspection conducted by supervisors who are directly responsible for personnel, equipment, facilities, or functions being reviewed. Staff Inspection – A staff inspection means a detailed observation and analysis of department personnel, equipment, facilities, and activities by designated personnel for the purpose of reporting departmental efficiency and effectiveness to the Chief of Police. I. INSPECTIONS A. All stations, units, facilities, and employees of the Albany Police Department shall be subject to both line and staff inspections, at any time; for the purpose of ensuring compliance with departmental policies and procedures. 1. Inspection processes should be considered routine and used to maintain and improve the effectiveness of the department, as well as to ensure that employees are acting in concert with agency requirements in such areas Eric Hawkins Chief of Police 1789 ---PAGE BREAK--- - Office of Professional Standards: Inspections, G.O. No: 2.4.10 Page 2 as personal appearance, use and maintenance of equipment, and adherence to agency directives and orders. B. Evaluation of departmental performance shall be accomplished by comparison of the Albany Police Department Vision, Mission, and Core Value Statements, as well as department policies and procedures. C. Neither line nor staff inspections shall be considered adversarial or punitive in nature. The goal of the inspection process is to increase effectiveness and is separate from the disciplinary process. D. Recommendations for changes, stemming from both line and staff inspections, shall be given due consideration by the Chief of Police. II. LINE INSPECTION PROCEDURES A. Supervisory Responsibility for Line Inspections: 1. Lieutenants, sergeants, and all other supervisory personnel, within each organizational component, shall be responsible for conducting line inspections of their subordinates, vehicles, facilities, equipment, property and procedures under their area of command. 2. Each supervisor shall be responsible for ensuring all conditions and deficiencies noted during a line inspection are corrected. B. Frequency of Line Inspections: 1. Informal line inspections of personnel, vehicles, facilities, equipment, property or procedures are to be conducted at frequent and irregular intervals at the supervisor's discretion and may be announced or unannounced. 2. Formal line inspections of sworn personnel shall be completed at a minimum biannually minimum of two times a year). 3. Formal vehicle inspections of department vehicles shall be conducted in accordance with current directives outlined in General Order 3.3.00 - Department Vehicles. C. Criteria for Documenting Line Inspections: 1. Informal line inspections do not require documentation, unless the inspection reveals conditions that require repair or follow up. a. Such documentation shall be completed in the form of a Memorandum or IDC. 2. Formal line inspections of sworn personnel require written documentation biannually minimum of two times a year) via an Albany Police Department Line Inspection Form, APD Form # 341 shown on pages 5 and 6 of this order. a. Line Inspection Forms shall be completed by the supervisor and ---PAGE BREAK--- - Office of Professional Standards: Inspections, G.O. No: 2.4.10 Page 3 forwarded via the chain of command to the unit/station commander for review and filing. b. A copy of the Line Inspection Form shall also be submitted to the Chief of Police for review. 3. Formal vehicle inspections of all department vehicles require written documentation, as per current directives outlined in General Order 3.3.00 - Department Vehicles. D. Procedures for Uniform and Grooming Inspections: 1. On a daily basis, through informal line inspections, supervisors are responsible for ensuring that all employees under their command are in compliance with directives outlined in General Order 3.2.00 – Uniforms and Grooming Standards. Procedures for such inspections may include merely observing conditions or conducting a more detailed inspection at the discretion of the supervisor. 2. Officers shall periodically inspect, clean, and lubricate their firearms; with the utmost safety. Firearms shall be pointed in a safe downward position, with the slide locked to the rear, during the inspection process. E. Inspection Follow-Up Procedures: 1. Supervisors who discover a deficiency during a line inspection shall establish a time for correcting the problem and shall then follow up to ensure corrective action was completed. 2. Corrective action taken shall be noted on the appropriate department form, as outlined in this directive. III. STAFF INSPECTIONS PROCEDURES A. The Office of Professional Standards (OPS) shall be responsible for the coordination and performance of staff inspections. OPS detectives shall operate under the direct authority of the Chief of Police and shall be imparted with department wide authority to conduct said inspections. 1. Announced and Unannounced Staff Inspections: a. During an inspection, complete access to the department’s physical facilities, equipment, vehicles, records, and their contents shall be given to OPS personnel. b. Questions by OPS inspection staff may be directed to any employee of the unit/station being inspected and shall warrant responses as though asked by the Chief of Police. c. Preceding an unannounced inspection, notification shall be made to the Chief of Police detailing the unit/station to be inspected and the date and time of the proposed inspection. 2. Staff inspections shall address the function, action, or efficiency of the unit/station. The emphasis shall be on the systems rather than the individual. The inspection team may not apply disciplinary action against an ---PAGE BREAK--- - Office of Professional Standards: Inspections, G.O. No: 2.4.10 Page 4 employee who, through the inspection process, has been determined to have violated a rule, regulation, or procedure. 3. Staff inspections shall be conducted in an open manner and comments or suggestions regarding the physical working conditions or problem areas shall be solicited from personnel. B. Criteria for Documenting Staff Inspections: 1. The inspection team shall be responsible for completing an Albany Police Department Staff Inspection Form, APD Form # 342 shown on pages 7 through 9 of this order, which shall be filed with OPS. A copy of the form shall be submitted to the inspected unit/station’s commander and the Chief of Police for review. a. The report shall be an overall evaluation of what was inspected and shall include comments and recommendations, as well as positive aspects of the area(s) inspected. b. Such recommendations shall include a suggested plan for implementation. C. Inspection Follow Up Procedures: 1. Noted deficiencies that cannot be immediately corrected, shall require the unit/station commander to complete an IDC to the Chief of Police detailing what has been done or is being done to correct the deficiencies. a. Staff inspections shall be conducted within all organizational components at least once every four years. ---PAGE BREAK--- - Office of Professional Standards: Inspections, G.O. No: 2.4.10 Page 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- - Office of Professional Standards: Inspections, G.O. No: 2.4.10 Page 6 ---PAGE BREAK--- - Office of Professional Standards: Inspections, G.O. No: 2.4.10 Page 7 ---PAGE BREAK--- - Office of Professional Standards: Inspections, G.O. 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