The CALEA Standards Review and Interpretation Committee, referred to as the “SRIC” meets in Executive Session just prior to each CALEA conference to work on standards for revision or creation of new ones. At the CALEA conference, the Commission votes to approve a standard or direct staff to post the standard for client comments.  Deleted language is shown as red strikethrough. The proposed new language is shown as highlighted and in bold text.

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Law Enforcement

12.2.1 (M M M M) (LE1) The Written Directive System

The agency has a written directive system that includes, at a minimum, the following:

1. agency values and mission statement;
2. a statement that vests in the agency's chief executive officer the authority to issue, modify, or approve agency written directives;
3. identification of the persons or positions, other than the agency's chief executive officer, authorized to issue written directives;
4. a description of the written directives system format;
5. procedures for indexing, purging, and revising, purging and archiving directives;
6. statements of agency policy;
7. rules and regulations;
8. procedures for carrying out agency activities; and
9. procedures for review of proposed or revised policies, procedures, rules, and regulations prior to their promulgation to ensure they do not contradict other existing agency directives or applicable law.

Commentary

The agency should establish a formal written directive system to provide employees with a clear understanding of the constraints and expectations relating to the performance of their duties. The written directive system should permit rapid access to individual policies, procedures, rules and regulations, and should differentiate types of directives.

Changes in chief executive officers should be accomplished without disruption to services provided by the agency.  Written directives have an element of implicit permanency in the agency; however, during periods of leadership change it is important to ensure policies remain relevant and contemporary. This should be accomplished with a bridging document that indicates until otherwise amended or remanded, all policies of the organization remain in effect.

Each agency has the latitude to use a variety of types of written directives. However, the agency should make it clear what level of authority is required to issue each type of directive, e.g., only the CEO may issue rules and regulations, division commanders may issue standard operating procedures. The agency should also make it clear that a written directive pertaining to a subordinate component may not contradict a directive issued by a higher level authority, e.g., a division procedures manual may not contradict an agency-wide regulation. Every written directive should be reviewed annually by the issuing authority to determine if changes should be made because of changed circumstances or occurrences during the previous year. 

Archiving directives allows access to previous versions that may be required to address complaints or litigation from the time period that the directive was in effect. When archiving directives, agencies should be mindful of their agency, local or state records retention schedules. (M M M M) (LE1)