DGO5.11 "Outside Agency Reports and Responses"

5.11.01 PURPOSE

The purpose of this order is to establish guidelines for members in preparing incident reports for the reporting of crimes that occurred outside of the City and County of San Francisco or outside the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Police Department (Department). Circumstances when a member may travel to an outside jurisdiction in response to a crime that occurred in San Francisco are also described.

An Outside Agency Report is a documentation and notification tool. Unless otherwise requested by the prosecuting jurisdiction, the Department’s investigative responsibility ends after the report is generated, the appropriate agency is notified, and any immediate local safety concerns are addressed.

5.11.02 DEFINITIONS

1. Outside Agency Reports - A report documenting a crime or incident occurring outside San Francisco, taken for the purpose of assisting the reporting party and notifying the appropriate law enforcement agency.
2. Outside Jurisdiction - Any geographical area not within the City and County of San Francisco, including other cities, counties, states, federal properties, or areas policed by other agencies with overlapping authority.
3. Hardship - A circumstance in which requiring a reporting party to return to the jurisdiction of occurrence would cause significant difficulty or risk.

5.11.03 POLICY

The Department does not have the jurisdiction to investigate crimes that originate outside of the City and County of San Francisco or areas policed by other agencies (e.g., State or Federal Property). To increase the opportunity for justice, it is essential that the initial reporting is handled by the agency with jurisdiction.  

1. Outside Agency Reports - Members shall advise reporting parties of crimes to report the incident directly to the outside jurisdiction of occurrence.
   1. Members shall generate an incident report when the crime has an unclear location of occurrence.
   2. Members may write an Outside Agency Report when the reporting party would suffer hardship or safety issue if required to report the crime in the jurisdiction of occurrence. For example, if there is a need for evidence preservation or there is an active safety issue, members may generate an incident report.
   3. Members should provide reasonable assistance to people reporting crimes that occurred outside the jurisdiction of the Department, to preserve public safety, evidence, and to coordinate with the agency of occurrence.
2. Outside Jurisdiction Responses for Initial Investigation - Members may respond to outside jurisdictions to conduct the initial investigation of a crime that originated in the Department’s jurisdiction only when authorized by their supervisor.
3. Mandated Reporting - This policy does not exempt employees of the Department from accepting mandated reports. In the following cases, employees of the Department shall generate incident reports:
   1. Missing Persons (Penal Code § 14211)
   2. Child Abuse/Neglect (Penal Code § 11165.9, Penal Code § 11166)
   3. Elder/Dependent Adult Abuse (Welfare & Institutions Code § 15630)
   4. Traffic Accidents involving injury or death (Vehicle Code § 20008)
   5. Physical abuse, including domestic violence, observed by a healthcare practitioner (Penal Code § 11160(a))
4. Exemptions
   1. This policy does not preclude a Department employee from generating an incident report should the employee deem it necessary.
   2. Follow-up investigations, interagency/task force operations, mutual aid responses, pre-planned/on-going or active operations, pursuits, and emergency responses do not fall under this policy. Exempt operations and responses shall be guided by specific MOUs, Bureau Orders, Unit Orders, and pursuit policy.
   3. Members assigned to Airport Bureau shall follow Airport Bureau directives. Outside Agency Reports for the Airport Bureau are considered to be any report outside the Airport Bureau’s jurisdiction.

5.11.04 PROCEDURES

1. Notification to Outside Agencies
   1. Members shall notify the outside agency after initiating an Outside Agency Report and before responding to an outside jurisdiction.
   2. Notifications shall include basic facts, reason for contact, safety issues, evidence concerns, suspect and witness information, and pertinent identification or contact information.
   3. Notification details, including who was contacted, time of contact, instructions received, and the outside agency’s position, shall be documented.
2. Responsibilities After Initiating an Outside Agency Report
   1. Address immediate safety or medical needs.
   2. Preserve or arrange for the transfer of evidence.
   3. No further follow‑up is required unless directed by a supervisor or investigative unit.
3. Documentation of Outside Agency Role - Reports should reflect whether the outside agency accepted the information, declined involvement, or directed further action.
4. Report Title - For any outside agency report generated by a Department employee, the title of the incident report shall be “Courtesy Report,” and upon sign-off, the report shall be forwarded to the agency of jurisdiction.
5. Responding to Outside Jurisdiction for a Reported Incident - Members should not respond outside of San Francisco or the Department’s jurisdiction without supervisory approval.
   1. Supervisory Discretion - Supervisors should consider the circumstances of the case, the type of the crime, staffing levels, officer safety, travel time, district coverage, resource impacts, and public safety before authorizing a response to an outside jurisdiction.
   2. Approval Authority
      1. Sergeants may authorize routine responses within 40 miles.
      2. Lieutenants shall approve responses beyond 40 miles or those requiring significant resources.
   3. 40-Mile Distance Standard - This distance standard allows members to reasonably respond to the Bay Area counties that surround San Francisco. The distance threshold ensures proper oversight due to the staffing and operational impacts of extended responses.
6. Evidence Documentation - Members shall document any evidence received, seized, or transferred between the Department and the outside agency in an incident report.
7. Notifications When Members Leave the City - When authorized to respond outside of San Francisco to conduct an initial investigation, members should make a CAD entry or inform Dispatch. Notification should also be made to the outside agency upon the SFPD unit’s arrival in that jurisdiction. This section does not apply to surveillance operations, search and arrest warrant service, follow-up investigations, or emergency actions.