General Orders
Department General Orders (DGOs) are the Department’s most authoritative and permanent directives relating to the overall administrative and operational missions of the Department and the general conduct of all employees. DGOs receive input from Department members, the Department of Accountability, the City Attorney’s Office, Stakeholders, Working groups, impacted labor unions, and members of the public before they are adopted by the Police Commission at a public hearing. DGOs are initiated by the Department or the Police Commission and remain in effect until the Police Commission adopts amendments or rescinds a DGO.
DGOs are intended to remain general in nature, as overly detailed General Orders can inadvertently create conditions that lead to delays in public safety, variations in service quality, and increased risk of field-level mistakes.