The San Francisco Police Department’s highest priority is safeguarding the life, dignity and liberty of all persons. Officers shall demonstrate this commitment in their daily interactions with the community they are sworn to protect and serve. The Department is committed to accomplishing this mission by using rapport-building communication, crisis intervention, and de-escalation principles, whenever feasible, before resorting to force. 

The purpose of this order is to establish language access procedures, consistent with federal, state and local law, for San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) members to follow when encountering a limited English proficient (LEP) person. This order also defines the importance of effective and accurate communication between SFPD members and the community they serve. Language barriers can impede such effective and accurate communication in a variety of ways.

5.18.01 PURPOSE

The purpose of this order is to outline protocols for the care of persons in police custody, including security and transportation.

5.18.02 DEFINITIONS

A. Medical Assessment – Examination of a person in custody by emergency medical personnel. 

B. Medical Evaluation – Examination of a person in custody by a physician at a medical facility. 

A guiding principle of the San Francisco Police Department is its commitment to treating all people with dignity, fairness and respect. It is crucial for members to carry out their duties in a manner free from bias and eliminate any perception of policing that appears biased. This order outlines the policy for bias-free policing. 

5.16.01 PURPOSE

This order establishes policies and procedures for the preparation, review, service, and return of search warrants. The purpose of the policy is to ensure all search warrants comply with the Fourth Amendment and statutory requirements, safeguard peace officer and public safety, and promote public trust.

The purpose of this order is to establish policies regarding the San Francisco Police Department’s role in the enforcement of immigration laws and cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) or successor agencies whose role is to enforce immigration laws, in conformity with state and federal laws and San Francisco Administrative Code Chapters 12H and 12I.

The purpose of this order is to establish policies regarding planned and ongoing interagency operations. It is not intended to restrict a member of the San Francisco Police Department from appropriately assisting a member of another law enforcement or government agency in a spontaneous situation. Instead, this order is established to ensure that command personnel are aware of interagency operations, and that members receive prior approval before participating in them.

5.13.01 PURPOSE

This order instructs officers on the nature of diplomatic immunity, and outlines procedures for dealing with criminal and traffic violations by diplomatic personnel.

This order delineates Department policy and procedures regarding the taking of reports for crimes that accursed outside of San Francisco. It also describes the circumstances when an officer may travel to an outside jurisdiction in response a crime that occurred in San Francisco, and outlines the preparation of outside agency reports.

I. DEFINITION

A. OUTSIDE AGENCY REPORT. An Outside Agency Report is an incident report taken in San Francisco of a mime that occurred in another jurisdiction.

II. POLICY

A. OUTSIDE AGENCY REPORTS

This order describes the procedures for responding to commercial, residential, and vehicle alarms, and officers’ responsibilities for making the appropriate CAD disposition entry. Under the City’s False Alarm Ordinance Program, the Emergency Communications Department (ECD) and the Tax Collector are now responsible for the billing of false alarms. The ordinance only applies to police alarms handled by the police department.