26-051 Department General Order 5.08 "Plainclothes, Non-Uniformed, and Undercover Officers" Update Packet #136

Department Notice

San Francisco Police Department

This document is not an official representation of the published policy. To access the official signed policy, please submit a request through our Public Records Request Portal.

26-051
Published: 
Expire: 

The purpose of this directive is to announce the revision of Department General Order 5.08, Plainclothes, Non-Uniformed, and Undercover Officers, adopted by the Police Commission on March 18, 2026. The Police Commission agreed to a 45-business day implementation period and therefore, members will be held accountable for this policy starting May 21, 2026. Training will be provided to members before this DGO goes into effect.

The updates in this policy include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. Expanded to include Plainclothes and Undercover officers and procedures.
  2. Clear guidance for when plainclothes officers may or may not initiate vehicle stops.
  3. Provides guidance for exposing firearms, complying with uniformed law enforcement officers, out-of-county operations, and supervisor responsibilities.
  4. Incorporates guidance from FOB, Investigations, and SOB Plainclothes and Undercover Operations Bureau Orders, which will be rescinded on this DGO's effective date.

Members are expected to have a working knowledge of all directives as applicable to their respective assignment and comply with their provisions, per DGO 3.01, Department Written Directives. Members shall obey all written orders, policies, and procedures of the Department, per DGO 2.01, General Rules of Conduct.

Department General Order update packet #136 is attached to this Notice and is available to members on the PowerDMS site.

View Department General Order Update Packet #136

/s/
NICOLE JONES
Acting Chief of Police