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Saugerties Times - Featured Arts | 11/25/2009 |
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Putting it in Writing
First phase of Town Police manual rewrite completed |
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| | Town Police chief Louis Barbaria holding the new manual.
[ David Gordon ] | |
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by David Gordon
Just a few weeks shy of a full year on the job, Town of Saugerties Police Chief Louis Barbaria finished the first part of one of his main goals: a comprehensive rewrite of the police manual, with an eye toward getting the department accredited by the state.
Barbaria said Thursday that the goal is to have all the police rules, regulations and practices listed, so that officers know how to handle all types of situations. In general, the manual will provide written instructions that officers can refer to. Most of the contents of the manual will codify what police are already doing, but will remove the ambiguity that can occur with verbal instructions.
"We're including basic stuff: definitions, job descriptions, processes for investigation, accidents involving police vehicles or property and procedures to handle complaints from the public," Barbaria said. All complaints of police misconduct will be investigated, he said, and the manual explains how such investigations should be conducted, and by whom. It was important to codify the rules regarding damage to police vehicles and for other town property, Barbaria said.
The first section of the updated manual has taken eight months to produce, Barbaria said, adding that a much of the credit for its production goes to Sergeant John Scheffel, who has written up the material in its final form. Scheffel will continue working with the chief to complete the manual, which will be a continuous work in progress over some time.
The rules section is public, Barbaria said. Internal regulations and instructions are kept confidential because they could aid suspects in evading the police if they were widely known.
Only three copies of the manual will be printed. Each officer will receive a copy on computer disk, Barbaria said, noting that there is now a computer available in every police vehicle. Updates to the manual can be added to the disks, avoiding the expense of printing new manuals every time procedures are updated.
At the November 18 meeting of the Saugerties Town Board, at which the changes were approved, councilman Fred Costello said the regulations and instructions are designed to enhance the department's operations. "My compliments to the chief, and to the Police Benevolent Association for working with [the department] on this," he said.
The existing police procedure manual was written in 1972 and was most recently revised in the 1980s, Barbaria said. "The rules have changed since then, the language has changed, and court decisions have rendered some of our regulations out of date."
Among the regulations made explicit in the manual is a prohibition on discrimination based on race, religion and sexual orientation, and handling of complaints against personnel or alleging illegal conduct by police personnel on- or off-duty. The forms to be filled out, procedures for notification of supervisory personnel and definitions of which alleged offenses can be handled at the immediate supervisory level and which need to go to the chief.
The manual requires that all injuries to prisoners be investigated, whether they involve allegations of misconduct or not and whether they include a complaint against Saugerties police or not. The manual codifies and formalizes the appropriate reporting methods and requirements. Barbaria said he feels it is particularly important to have the procedures for dealing with complaints against police personnel as part of "our responsibility to the public we serve." Any complaint against any member of the police department will be investigated, he said. "We will do what we need to to provide the highest level of service."
Arrest procedures, including the proper use of handcuffs and reporting procedures, are covered in the manual. Weapons procedures, including tasers, are covered in the regulations.
Barbaria has the authority to issue new regulations and put them into effect before they are approved by the Town Board. This will keep the department up to date without waiting for the board's next meeting or several meetings before putting them into effect, he said. However, all sections of the manual must eventually be approved by the board.
An updated manual for officers is a requirement for state accreditation, which Barbaria wants to achieve for the department. The accreditation process involves an examination of all procedures, operations and methods of a department and gives credibility to its operations.
A statement on the New York State Police web site describes accreditation as follows: "The purpose of Accreditation is to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and professionalism of an agency, while promoting training and public confidence in law enforcement. Accreditation demonstrates the agency performs in a consistently professional manner, that formalized policies are in place to govern its operational practices and procedures, and that all employees contribute to the agency's mission and know what is expected of them. An accredited law enforcement agency has demonstrated to outside assessors compliance with 130 standards, the sum of which is a testament to the expertise and professionalism of a police agency. Of the 553 eligible law enforcement agencies in New York State, only 215 have been accredited or reaccredited."
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