Policies & Procedures

Updated 2020

The police officer on the beat or in the patrol car makes more decisions and exercises broader discretion affecting the daily lives of people every day and to a greater extent, in many respects, than a judge will ordinarily exercise in a week. No law book, no lawyer, no judge can really tell the officer on the beat how to exercise this discretion perfectly in every one of the thousands of different situations that can arise in the hour to hour work of the police officer.

Yet we must recognize that we need not choose between no guidelines at all and perfect guidelines. There must be some guidance by way of basic concepts that will assist the officer in these circumstances. U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger

The words of Chief Justice Burger ring as true today as they did when he said them more than forty years ago. These policies were drafted by members of the Lexington Police Department and reviewed both internally and by members of the Lexington Police Manual Committee, to ensure compliance with current case law, community standards, and best practice.

A Policy Manual cannot possibly address every circumstance encountered by law enforcement professionals, and as a result, the men and women of the Lexington Police Department are tasked with the exercise of appropriate discretion.

Please note policy numbering coincides with Accreditation Standards.

Policy & Procedures Manual, 2020

Note: Not all section numbers have associated documents.

View the Policies and Procedures Manual (PDF) (all in one document).

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