Policies are important - but how can you be confident that the policies are being respected?

The first day officers exit the police academy, they are presented with Department policies. These are reviewed regularly, and when updates are issued, officers are notified electronically of the changes and are required to take quizzes. Department rules require that officers remain familiar with Department policies, and when policy violations occur, officers are held accountable. As an accredited police agency, we are re-accredited every three years by independent, external inspectors and we must document/demonstrate that our policies are being followed to retain our accreditation.

We assign a Lieutenant to every shift whose responsibility it is to listen to dispatched calls, monitor Department operations, read and inspect all reports and citations, and document employee performance. We also have a Patrol Sergeant assigned to each shift that provides supervision on the road.

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1. Does the Lexington Police Department have a protocol for addressing cases which involve run away teenagers or cases where child abuse may have been involved?
2. How does a police officer make a decision on whether a vehicle should be stopped to question the driver?
3. How are officers trained on making motor vehicle stops?
4. What methods do you have for formally documenting complaints?
5. How are calls for domestic disputes or drug/alcohol use/overdose handled?
6. What can’t we know, due to protecting privacy (as is appropriate)? How is that overseen?
7. How do Town Departments like the Police, Fire, and Human Services departments work together?
8. How often are firearms used by officers?
9. What are the Lexington Police Department's policies on use of lethal force and less than lethal force?
10. Policies are important - but how can you be confident that the policies are being respected?
11. Can you please explain how undercover police officers and vehicles are used in Lexington?
12. What weapons do police officers carry?
13. How are video cameras used in Lexington, such as body cameras or police cruiser dashboard cameras?
14. Is it possible that Lexington Police Officers could have body cameras in the future?
15. How are school resource officers used? Are they an effective tool in our school system?
16. Is there a quota system in place for the number of tickets officers must write?