Department Rules and Regulations/Policies and Procedures

DEPARTMENT RULES AND REGULATIONS/POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

REVISION PAGE #: SECTION: APPROVED DATE: EFFECTIVE VOLUME VOORHEES TOWNSHIP All POLICE DEPARTMENT DATE: 2/27/03 1,2 underli KFH V 11-1-99 ned Chapter INTERAGENCY PROCEDURES # PAGES: 9 15

REFERENCE:

SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO SCHOOL FACILITY FIREARMS OR WEAPONS ASSAULT DISTRIBUTION I ISSUING AUTHORITY: 2

Chief Keith F. Hummel EVALUATION DATE:

8/1/2004

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this policy to is to provide direction to police personnel who are responding to a school facility where there is a report of a person(s) assaulting victims with a weapon.

POLICY:

1. Emergency Response

A. Complaint via 911, telephone or in person

1. Obtain as much information as possible:

a. Location of perpetrator(s) b. Description of perpetrator(s) c. Types of weapons involved d. Number and location of victim(s)

2. If the complaint has been received via 911 or the telephone attempt to keep the caller on the line.

3. If the complaint has been made in person attempt to keep the person accessible for interviewing purposes.

4. Dispatch units to the scene and provide these responding units with the information that has

1 been obtained from the complainant.

5. Advise the shift supervisor immediately and direct them to respond to the scene.

B. Verification of Complaint:

1. If the incident has been confirmed, Communications will notify the following persons:

a. The Operations Commander b. The Services Commander c. The Investigations Commander d. The Deputy Chief / Captain of Police e. The Chief of Police

2. Communications personnel will request permission to activate SWAT / Counter Sniper Team from the highest-ranking officer who is available. The Chief of Police will be notified that the SWAT Team has been activated.

SWAT and Counter Sniper Team Activation:

Voorhees Police Department Cherry Hill Police Department Gloucester Township Police Department Camden County Sheriffs Department

3. Contact Central Communications for Emergency Medical Services

4. Contact the Hostage Negotiations Team

5. Notify the Camden County Prosecutors Office

C. Initial Response Procedures: (Police Personnel)

1. Personnel will respond in an efficient and safe manner to the scene.

2. Emergency lights, sirens and headlights should be used.

3. Arriving units will verify the call for service. Once the complaint has been verified the officer will immediately notify Communications.

4. If the perpetrators are outside of the building and immediate contact occurs, officers will take appropriate action to neutralize the subject(s) to protect life and property.

5. If immediate contact is not made and the officer receives information that the perpetrators are inside of the building the officer will advise dispatch and will wait for assistance.

6. Upon the arrival of additional units the Sergeant / OIC will become the Incident Commander 2 until relieved by a superior officer:

a. The Sergeant / OIC will establish a Temporary Command Post.

1. Advise dispatch of the CP’s location 2. Have responding units report to this location until a staging area can be established.

b. The Sergeant / OIC will assemble a contact team. (Minimum of two officers – preferably four officers if immediately available)

1. The Sergeant/OIC will determine what personnel will be on the contact team and who will maintain the Temporary Command Post.

2. The Sergeant / OIC will direct the contact team to enter the building and locate the perpetrators.

Locate perpetrators by:

a. Listening for screams for help b. Listening for noises of gun fire c. Obtaining directions from fleeing victims d. Locations of victims

3. Advise the contact team to locate and neutralize the perpetrators to protect life and property. All personnel will abide by the Department’s Use of Force Policy (Volume IV, Chapter 1).

c. The officer assigned to the Temporary Command Post will assemble a rescue team.

1. The OIC assigned to the TCP will direct the rescue team to locate and remove injured persons from the scene.

2. Provide first aid

II. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM:

A. This Department will adhere to the principles of the Incident Command System:

1. The Ranking Officer on the Scene will:

a. Establish an inner perimeter, b. Establish an outer perimeter, c. Establish a Command Post, d. Designate a staging area for police, e. Designate a staging area for EMS/Fire/Helicopter, f Designate a media contact location, g. Designate a student release/pickup area, h. Designate personnel to respond to the hospital for security, i. Assign Personnel to supervise these posts, j. Assign an officer to supervise the oncoming shift 3 III. COMMUNICATIONS:

A. Notifications:

1. Camden County Prosecutors Office

2. Activate Additional Police Personnel

a. Civil Disturbance Team Members b. All Call

3. Office of Emergency Management

4. With the approval of the IC, Communications personnel will contact Central Communications and request that the Mobile Communications Unit be dispatched to the scene.

5. With the approval of the IC the Camden County Sheriff=s Department=s Aviation Unit will be contacted for assistance.

6. With the approval of the IC the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit will be contacted for assistance.

B. Radio Traffic:

1. Dispatch personnel will advise all personnel to stand by unless they have an emergency. Under the direction of the Incident Commander the dispatcher will instruct the various units on where they are to respond.

2. Calls For Service

a. Dispatch personnel will continue to take calls for service.

b. All calls for service will be entered into the CPLIMS computer system.

c. Dispatchers will advise the Incident Commander of any priority calls that are pending. The Incident Commander will direct Communications Personnel on the dispatching of units to priority calls. Upon the arrival of the new shift and the designation of a supervisor all calls for service that are not related to the school emergency will be directed to the designated shift supervisor.

IV. SWAT

A. SWAT personnel will respond to the scene and will stage at a location that is directly adjacent to the Command Post.

4 B. The Incident Commander will brief the SWAT Commander

C. The SWAT Commander under the authority of the Incident Commander will develop a plan of action.

D. The SWAT Team will be deployed under the direction of the Incident Commander.

1. Primary Purpose:

Protect life and apprehend the perpetrator(s). All SWAT Team Members will adhere to this Department’s Use of Force Policy Volume IV, Chapter 1.

E. Upon resolution of the incident, SWAT Team members will be responsible for securing the crime scene until relieved of this duty by the Incident Commander.

V. COUNTER SNIPER TEAM

A. The Counter Sniper Team will respond to the scene and will stage at a location directly adjacent to the Command Post.

B. The Incident Commander will brief the Counter Sniper Team.

C. The SWAT Commander & the Counter Sniper Team under the authority of the Incident Commander will develop a plan of action.

D. The Counter Sniper Team will be deployed under the direction of the Incident Commander.

1. Primary Purpose:

a. Protect life and apprehend the perpetrator. All Counter Sniper Team Members will adhere to this Department’s Use of Force Policy Volume IV, Chapter 1.

b. Provide Security for Contact Team and SWAT

E. Upon resolution of the incident, maintain security until relieved of this duty by the Incident Commander.

VI. FIELD OPERATIONS / CIVIL DISTURBANCE TEAM

A. The Civil Disturbance Team will be activated under the direction of the Incident Commander.

B. The Civil Disturbance Team will respond to the scene and will stage at a location directly adjacent to the Command Post.

C. The Civil Disturbance Team Leader will be briefed and under the authority of the Incident Commander a plan of action will be developed.

1. Primary Purpose:

a. Protect life and apprehend the perpetrator. All Civil Disturbance Team Members will 5 adhere to this Department’s Use of Force Policy, Volume IV, Chapter 1. b. Assign personnel to the inner perimeter and assist the SWAT Team with maintaining order.

c. Assign personnel to the outer perimeter and maintain control of the scene.

d. Remove injured persons from inner perimeter

D. Maintain perimeter and protect the crime scene until relieved by the Incident Commander.

VII. NEGOTIATIONS UNIT

A. A designated location will be assigned for negotiations personnel.

B. If the incident results in a barricaded persons / hostage situation, negotiators will be authorized to make contact with the perpetrators.

C. Negotiations:

1. Negotiations should only be conducted by the designated negotiators.

2. Contact with the suspect(s) can be made by telephone or public address system if a phone is not accessible to the suspect(s).

3. Every effort will be made to persuade the suspect(s) to surrender before force is used.

4. Negotiators should attempt to establish a certain rapport with the suspect(s) that involves the development of a basic communication process. Personnel will attempt to use crisis intervention techniques in an attempt to resolve this situation in a safe and secure manner..

5. In negotiating, virtually all demands are negotiable except as follows:

a. Supply the suspect(s) with weapons

b. Additional hostages or exchange of hostages

6. Negotiations should be accomplished continually, even during a tactical assault. The Critical Incident Negotiations Commander is responsible for ensuring communications and updates are forwarded to the Incident Commander.

7. Refer to Camden County Critical Incidents & High Risk Entry Services Operating Guidelines for further information concerning:

a. Wiretaps

b. Phone / Communication control with Bell Atlantic

6 VIII. INTELLIGENCE UNIT

A. Will consist of Detectives who will be responsible for collecting intelligence information for Negotiators and the Incident Commander.

B. Gather information on:

1. The Perpetrator(s)

a. Where is he/she? Floor, room, roof, basement b. What type of weapons does he/she possess: handguns, rifles, grenades, dynamite, etc. c. Who is he/she? Identification:

1. Criminal Suspect (burglar, rapist, etc.) 2. Mentally Ill; or 3. Militant.

d. Complete physical description e. Mental and physical condition f. What crime has she/he committed

2. Hostage - Identity

a. Physical description, i.e., age, height, weight, sex, hair, etc. b. Mental and physical condition

3. Other Information

a. Identify all possible escape routes b. Determine locations of service, water and electrical c. Determine in which rooms telephones are located d. Determine if they have access to police communications e. Gather any other pertinent information

IX. SCRIBE

A. The scribe will report to the Command Post

B. The scribe will take notes for the Incident Commander

X. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

A. Provide shelter if necessary

B. Organize and distribute food

C. Assist in the evacuation and return to parents / guardians of students from the facility

7 D. Provide transportation

XI. NOTIFICATIONS:

A. Death Notifications will be done according to existing policy See Volume IV, Chapter 14.

B. School officials will notify the parents/guardians of students who are uninjured and are to be released from the scene.

XII. MEDIA / PRESS

A. The media officer will be assigned to press/media staging area.

B. The media officer will keep the press corps informed of the incident.

C. The media officer will follow all of the guidelines listed in New Jersey Governors Executive Order 69.

D. All press releases will be approved by the Incident Commander

XIII. PATROL OPERATIONS

A. Additional personnel will be called in to handle the normal calls for service.

B. A shift supervisor will be designated to handle daily police operations.

C. The shift supervisor will be advised of all priority calls for service that are pending.

XIV. INCIDENT RESOLUTION:

Once the incident is resolved, all personnel will maintain their posts until relieved by the Incident Commander.

A. Investigations Unit will:

1. Assign personnel to interview persons on scene who were present at the assault.

2. Assign personnel to interviews persons who were transported to a medical facility.

8 3. Assign personnel to process the crime scene;

a. Photographs b. Collect evidence c. Videotape crime scene d. Conduct a criminal investigation. Assign a lead investigator and a sufficient number of detectives to thoroughly and completely investigate the incident. e. Complete all of the necessary reports

B. Operations Unit

1. Maintain Security of Premises.

2. Provide police service for Emergency and Non Emergency Calls For Service.

3. Complete all of the necessary reports that are required of personnel on the scene.

XV. FOLLOW-UP

A. Conduct after incident evaluations

1. Unit and Departmental Meetings

2. Prepare a Written Report outlining deficiencies and strengths

3. Make appropriate changes

B. Counseling

1. Employee Assistance Benefits Program

C. Conduct Meetings with School Officials

1. Evaluate school and police response

2. Provide assistance with school security and parental concerns

3. Hold public meetings if requested