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Encounter Flowchart

Consensual Encounters

Conduct yourself as you would when conversing with a stranger if you were off duty.
Respect the right of a subject not to speak or engage with you.
Respect the right of the subject to leave at any point.
Always use a calm and respectful tone when speaking to the subject regardless of how they speak to you.
Answer in affirmative if asked by the subject if they are free to go.
Answer in the negative if the subject asks if they are being detained.
In a non-commanding manner ask the subject for identification if the situation merits it
Respect the right of the subject not to provide you with identification.
If the subject elects to provide you with identification, do not hold onto the identification but return it as soon as possible.
In a non-commanding manner ask questions that may help with criminal intelligence and fill out a field interview card if the situation and subject merits it.

Don't

Issue commands. For example: ‘Stop right now! I want to talk to you’.
Wave or gesture for the citizen to come to you
Use threatening or intimidating language.
Place or keep your hand on your service weapon.
Surround the subject with multiple officers or canines.
Infringe on the subject’s personal space or otherwise act intimidatingly.
Position your vehicle such that the subject may feel they are being detained or arrested.
Use red and blue lights or sirens when approaching with your vehicle or stopping the subject.
Use any kind of restraint on the subject.
Perform a pat-down or any kind of non-consensual search of the subject.
Remove the subject from the location at which you started the encounter.
Do anything that may cause a reasonable person to believe that they are being detained or are under arrest!

Investigative Detentions

Respect the right of a suspect not to speak or engage with you.
Always use a calm and respectful tone when speaking to the suspect regardless of how they speak to you.
Answer in affirmative if asked by the suspect if they are being detained.
Answer in the negative if the suspect asks if they are being arrested.
Conduct a pat-down if you have reasonable articulable suspicion that the suspect is armed
If conducting a pat-down do remove objects that you reasonably believe based on your experience are contraband.
If force is needed, use the minimal amount of force necessary to detain the suspect and/or perform a pat-down for weapons.
Ask questions that may help with criminal intelligence and fill out a field interview card

Don't

Pat-down the suspect unless you have reasonable, articulable suspicion that the suspect is armed or an immediate danger
If conducting a pat-down do not remove objects that you don’t reasonably believe based on your experience are contraband
Perform a full search of the suspect’s clothes and possessions
Keep your hand on your service weapons when interviewing the suspect
Surround the suspect with multiple officers or canines
Infringe on the suspects personal space or otherwise act intimidatingly
Use force unless the suspect refuses to submit to detention or a legitimate pat-down for weapons