Duplicate Policy Cover Page

Policy & Procedures                 No. 5.05
                                  Subject:
              DUPLICATE POLICY
               COVERPAGE!!!!
                                  Issuing Authority:                                       Effective Date:   Review Date:
                     Chief of Police                       09/13/2014   08/26/2016
                                                                                 References:

 Revision
 &
 Reissued
 Dates:

CALEA STANDARDS
61.2.1   61.2.3   82.2.1
61.2.2   61.2.4   41.2.4

     I.     General Considerations and Guidelines
     Due to an ever-increasing number of vehicles and licensed drivers, traffic collisions will
      remain an unfortunate reality for a significant segment of the population. The police role
        in this problem is varied. Aid to the injured, traffic control, investigation, and
       enforcement and collision mitigation are just some of the areas upon which the police
        will have an impact. An adequate response, knowledgeable performance, and preventive
        efforts can go a long way to decrease damage to property and minimize bodily injury.

    II.     Policy
     To ensure quality service to the motoring public, officers shall respond to the scene of a
         traffic collision whenever appropriate and assist as necessary.

    III.   Procedures
           61.2.2 A-H
       This Department shall respond to the scene of a traffic collision involving any of the
       following circumstances:

                  -  Death or injury;
                  -   Hit & Run/Leaving the scene (Motor vehicle crash or property damage);
                  -   Impairment of any operator due to alcohol or drugs;
                  -  Damage to public vehicles or property;
                  -   Disturbances between principals (participants);
                  -  Major traffic congestion as a result of the collision;
                  -   Property damage collisions;
                  -  When any person or principal advises the station via telephone or other means
                    that a collision has occurred at a specific location;
                  -  Damage to vehicles to the extent that towing is required;
                  -   Or, hazardous materials

           Canton Police Department’s Traffic Collision Response Policy         Page 1

It shall be the responsibility of the Shift Supervisor to decide whether response to a
    collision scene should be suspended due to extreme weather conditions or other situations
    that would cause response to be delayed considerably or rendered impossible.

IV.    Collision Scene Duties
   A. Reporting:
      The patrol officer dispatched to a motor vehicle collision on a public way shall be
       required to completely fill out and file a Registry of Motor Vehicle Collision Report.
      While at the scene, and when it’s permissible, the reporting officer shall forward the
       vehicle and operator information to Dispatch where it shall be entered into the
      computer aided dispatch (CAD). The reporting officer will be responsible for
       completing the collision report.
         If the collision is on private property, the officer will use his/her judgment as to
       whether or not a report is needed. Some deciding factors would be if there was
        significant damage to a vehicle(s) and/or there was personal or property damage
        resulting from the collision.

   B. Investigation
     Many collision reports will only require the basic information regarding the facts that
        precipitated the incident. However, others will require investigation according to
      some or all of the procedures outlined in this directive. A written report is required
      when traffic collisions require investigative measures. The following types of
        collisions shall require investigative measures;

         Those involving:
         -  Death or personal injury;                                               61.2.1 A
         -   Property damage;                                                      61.2.1 B
         -   Hit and run;                                                           61.2.1 C
         -   Operator impairment due to alcohol or drugs;                           61.2.1 D

         -  Any vehicle carrying materials which would ordinarily be considered hazardous
           or dangerous (i.e.; vehicles carrying toxic liquid or gas, combustible materials,
           explosives, etc.), or those involving private property where hazardous materials
         were effected, such as a gasoline pump being damaged;                 61.2.1 E

         -   Occurrences on private property where police involvement began in our
            jurisdictional boundaries;                                              61.2.1 F

         -  A flagrant moving violation on the part of one or more of the operators or be
          caused by defective equipment on or in a vehicle or by circumstances which
         impede the safe operation of a vehicle;

        Canton Police Department’s Traffic Collision Response Policy         Page 2