608 - Operations Planning
608.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This policy provides guidelines for planning, deconfliction, use of the Risk Assessment Worksheet, and execution of high-risk operations.
Additional guidance on planning and serving high-risk warrants is provided in the Warrant Service Policy.
608.1.1 DEFINITIONS
High-risk operations — Operations, including service of search and arrest warrants and sting operations, that are likely to present higher risks than are commonly faced by deputies on a daily basis, including suspected fortified locations, reasonable risk of violence or confrontation with multiple persons, or reason to suspect that persons anticipate the operation.
608.2 POLICY
It is the policy of the Hartwell County Sheriff’s Department to properly plan and carry out high-risk operations, including participation in a regional deconfliction system, in order to provide coordination, enhance the safety of members and the public, decrease the risk of compromising investigations and prevent duplicating efforts.
The ranked deputy planning an operation should query all relevant and reasonably available intelligence resources for information about the subject of investigation, others who may be present and the involved location. These sources may include regional intelligence and criminal justice databases, target deconfliction systems, firearm records, commercial databases and property records. Where appropriate, the deputy should also submit information to these resources.
The deputy should gather available information that includes, but is not limited to:
- Photographs, including aerial photographs, if available, of the involved location, neighboring yards and obstacles.
- Maps of the location.
- Diagrams of any property and the interior of any buildings that are involved.
- Historical information about the subject of investigation (e.g., history of weapon possession or use, known mental illness, known drug use, threats against police, gang affiliation, criminal history).
- Historical information about others who may be present at the location (e.g., other criminals, innocent third parties, dependent adults, children, animals).
- Obstacles associated with the location (e.g., fortification, booby traps, reinforced doors/windows, surveillance measures, number and type of buildings, geographic and perimeter barriers, the number and types of weapons likely to be present, information that suggests the presence of explosives, chemicals or other hazardous materials, the potential for multiple dwellings or living spaces, availability of keys/door combinations).
- Other environmental factors (e.g., nearby venues such as schools and day care centers, proximity of adjacent homes or other occupied buildings, anticipated pedestrian and vehicle traffic at the time of service).
- Other available options that may minimize the risk to deputies and others (e.g., making an off-site arrest or detention of the subject of investigation).
608.4.2 PROCEDURE
Deputies will present the plan and other relevant documents (such as copies of search warrants and affidavits and arrest warrants) to their supervisor.
The supervisor will assess the level of risk, and decide if the operation can be conducted without further resources. Supervisors should take reasonable actions if there is a change in circumstances that elevates the risks associated with the operation. If there is no perceived need for additional resources, the mission will proceed at the unit level. If there is a need for additional resources, or the supervisor is looking for additional input, it will be forwarded to the Division Commander for review. If at that level, it is deemed that no further resources are needed, it will be returned for unit service. If it is determined resources like CRU are needed, or there is question about it, the CRU Commander should be contacted for review.
608.4.3 HIGH-RISK OPERATIONS
Any time a high risk operation is presented for approval, the unit supervisor should:
- Determine what resources will be needed at the location, and contact and/or place on standby any of the following appropriate and available resources:
- (CRU)
- Additional personnel
- Outside agency assistance
- Special equipment
- Medical personnel
- Persons trained in negotiation
- Additional surveillance
- Canines
- Property Division or analytical personnel to assist with cataloguing seizures
- Forensic specialists
- Specialized mapping for larger or complex locations
- Contact the appropriate office members or other agencies as warranted to begin preparation.
- Ensure that all legal documents such as search warrants are complete and have any modifications reasonably necessary to support the operation.
- Coordinate the actual operation.
608.5 DECONFLICTION
Deconfliction systems are designed to identify persons and locations associated with investigations or law enforcement operations and alert participating agencies when others are planning or conducting operations in close proximity or time or are investigating the same individuals, groups or locations.
The deputy who is the operations lead shall ensure the subject of investigation and operations information have been entered in an applicable deconfliction system to determine if there is reported conflicting activity. This should occur as early in the process as practicable, but no later than two hours prior to the commencement of the operation. The deputy should also enter relevant updated information when it is received.
If any conflict is discovered, the supervisor will contact the involved jurisdiction and resolve the potential conflict before proceeding.
608.6 OPERATIONS PLAN
Unit Supervisors should ensure that a written operations plan is developed for all high-risk operations. Plans should also be considered for other operations that would benefit from having a formal plan.
The plan should address such issues as:
- Operation goals, objectives, and strategies.
- Operation location and people:
- The subject of investigation (e.g., history of weapon possession/use, known mental illness issues, known drug use, threats against police, gang affiliation, criminal history)
- The location (e.g., fortification, booby traps, reinforced doors/windows, surveillance cameras and/or lookouts, number/type of buildings, geographic and perimeter barriers, the number and types of weapons likely to be present, information that suggests the presence of explosives, chemicals or other hazardous materials, the potential for multiple dwellings or living spaces, availability of keys/door combinations), including aerial photos, if available, and maps of neighboring yards and obstacles, diagrams and other visual aids
- Other environmental factors (e.g., nearby venues such as schools and day care centers, proximity of adjacent homes or other occupied buildings, anticipated pedestrian and vehicle traffic at the time of service)
- Identification of other people who may be present in or around the operation, such as other criminal suspects, innocent third parties, and children
- Information from the risk assessment worksheet by attaching a completed copy in the operational plan.
- The volume or complexity of the information may indicate that the plan includes a synopsis of the information contained on the risk assessment worksheet to ensure clarity and highlighting of critical information.
- Participants and their roles.
- An adequate number of uniformed deputies should be included in the operation team to provide reasonable notice of a legitimate law enforcement operation.
- How all participants will be identified as law enforcement.
- Whether deconfliction submissions are current and all involved individuals, groups, and locations have been deconflicted to the extent reasonably practicable.
- Identification of all communications channels and call-signs.
- Use of force issues.
- Contingencies for handling medical emergencies (e.g., services available at the location, closest hospital, closest trauma center).
- Plans for detaining people who are not under arrest.
- Contingencies for handling children, dependent adults, animals, and other people who might be at the location in accordance with the Child Abuse, Senior and Disability Victimization, Child and Dependent Adult Safety, and Animal Control policies.
- Communications plan.
- Responsibilities for writing, collecting, reviewing, and approving reports.
608.6.1 OPERATIONS PLAN RETENTION
Since the operations plan contains intelligence information and descriptions of law enforcement tactics, it shall not be filed with the report. The operations plan shall be stored separately and retained in accordance with the established records retention schedule.
608.7 OPERATIONS BRIEFING
A briefing should be held prior to the commencement of any high-risk operation to allow all participants to understand the operation, see and identify each other, identify roles and responsibilities and ask questions or seek clarification as needed. Anyone who is not present at the briefing should not respond to the operation location without specific supervisory approval.
- The briefing should include a verbal review of plan elements, using visual aids, to enhance the participants’ understanding of the operations plan.
- All participants should be provided a copy of the operations plan and search warrant, if applicable. Participating personnel should be directed to read the search warrant and initial a copy that is retained with the operation plan. Any items to be seized should be identified at the briefing.
- The operations director shall ensure that all participants are visually identifiable as law enforcement officers.
- Exceptions may be made by the operations director for deputies who are conducting surveillance or working under cover. However, those members exempt from visual identification should be able to transition to a visible law enforcement indicator at the time of enforcement actions, such as entries or arrests, if necessary.
- The briefing should include details of the communications plan.
- It is the responsibility of the operations director to ensure that Dispatch is notified of the time and location of the operation, and to provide a copy of the operation plan prior to deputies arriving at the location.
- If the radio channel needs to be monitored by Dispatch, the dispatcher assigned to monitor the operation should attend the briefing, if practicable, but at a minimum should receive a copy of the operation plan.
- The briefing should include a communications check to ensure that all participants are able to communicate with the available equipment on the designated radio channel.
608.8 CRISIS RESPONSE UNIT (CRU) PARTICIPATION
If, through the Risk Assessment Worksheet, it is determined that CRU participation is appropriate, the supervisor, case agent, CRU Commander, and SWAT Team Leader shall work together to develop and document a plan which will be approved by at least a Bureau Commander or other Executive Manager as available. The CRU Commander shall assume operational control of an operation until all persons at the scene are appropriately detained and it is safe to begin a search. When this occurs, the CRU Commander shall transfer control of the scene to the handling supervisor or administrator. This transfer should be communicated to the deputies present.
It should be noted that the Duty Commander has the authorization to activate CRU during an in-progress incident
608.9 MEDIA ACCESS
No advance information regarding planned operations shall be released without the approval of the Sheriff. Any media inquiries or press release after the fact shall be handled in accordance with the Media Relations Policy.
608.10 OPERATIONS DEBRIEFING
High-risk operations should be debriefed as soon as reasonably practicable. The debriefing should include as many participants as possible. This debrief may be separate from any CRU debriefing. Debriefings shall sometimes be accompanied by a written after-action report as directed by the Sheriff and/or his designee.
608.11 TRAINING
The Supervisor for any specialized units should ensure deputies and CRU team members who participate in operations subject to this policy should receive periodic training including, but not limited to, topics such as legal issues, deconfliction practices, operations planning concepts and reporting requirements.
Forensic Genetic Genealogy