General Vehicle Operations

Emergency Driving

Any officer driving an emergency vehicle, while responding to a call for service, or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, may use exceptions to the RRO Penal Code in an effort to apprehend or respond to an emergency or call for service.

Any officer driving an emergency vehicle may use any of the following privileges:

• Proceed through and past a red light or stop sign, but only after slowing down or completely stopping to ensure safe navigation of the intersection prior to continuing.

• Park or stop an emergency vehicle inside a street, fire lane, or other necessary places deemed reasonably needed by a police officer.

• Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as it is in due regard for public safety.

• Disregard penal codes regarding direction of movement on a roadway, overtaking vehicles, or turning while also ensuring public safety.

  • Exception: Officers running radar are not required to have emergency lights activated.

General Driving

This section is a reminder that all officers are still responsible for driving the patrol vehicle(s) with due regard for public safety, and as such can be held against them should they violate this section.

• This section is a reminder that all officers are still responsible for driving the patrol vehicle(s) with due regard for public safety, and as such can be held against them should they violate this section.

• A police patrol vehicle must be operated under complete control at all times, and with the purpose of preventing accidents, injuries, and property damage during normal and emergency patrol operations.

• All police officers prior to and during patrol operations must recognize the variable factors of driving including; weather, road surface conditions, road contour, vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and drivers skill level.

• All police personnel are prohibited from talking, texting, or otherwise use any type of cell phone, mobile email device, or mobile data terminal while in operation of the vehicle.

• During periods of inclement weather (heavy rain, thunderstorms, snowstorms, etc.) officers are required to use both headlights and tail lights while driving.

• Officers should park marked patrol vehicles in ways to protect accident scenes, injured persons, or other scenes. All marked patrol vehicles parked when in such use shall have all emergency lights activated to help gain visibility of the scene from other drivers.

• Officers SHALL NOT drive a patrol vehicle the wrong direction on any expressway, expressway exit, entrance ramp, or divided or undivided highway unless the roadway has been shut down.

• Exception to the above; Officers are permitted to drive opposite lanes during a pursuit, ONLY if the suspect they are pursuing is wanted for a felony other than evasion. Officers must request permission from an LEO supervisor to do so (who may deny/withdraw approval for any reason), and officers must judge the risks of doing so, including traffic, time of day, airship availability etc. If officers drive in opposite lanes, lights and both sirens must be utilized and, if possible, should drive on the shoulder.

Officers involved in the transport of a prisoner or member of the public (non-ride along) shall not be called to respond to a call for service unless deemed an absolute necessity by a Staff+ Member (Or highest ranking in the game). Officers operating unmarked vehicles should be aware of the issues for pedestrians or vehicular traffic to see emergency lights when in operation.

• Any unmarked officer who witnesses a crime and attempts to stop the suspect and the vehicle attempts to flee the unmarked officer may be primary until a marked unit takes primary in the pursuit.

• Any unmarked officer who attempts to stop a vehicle may initiate pursuit and maintain primary until a marked unit arrives in the pursuit.

• Any officer operating an unmarked vehicle as primary in a pursuit will relinquish primary to the first marked unit available in the pursuit.

  • Exception:

    • Any Standard Operating Procedure as given by a subdivision while operating as the respective subdivision.

Non Emergency Vehicle Operations

While on regular / routine patrol, responding to non emergency calls for service, or other police related business, all officers shall obey all traffic laws, red light signals, traffic control devices, signals, posted speed limits, and all other forms of road access control signs.

Police Officers in normal patrol operations are prohibited from using lights or sirens, or a combination of both while the vehicle is in motion or while parked on the side of the road.

Emergency Vehicle Operations

When an officer is dispatched to a call for service, requests for assistance, or other calls dispatched that are deemed an emergency call, officers may engage in Emergency Driving (Code 3 Driving). While responding with Emergency Driving officers must use lights and sirens while the vehicle is in motion, unless directed by a supervisor or requesting unit to respond code 2, or when deemed not needed by the officer in control of the vehicle.

Once on location of the call for service the officer must call dispatch or by using the CAD / MDT that he has arrived on scene.

Officers responding to a call for service must come to a complete stop prior to continuing through any intersection, red light, or stop sign.

If the scene is called code 4 or officers have advised units to slow their response all other units should downgrade to non emergency driving.