I. AUTHORITY

This policy is issued under authority granted to the Chief Probation Officer under the California Penal Code.

II. PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide a procedure to ensure full accountability for the issuance, retention and reporting of all assigned county-owned property which may be lost, misplaced, stolen or need to be replaced.

 

III. APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to any Probation staff and others who are issued County / Probation Department owned property.

IV. BACKGROUND

V. GENERAL POLICY

In order for designated probation staff to conduct their responsibilities, special county-owned equipment such as keys, identification cards, badges, safety equipment, radios and miscellaneous other items are issued and entrusted to designated employees.  Probation staff will retain all issued equipment and be responsible for having knowledge of all policies and procedures involving the use and care of any county owned equipment.

 

1. Probation staff will check out or be issued county-owned equipment such as keys, identification cards, badges, safety equipment, radios, and laptops.
   1.  All badges will be issued by the Office of the Chief Probation Officer. 
   2.  Department identification cards will be issued by one of the Department Personnel Technicians or the Professional Standards Unit SDPO.
   3. The Probation Department automation unit will issue computers and computer equipment.  Training laptops will be issued by the Professional Standards Unit Training Coordinator/Supervising Deputy Probation Officer.
   4. The Senior Range Master or designee will issue Department firearms and tasers.  Firearms or tasers are to be returned to a Department Range Master or a Chief Deputy Probation Officer as directed.
   5.  The Department Training Coordinator and Professional Standards Unit SDPO are designated as the Safety Equipment Officers and will issue and track all safety equipment.
   6.  Following the issuance of Department owned safety equipment; it is the responsibility of the officer to maintain control and care of all issued equipment while in their possession.  
   7.  It is the responsibility of the officer to adhere to scheduled maintenance requirements of all issued safety equipment and promptly notice the Department of any equipment damaged, deficient or in need of repair/service as it is discovered.
   8.  Requests for safety equipment shall be made through the officer’s assigned supervisor.
   9.  A Department “Safety Equipment Request Form” shall be completed by the requesting staff and submitted to his/her immediate supervisor for approval.  Any request for special equipment or equipment previously not issued shall require the approval and signature of the officer’s Chief Deputy Probation Officer.  Upon approval, the form shall be sent to the Safety Equipment Officer for processing.
   10.  The Safety Equipment Officers shall identify current reserves or produce a requisition for purchase of the approved safety equipment. Upon receipt, all newly purchased safety equipment shall be delivered directly to the Safety Equipment Officers for safekeeping and issuance.
   11. The Safety Equipment Officers shall be the keeper of all surplus Department owned safety equipment once presented with an approved safety equipment request form by a requesting officer, one of the Safety Equipment Officers shall issue all approved safety equipment from current reserves.
   12. Upon issuing Department owned safety equipment, the Safety Equipment Officers shall electronically enter the item(s) into Quartermaster. Every officer that is issued Department owned safety equipment shall have an associated electronic officer inventory in Quartermaster. Each officer’s inventory is to be electronically maintained by the Safety Equipment Officers during the officer’s employment with the Department.
   13.  All safety equipment returns shall be received by one of the Safety Equipment Officers and be documented on the officer’s electronic inventory in Quartermaster. Following an officer’s separation from employment with the Department, the officer shall turn in all Department issued safety equipment to one of the Safety Equipment Officers.  All returned equipment that is in good condition will be made available for future use. 
2.  Probation staff that lose or have non-safety issued equipment stolen shall do the following:
   1.  Immediately notify their supervisor of the lost or stolen issued equipment.  If their supervisor is not available, they shall notify their Chief Deputy / Department Administrator.
   2. If the officer believes the equipment was stolen, contact the Safety Equipment Officer immediately to confirm the make, model, and/or serial number of the item.
   3. The officer shall contact the law enforcement agency of jurisdiction and initiate a police report.
   4. Send an email with the specific circumstances of the loss and a complete description of equipment to his/her supervisor, Chief Deputy Probation Officer / Department Administrator, and the Department Safety Equipment Officers.  The email is to be sent by the end of the working day if the loss occurred during business hours or by the end of the next working day if the loss occurred outside of business hours. A copy of this email will be retained by the officer’s supervisor.
3. Deputy Probation Officers/Juvenile Services Officers that lose or have stolen a Department issued badge, body armor, portable field radio, firearm, conducted energy device (Taser), or expandable baton shall do the following:
   1.  Immediately notify their supervisor of the lost/stolen item.  If their supervisor is not available, they shall notify their Chief Deputy. 
   2. The Chief Probation Officer will be notified via the chain of command of a lost/stolen firearm.
   3.  Contact a Safety Equipment Officer immediately to confirm the make, model, serial number, and color.
   4.  The officer shall contact the law enforcement agency of jurisdiction and report and initiate a police report.
   5. The officer shall obtain the reporting agency case number and provide it to the Professional Standards Unit (PSU) SDPO.
   6. The PSU SDPO shall request copy of the police report from the agency of jurisdiction.
   7. The PSU SDPO will note the reporting agency case number in Quartermaster and ensure any of these items are entered into CLETS system by the end of the next business day.
4. County-owned and issued equipment, i.e. badge, safety equipment, laptop computer may be stored for safe-keeping at the Department at the request of the employee in the event they will be out on FMLA leave for ninety (90) days or more.
5.  A probation employee placed on administrative leave shall have their Department issued badge and/or identification card, keys, laptop computer and safety equipment collected at the time of notification of leave status.
6.  During the first week of every December, the Department Safety Equipment Officers will start an inventory of each officer’s serialized equipment to ensure that the equipment assigned is correct and in good working condition.  

VI. EXCLUSIVITY

This policy will remain in effect until superseded or suspended in writing by the Chief Probation Officer and can be reviewed as needed.