There may be incidents involving a person who is not a threat to officers or others that a responding officer or supervisor believes can be handled more safely through the use of tactical disengagement. This policy recognizes that the legal authority to take a person into custody does not override law enforcement discretion to pursue safer courses of action.    

If officers determine that tactical disengagement may be appropriate, they should contact the on-duty patrol supervisor for the incident. The patrol supervisor for the incident must respond to the scene. If, after attempting contact and de-escalation techniques, the patrol supervisor determines that the person is not a known or reasonably believed threat to others and that further interaction with the individual may result in an increased risk to the person, the public, or officers, the on-scene supervisor should develop a plan for tactical disengagement.

Tactical Disengagement Procedures:

If a subject is not responding or cooperative, does not present a known or reasonably believed threat to officers or others, and the on-scene supervisor determines that an immediate arrest is not required, the supervisor should proceed as follows:

  1. Verbally brief the watch commander or appropriate district commander for the incident.

  2. Attempt to use all appropriate and available department resources to safely resolve the situation.

  3. Ensure that the family members, friends, and the subject are provided information about resources and services available to them, as reasonably possible under the circumstances. A list of these resources is available on the intranet and from the Mental Health Unit. Additional basic needs should also be considered.

  4. After reasonable attempts are made to contact the subject without resolution, the supervisor should order officers to withdraw from the area.

Under these circumstances, officers should not:
 

  1. Escalate or make forced entry into the location or close distance on the person while attempting tactical disengagement, unless a change in circumstances makes a closer intervention appropriate under the department’s general orders.

  2. Force entry to arrest the subject for pending misdemeanor charges or misdemeanor warrants. This does not prevent the subject from being charged out of custody.

  3. Force entry to enforce civil commitment or emergency examination orders.

  4. Require family, friends, or others involved to leave the area.

    Reporting Tactical Disengagement:

When officers use tactical disengagement, the on-scene supervisor must create an incident report documenting the following elements:

  1. Details of the call

  2. Reasons for tactical disengagement

  3. Actions taken to deescalate the situation

  4. Actions taken to promote safety

  5. Follow-up plans and referrals made

  6. Flagged address for a safety bulletin

The supervisor for the incident will ensure that officers write appropriate incident reports, including an original report, all supplemental reports, crisis response report, video or digital recordings, victim/witness statements, and any other pertinent documents related to the incident.

Copies of all reports and statements should be forwarded to the Mental Health Unit by the end of the supervisor’s shift.

Issued May 15, 2019

Last Edited: May 22, 2019