Volume 1 - POLICY
program.
If an employee wishes to request Department
support of amendments to current law and/or
seeks Department support of a proposed
legislative bill being considered by the
legislature, he/she must complete a Bill
Response Report, Form General 25.
The Department’s position recommended by
the employee should be included in the Bill
Response Report. The bill, accompanied by the
Bill Response Report, shall be forwarded
through the employee's chain of command to
the Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief of
Police. The request will be reviewed by the
Chief of Staff to determine if it is consistent
with the Department's position. Following
review and approval by the Chief of Police,
and a determination that the Department will
seek program inclusion, the Bill Response
Report will be forwarded to the Police
Commission with a request that it be
transmitted to the City Council and the CLA
for appropriate action.
No Department employee may represent that
the City of Los Angeles or the Department
supports, opposes, seeks, wishes to amend, or
has any position regarding any legislation or
administrative action (action by a regulatory
body) unless such position is consistent with
the adopted City position and has been
approved by the Chief of Police.
Department employees who wish to determine
if a position regarding legislation or an
administrative action is consistent with the
adopted City and Department’s position, may
contact the Department Legislative Liaison
Officer, Governmental Liaison Section.
Requests for Department’s positions or
opinions on legislation from elected officials or
their staff may be referred to the Department
Legislative Liaison Officer, Governmental
Liaison Section. Department employees who
wish to receive approval from the Chief of
Police to address any legislative issue on
behalf of the Department with elected officials
or their staff, shall first obtain approval from
his/her commanding officer. Approval of
statements regarding Department legislative
positions shall be coordinated with the
Department Legislative Liaison Officer,
Governmental Liaison Section. If an employee
wishes to, or is requested to express a point of
view that is contrary to the adopted City and
Department position, he/she must do so on an
off-duty basis, at his/her own expense (e.g.,
staff support, stationery, etc.) and time. Also,
it must be clearly stated in the body of the
testimony or communication that, "This is a
personal opinion. It is not the Department's or
the City's position and it is not consistent with
the City’s position. Furthermore, I am not
acting in my capacity as a sworn or civilian
employee of the Department or City."
Note: Nothing in this Section prohibits an
employee from responding to an inquiry from
elected officials or their staff concerning the
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operational impact of a proposed or pending
piece of legislation. However, under such
circumstances an employee may not express an
official opinion as to whether the Department
would support or oppose such legislation.
270.15 EMPLOYEE RELATIONS WITH
VENDORS AND CONTRACTORS. When
representing the Department to outside
business organizations which are, or which are
likely to become, vendors or contracting
parties with the Department, employees must
conduct themselves in a manner which will
bring credit to themselves and to the
Department. Because a police officer is the
most
conspicuous
representative
of
government, the officer's conduct is likely to
be scrutinized far more severely than that of
other persons; therefore, when dealing with
prospective contractors, employees must avoid
becoming engaged in conduct which is, or
which might appear to be, censurable.
Department resources will not be committed to
furthering the work of a prospective contractor
or vendor prior to the formation of a contract.
Similarly, whatever is seen or heard of a
confidential nature, or that is confided in an
official capacity, will be kept as such unless
disclosure is necessitated in the furtherance of
Department objectives. Personal feelings or
motives, or the possibility of personal gain,
will not influence decisions. An employee
must not place himself/herself in a position of
compromise by soliciting or accepting
gratuities, even where such activity might
otherwise be considered an acceptable form of
business negotiations outside the Department.
270.20 ENDORSEMENT
OF
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. The
Department's position of providing fair and
impartial service dictates that each employee
must scrupulously avoid using his/her official
capacity, title, or position in the Department to
endorse any organization, program, product, or
service when such endorsement is not
approved and required in the performance of
his/her duties as defined by the Chief of Police
and the Board of Police Commissioners.
270.25 OFFICER CONTACTS WITH
THE PUBLIC. In each of his/her contacts
with the public, an officer must be aware that
his/her actions, appearance, and statements are
those of the Department. For that reason, and
because of the inherent potential for conflict in
many police contacts, an officer must develop
a fair, impartial, and reasonable attitude and
perform his/her task in a businesslike manner.
His or her statements must be the result of
considered judgment and be absent of personal
opinion, bias, or editorial comment. Extended
conversation which reflects the officer's
personal opinions will normally be considered
inappropriate.
270.30 OUTSIDE
EMPLOYMENT
POLICY - GENERAL. The nature of the law
enforcement task requires Department
employees to have the ability to work irregular
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schedules which are subject to change in
meeting deployment needs. Additionally, it is
necessary that employees have adequate rest to
be alert during their tours of duty. For these
reasons, and because certain activities are
inherently incompatible with an employee's
primary responsibility to the Department, the
Department may impose conditions on outside
employment or may prohibit it altogether.
Determination of the degree of limitation will
be based upon the interest of the Department
and ensuring that the Department receives full
and faithful services in return for its
expenditure of resources.
Department employees accepting outside
employment should be aware that they may not
be entitled to legal representation, payment of
an adverse judgment, or other benefits from the
City that are usually afforded an employee
while working on duty. Officers should realize
that when they accept off-duty employment,
they are generally being hired to perform
specific duties for an employer. Thus, officers
should have a firm commitment from the
employer concerning any subsequent legal
representation or other benefits that may
become necessary as a result of the officer's
conduct in protecting the employer's interests.
The Department recognizes that Section 1126
of the Government Code establishes the
ultimate control of prohibited activities in the
Department's Outside Employment Policy. It is
the purpose of this policy to establish specific
guidelines regarding prohibited activities
which incorporate the broad parameters set
forth in Section 1126 of the Government Code.
Outside Employment Policy - Specific. An
employee shall not enter into any outside
employment without having first submitted a
summary of proposed duties, location, and
employer. Following Department review and a
determination that the proposed outside
employment is not incompatible with
Department employment, an employee shall
not change the nature or location of outside
employment without having first submitted the
proposed change for Department review. Once
outside employment is determined to be
compatible with Department employment, it
shall be reviewed annually thereafter upon the
employee's initiative. If it is determined that
proposed outside employment is incompatible
with Department employment, the employee
shall be notified as soon as possible of such
determination and that the employment is
prohibited.
Continuance
of
outside
employment that has been determined to be an
incompatible activity shall be considered
misconduct and may result in disciplinary
action.
Determination that outside employment is or is
not compatible with Department employment
shall be made by the concerned commanding
officer and forwarded to the Office of Support
Services for approval. An employee may
appeal the determination of their commanding
officer and the Director, Office of Support
Services, to the Chief of Police. An employee
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 Volume 1 – POLICY
may appeal the determination of the Chief of
Police, to the Board of Police Commissioners
for administrative review.
Prohibited activities include those which:
∗ Involve any employment, activity or
enterprise for compensation which is
inconsistent, incompatible, in conflict with,
or inimical to, duties as an employee of the
Los Angeles Police Department or with the
duties, functions or responsibilities of the
Los Angeles Police Department.
∗ Involve, for private gain or advantage, the
use of City time, facilities, equipment or
supplies; or the badge, uniform, prestige or
influence of one's official position.
Exception: Outside employment in uniform
may not be a prohibited activity in specific
cases when a determination has been made by
the Board of Police Commissioners that the
employment is in the best interest of the City,
promotes the Department's interest in public
safety and the duties are substantially the same
as those which would be preformed if the
employee were assigned on duty.
∗ Involve receipt or acceptance by the
employee of any money or other
consideration from anyone other than the
Department for the performance of an act
which the employee, if not performing such
act, would be required or expected to render
in the regular course or hours of Department
employment or as a part of their duties as a
Department employee.
∗ Involve such time demands as would render
performance of their duties as a Department
employee less efficient.
∗ The maximum number of hours an
employee may engage in outside
employment shall be twenty hours per
week. The maximum hours may be
exceeded upon the recommendation of the
division commanding officer and approval
of the Director, Office of Support Services,
after a review of the individual's on-duty
performance and the nature of the
employment involved.
∗ The Department may take into consideration
the medical condition of any employee and
the effect outside employment would have
on any employee's ability to perform the
duties of their position. An employee shall
not engage in outside employment while
carried on sick or IOD status except by
special written permission of the Director,
Office of Support Services.
∗ Employees on entry-level probation shall
not engage in outside employment.
Commanding officers may recommend
exception in special cases.
271.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
DEPARTMENT
EMPLOYEES.
Camaraderie among employees is healthy for
the employing organization and a necessary
ingredient in a successful, productive and
fulfilling occupation. However, public trust
requires that employees avoid even the
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appearance of a conflict between their
professional responsibilities and their personal
relationships with other employees. Generally,
the greatest potential for such a conflict arises
from an off-duty social relationship or an
outside business interest. Either situation could
lead to a personal or financial interest which
conflicts with a duty-related responsibility.
The avoidance of an actual or potential conflict
is particularly acute for superiors and
subordinates, by rank or paygrade, within the
same chain-of-command. The authority given
a superior over a subordinate is a solemn
responsibility entrusted to that superior by the
Chief of Police. That trust makes the superior
an extension of the Chief of Police and
demands that every decision made by the
superior be totally objective, impeccably fair
and, above all, devoid of any personal
favoritism. If a superior enters into a personal
or business relationship with a subordinate, the
motive for decisions made by that superior
relative to the subordinate may become suspect
and compromise the integrity of those
involved. This could lead to a disrupted work
environment, reduced production and a decline
in morale.
All employees should avoid situations which
give rise to an actual or apparent conflict
between their professional responsibilities and
their relationships with other employees.
However, should such a situation develop, it is
the duty of the involved employees to
immediately notify their commanding officer
either in
person
or
through
the
chain-of-command. It then becomes the
responsibility of that commanding officer to
take appropriate action to eliminate the conflict
keeping the best interest of both the employees
and the Department in mind.
Note: Off-duty personal relationships not
involving a chain-of-command conflict are not
reportable as conflicts of interest under this
Section. However, any personal relationship
between employees which negatively impacts
an involved employee's performance of his/her
professional responsibilities is a matter of
serious concern to the Department. The
Department reserves the right to take
appropriate action, including discipline, to
eliminate such conflicts in order to maintain an
appropriate work environment.
272.
RETALIATION POLICY. Every
employee of the Los Angeles Police
Department has the right to work in a
professional atmosphere and without fear of
retaliation that may result from bringing a
formal or informal complaint alleging any type
of misconduct or from undertaking any of the
activities described in the definition below. We
undermine our mission of upholding the law
and protecting the public if we fail to do so
among our own ranks. To ensure that all
employees are afforded the opportunity to
perform their duties to their fullest potential, it
is essential that a supportive work environment
be maintained. It is, therefore, every
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employee's responsibility to refrain from acts
of retaliation and to report acts of retaliation. It
is recognized that an employee experiencing
retaliation may be hesitant to report it;
however, the employee is encouraged to come
forward to ensure a prompt resolution to the
problem. It is the express duty and
responsibility of commanding officers and
supervisors to ensure that: (1) the officers and
support staff under their command neither
perpetrate nor perpetuate any form of
retaliation; (2) no officer or employee
experiences any form of retaliation; (3) no
officer or employee acts to inhibit the
implementation of this policy; and, (4) acts of
retaliation are reported.
Retaliation is defined as, but not limited to:
harassing language, behavior or conduct,
unwarranted punitive action or acts of
discrimination that are directed toward another
employee, or such employee's family or
friends, in response to such employee:
∗ Bringing a complaint or grievance alleging
any type of misconduct, including
retaliation;
∗ Testifying on behalf of, and/or in support
of, another employee who has brought a
complaint or grievance alleging any type of
misconduct, including retaliation;
∗ Advising another employee who has
complained of any type of misconduct,
including retaliation; or,
∗ Assisting or participating in any
investigation, proceeding or hearing
concerning the employee who complained
of the misconduct, or taking other actions
which are legally protected by federal, state,
local or constitutional laws, or any LAPD
policy.
Equal opportunity and non-discrimination
laws, and related Department policies prohibit
employers and employees from retaliating
against others who undertake any of the
activities described above in the definition
section.
Retaliation also includes acts by a supervisor
as reprisal for legitimate and legally protected
words or actions of a subordinate, including the
subordinate's bringing a complaint alleging any
misconduct, including retaliation. Retaliatory
action of any type and in any form is
considered a separate violation of Department
policy. Supervisors have a special
responsibility to ensure that their actions are
not retaliatory and that they act to effectively
prohibit others from engaging in retaliatory
acts. The Department prohibits acts of
retaliation in any form and employees who
commit the same are subject to disciplinary
actions up to and including termination.
Open/overt and subtle/covert actions that are
taken in response to an employee's activities
described above in the definition section will
constitute retaliation and violations of this
Section. Those actions include, but are not
limited to:

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