Agency Policy, Rules, and General Orders
Agency Policy, Rules, and General Orders
This domain tests whether the lieutenant knows how policy functions, how orders are issued and changed, and what to do when a directive conflicts with policy or law. Exam questions often present a supervisor’s order that is lawful but inconsistent with a general order.
Core rules
- Hierarchy: constitutions and statutes control over policy; policy controls over special orders and roll-call instructions. A general order usually has broader duration and scope than a special order.
- Dissemination and acknowledgment: policy is enforceable when issued and acknowledged; lieutenants must ensure roll-call training and documentation.
- Lawful orders: employees must obey lawful orders, but may respectfully note a conflict and seek clarification in writing. Unlawful orders-such as orders to use excessive force or falsify records-must not be obeyed.
- Common policy areas: use of force, pursuit, body-worn cameras, searches, off-duty employment, social media, and complaint intake.
- Updates: policy changes require training, acknowledgment, and sometimes bargaining with the union.
Worked example
A sergeant tells an officer to skip the body-worn camera during a planned raid because “it slows things down.” The general order requires activation for planned tactical operations unless a supervisor documents a safety exception. The lieutenant should not simply overrule the sergeant in front of the team; instead, clarify the order, require compliance with the general order, document the correction, and train the team on the exception process. The lawful order is to follow policy, not to ignore it.
Traps
Assuming policy can authorize unconstitutional conduct; treating a roll-call reminder as a permanent policy change; failing to document policy training; and obeying an unlawful order because it came from a higher rank.