Rules, Regulations, and Departmental Policy
What the exam tests
This domain tests applying general orders and administrative rules: chain of command, discipline, grievances, off-duty conduct, social media, vehicle use, confidentiality, and records.
Core rules
- Policy hierarchy: law, collective bargaining agreement, general orders, and unit SOPs; follow the more restrictive rule when unclear.
- Shall is mandatory; may is discretionary. Cite the policy number in reports when relevant.
- Garrity: compelled administrative statements cannot be used against the employee in a criminal case; they can support administrative action.
- Weingarten: union representation in an investigatory interview on request, in a unionized workplace.
- Brady and Giglio obligations continue through employment; untruthfulness can end a career.
- Social media and confidentiality rules apply on and off duty.
Worked example
An officer posts a crash-scene photo on a personal account. The sergeant should preserve screenshots, notify the chain of command and professional standards, avoid public comment, and follow the social media and records policies. Reasoning: the post may violate privacy, evidence, and conduct rules; preservation prevents deletion, and routing to the proper unit avoids conflict of interest. The sergeant should not conduct an informal chat that becomes an unrecorded interrogation.
Traps that cost marks
- Enforcing from memory instead of the current order.
- Using compelled statements in a criminal referral without Garrity review.
- Applying policy only after a complaint.
- Ignoring off-duty and online conduct.