TCOLE key terms

The principle that people judge police by the fairness of the process as much as by the outcome; it rests on giving voice, neutral decision-making, respectful treatment, and trustworthy motives.

An officer's lawful authority to choose among reasonable actions - warn, cite, arrest, or refer - based on the law, department policy, and the specific facts of the situation.

The profession's sworn statement of principle committing officers to serve all people, protect life and property, and uphold constitutional rights with integrity and honesty and without favoritism.

The obligation of an officer to stop another officer's excessive force or serious misconduct when there is a realistic opportunity to do so, and to report the conduct through the chain of command.

Misconduct such as lying, planting evidence, or conducting unlawful searches that an officer justifies by claiming the ends - removing a dangerous person - justify the illegal means.

An approach in which officers build lasting partnerships with residents and address underlying neighborhood problems, rather than only reacting to calls after harm has already occurred.

The rule that a public employee's compelled statements, given under threat of discipline, cannot be used against that employee in a later criminal prosecution.

Making enforcement decisions based on behavior and specific suspect information rather than race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics.

Specific, articulable facts plus rational inferences that would lead a reasonable officer to believe criminal activity is occurring or has occurred; it justifies a brief investigative detention.

Facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe an offense has been committed and that a particular person committed it; it is required for an arrest or warrant.

A limited pat-down of a detained person's outer clothing for weapons, permitted when the officer reasonably believes the person is armed and dangerous; it is not a full search.

Advisements of the rights to remain silent, to have counsel, and to appointed counsel that must precede custodial interrogation; statements taken without them are usually inadmissible.

The doctrine that evidence obtained through an unconstitutional search or seizure is generally inadmissible at trial, subject to exceptions such as independent source and good faith.

Allows an officer who is lawfully present to seize an item without a warrant when its incriminating character is immediately apparent and the officer has a lawful right of access.

Urgent conditions - imminent destruction of evidence, hot pursuit, or an immediate threat to life - that make obtaining a warrant unreasonable and allow warrantless entry or search.

The authority to search a lawfully arrested person and the area within immediate reach for weapons and evidence, justified by officer safety and preventing destruction of evidence.

A warrantless search allowed when a person with authority gives voluntary, unambiguous consent; consent may be limited in scope and may be withdrawn at any time.

Texas statute permitting a peace officer to arrest without a warrant for a felony or a breach of the peace committed in the officer's presence or within the officer's view.

Texas requirement that an arrested person be taken before a magistrate within 48 hours and warned of the right to remain silent, the right to counsel, and the right to appointed counsel.

The Texas Penal Code's four levels of intent - intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, and with criminal negligence - one of which must accompany the prohibited act for most offenses.

A sworn written statement of facts presented to a magistrate to show probable cause for an arrest or search warrant; false statements in it can invalidate the resulting warrant.

The documented, unbroken record of who handled a piece of evidence, when, and for what purpose, from collection through trial, showing it was not altered or substituted.

The three validated roadside tests - horizontal gaze nystagmus, walk-and-turn, and one-leg stand - used with other observations to build probable cause in impaired-driving investigations.

Texas law treating a driver's license as consent to provide a breath or blood specimen after a lawful DWI arrest; refusal can lead to license suspension and to officers seeking a warrant.

A recording device worn by officers that captures encounters in the field, providing evidence, supporting report accuracy, and subject to retention and public release rules.

The tactic for incidents in which someone is actively killing or trying to kill people; the first officers to arrive move directly to locate and stop the threat without waiting for others.

The first officer's actions at a scene: making it safe, aiding the injured, identifying witnesses, protecting evidence, and documenting what was observed and done.

The process of having a witness pick a suspect from a photo array or live lineup, conducted blinded and sequentially where possible to reduce suggestion and mistaken identification.

The official written record of an incident covering facts, statements, evidence, and actions taken; it supports prosecution and may be used to refresh an officer's memory in court.

The Graham v. Connor standard judging force by what a reasonable officer on scene would do, weighing the severity of the crime, the threat posed, and active resistance or flight.

Force that the actor intends or knows creates a substantial risk of causing death or serious bodily injury; its use by officers is limited to situations the law specifically authorizes.

Using time, distance, cover, tactical repositioning, and clear communication to reduce the intensity of an encounter and avoid or minimize force when it is feasible to do so.

A model in which specially trained officers partner with mental health providers to respond to people in behavioral crisis, aiming to reduce injuries and divert people from jail.

Death caused by a body position that restricts breathing, such as pressure on the back or chest of a prone, restrained person; restrained subjects must be moved off their stomachs quickly.

A less-lethal device that delivers electrical current to disrupt muscle control and gain compliance from a resistant subject, subject to policy limits on when it may be used.

The physical and emotional reactions - nausea, exhaustion, intrusive thoughts, sleep loss - that officers may experience after a traumatic event such as a shooting or a child's death.

An opioid antagonist carried by many officers and given by nasal spray or injection to reverse a suspected opioid overdose, restoring breathing until medical help arrives.

A situation in which a person deliberately behaves in a threatening way toward officers, hoping to force them to use deadly force and end the person's own life.

The duty to provide first aid or summon medical help for anyone injured during an encounter or in custody, once the scene is secure and the officer can do so safely.

A program in which trained fellow officers provide confidential emotional and practical help to colleagues after critical incidents, aiming to reduce stigma and encourage early help-seeking.