Atlanta Police Department

The Atlanta Police Department sponsors an Honor Guard; the members of the Honor Guard unit volunteer and train for this service. As members of the Honor Guard these employees represent the Department at the ceremonial occasions such as parades, funerals, graduations and other functions, as directed by the commander of the Special Operations Section and the Chief of Police.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1 The Special Operations Section commander or his/her designee has overall responsibility for the Honor Guard. He or she will appoint a supervisor to attend to the day-to-day operations of the unit. The S.O.S commander will determine in what events the Honor Guard will participate.

3.2 The Honor Guard supervisor will be responsible for the following:

1. Scheduling drills and other training sessions;

2. Maintaining member’s attendance records and their compensatory time earned;

3. Notifying the members and their respective commanders of up-coming drills, training sessions and ceremonial functions;

4. Maintenance of all Honor Guard departmental equipment and uniforms assigned to the unit; and

5. Appointing team leaders.

3.3 The team leader(s) will lead the team in practice sessions, drills, parades, ceremonies, and will coordinate maneuvers and formations.

3.4 All Honor Guard members will maintain their Department issued Honor Guard uniform in a manner that will allow for short notice deployment to unexpected events.

4. ACTION

4.1 Selection of Members

4.1.1 The Honor Guard will consist of sworn volunteers from any APD division, or section. Prospective members will be selected by current members with the approval of the supervisor and the S.O.S commander. The selection process will be based upon marching ability, neatness, appearance, job performance, ability to follow instructions and other objective criteria, determined by the supervisor and the S.O.S commander.

4.1.2 A member may be dropped, by the Honor Guard supervisor and/or the S.O.S commander, for poor performance, poor attendance or for other cause determined to be detrimental to the function of the unit.

4.1.3 All Honor Guard members are required to turn in their Honor Guard gear and uniforms when they are no longer active members of the Honor Guard unit; failure to comply may result in disciplinary action.

4.2 Training

All Honor Guard members will attend mandatory training once monthly on the third Thursday of each month, unless otherwise notified by the Honor Guard supervisor. This training will be held in accordance with APD.SOP.2080.

4.3 Time Keeping

Off-duty members attending authorized drills, training sessions, ceremonies, or other functions will receive compensatory time. A member will not be allowed to earn more than eight hours of compensatory time per day unless prior approval is obtained from the S.O.S commander. Members attending authorized drill, training sessions or performances during regular duty hours will be marked present by their supervisors. The Honor Guard supervisor will provide an accounting of each member’s attendance, including compensatory time earned; this information will be forwarded to his/her respective section commander immediately, before the beginning of each pay period.

4.4 Notification of Members’ Section Commanders

The Honor Guard supervisors will give at least two calendar days notice, in writing, to the section commander of the Honor Guard members who will be involved in a drill, training, parade, or ceremony, if any portion involves the member’s on duty hours. However, circumstances such as the death of a Department employee killed in the line of duty, other death of an employee or retiree or any other detail designated by the Chief of Police or his/her designee may make it impossible for the Honor Guard supervisor to give the two day notice. The member’s section commander will approve the request unless it would significantly impair the operation of the section.

4.5 Use of Department Vehicles

The Honor Guard will utilize Department vehicles whenever appearing at ceremonies or other events unless other means of transportation has been authorized by the S.O.S commander or his/her designee. When appearing at events or ceremonies outside the City, a supervisor must accompany the unit and the Chief of Police must approve the request. If City vehicles are used, approval must be granted in accordance with APD.SOP.3150.

4.6 Activities

4.6.1 When an active officer of the Department is killed in the line of duty, the Chief may approve a funeral with full Departmental honors. Upon request of the family, the Honor Guard will handle the ceremonial arrangements exclusive of others. However, the circumstances of the death, approval by the Chief of Police and the families’ wishes will control. Full departmental honors consist of the following:

1. An Honor Guard of two uniformed members will be assigned to the deceased family from the time of death of the employee until burial/interment;

2. All flags at Atlanta Police facilities will be flown at half-mast from the time of death of the employee until burial/interment;

3. A Department uniform will be provided for burial of the deceased when requested by the family, and will consist of a long sleeve shirt with appropriate identification and insignia, uniform trousers, underbelt, overbelt with belt keepers, empty handcuff case and holster, a uniform black tie, badge, uniform hat with badge (sworn) and white gloves;

4. Death watch;

5. Pall bearers;

6. A flag folding ceremony;

7. Motorcade;

8. Honor Guard Ceremonial Unit;

9. A twenty one (21) gun salute will be performed by the firing party;

10. “Taps” will be played at the committal service (optional);

11. Bagpiper (optional);

12. A rider-less horse will be stationed in a place of prominence (optional);

13. Helicopter flyby; and

14. The Chief of Police or his/her designee will present the flag to the family.

4.6.2 When an active employee’s death was not in the scope of the employee’s employment, the Chief may approve a funeral with Honors. The circumstances of the death and the family’s wishes will control this decision. The Honors consist of the following:

1. A Department uniform will be provided for burial of the deceased (upon request);

2. A United States flag will be presented to the family by the Chief of Police or his/her designee;

3. A flag folding ceremony

4. Pall bearers

5. “Taps” will be played at the committal service;

6. A police motorcycle escort (upon request)

4.6.3 When a retired Department employee dies after having completed at least ten years of service, regardless of age, or if an employee dies who is eligible to begin receiving or is receiving pension benefits, the following will be provided:

1. Pall bearers

2. Flag folding ceremony

3. “Taps” will be played at the committal services (upon request)

4. Bagpiper (upon request)

5. A police motorcycle escort (upon request)

4.6.4 When the Department uniform is to be worn by the deceased, the Department will provide the deceased with the current uniform, which will consist of the following:

1. Long sleeve uniform shirt with appropriate APD insignias

2. Uniform hat

3. Underbelt

4. White gloves

5. Badge (which will be removed and returned to the family)

4.6.5 If a retiree is not buried in the Department uniform, a folded United States flag will be placed either inside the casket or draped over the casket; the family will determine the placement of the flag.

4.6.6 The Honor Guard unit may represent the Department when an officer of another law enforcement agency is killed in the line of duty, provided the funeral or place of interment is not more than four hundred miles from Atlanta and the Chief of Police or his/her designee approves the request.

4.6.7 In all cases, if the funeral or place of interment is more than four hundred miles from Atlanta, the Honor Guard’s service will consist of no more than eight pall bearers and the Honor Guard supervisor, this will be subject to the approval of the Chief of Police or his/her designee.

4.6.8 The Honor Guard may represent the Department on other occasions, such as other funerals, parades, ceremonies or other functions at the direction or approval of the S.O.S commander or the Chief of Police.

4.6.9 The Honor Guard may represent the Department and participate as pall bearers in the funeral services of active sworn or civilian department employee’s immediate family. A request by the department employee and approval of the S.O.S commander or the Chief of Police will be required.

4.7 When an employee is to be buried in uniform, the Honor Guard will arrange with the funeral director to review the uniform on the body, and make necessary adjustments.

5. DEFINITIONS

N/A

6. CANCELLATIONS

APD.SOP.2170 “Honor Guard” dated July 1, 2007

7. REFERENCES

APD.SOP.2060 “Employee Assistance”

APD.SOP.3150 “Vehicle Management”