|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Applicable To: Planning and Research/Accreditation Unit employees |
|||||||||||||||||
|
Approval Authority: Major P. M. Williams |
|||||||||||||||||
|
Signature: Signed by PMW |
Date Signed: 5/22/08 |
||||||||||||||||
|
This command memo standardizes the format for written directives.
The Planning and Research/Accreditation Unit will strive for clarity and consistency in directives.
3.1 The Planning and Research/Accreditation Unit manages the Department’s written directive system, including formatting and publishing Department directives.
3.2 The Planning and Research/Accreditation Unit commander will designate an employee to be in charge of the written directive system.
4.1.1 Content
1. Make the directive as clear as possible. Differentiate between what the employee must do and what the employee may do. Where the employee has options, state the options and factors that will enter into the choice of a course of action. Lay out procedures step by step, in a logical manner.
2. Avoid background and discussion points that are more appropriate for a training setting.
3. Write the text for the reading level of the average 12th grade employee.
a. Keep sentences under 25 words when possible, and avoid the use of complex sentences.
b. Avoid unnecessary use of jargon. Define terms which will not be readily understood, especially those which have special meaning in the directive.
c. Use the active voice rather than the passive voice. Generally, the subject of the sentence should indicate who or what is doing something. For example:
Passive: “Defective radios will be turned in to the Electronic Maintenance Unit.”
Active: “Officers will turn in defective radios to the Electronics Maintenance Unit.”
4. When preparing a revised directive for review, use “track changes” to show what lines were revised.
4.1.2 Indicate what Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) standard, City ordinance, or state law, if any, governs a particular section of a directive. Use the following formats:
CALEA 5th ed. standard 45.4.5
City Code Section 98-26
Georgia Code Section 16-11-30
4.1.3 Page Format
1. Access the written directive template (form APD 700) from the Microsoft Word templates under File New, then the APD Admin tab. Margins and tabs have been pre-set for each written directive. The settings for each level of the outline are in the style box of the template. Clicking this box will display the outline levels.
2. Use the outline format for written directives. For example:
3. In the outline style, if there is a 1, there must be a 2, etc. Minimize the use of unnumbered paragraphs.
4. Keep the appearance of the text simple and neat. Minimize the use of bold print, italics, quotation marks, underlining, and all caps. Reserve these for emphasis or setting off part of the text for a special reason.
5. Organize manuals by topic and, where possible, retain the written directive numbering and outline system. Manuals are usually in a loose-leaf format for ease in updating.
4.2.1 Pronouns
1. Minimize the use of “he” and “she.” When unavoidable, use “he or she” rather than “he/she” or “s/he.”
2. Do not use first or second person pronouns (“I,” “we,” “you”).
3. Avoid ambiguous pronoun references, such as “Officers arresting City employees will report in writing to their supervisors.” (Whose supervisors?)
4.2.2 Keep singular and plural usage consistent. Example:
Not: “Each officer will report to their supervisor.”
but, “Each officer will report to his or her supervisor.”
Or “All officers will report to their immediate supervisors.”
4.2.3 Capitalization
1. Capitalize “city” when referring to the City of Atlanta.
2. Capitalize “department” when referring to the Atlanta Police Department, but not when referring to departments in general.
3. Capitalize division, section, zone, unit, squad only when referring to a specific part of the Department.
4. Capitalize Chief of Police, but not major, sergeant, or other titles, except when used with the individual’s name. For example:
“The commander of SOS ….”
“The FOD deputy chief will monitor zone performance ….”
“Police lieutenants are authorized to ….”
“Watch for Sergeant Miller’s response ….”
5. Capitalize the full name of a form. For example:
“Fill out a Supplementary Incident Report.”
“Make a report on each incident.”
4.2.4 Word Choice
1. Use “will” instead of “shall.”
2. Use “employee” or “officer” instead of “personnel” or “member” to refer to employees.
4.2.5 Numbers
In the text, write out numbers up to ten. Use numerals for larger numbers, except at the beginning of a sentence. For example:
“Gather comments from the three section commanders ….”
“The Department must evaluate 27 new employees in the next six months.”
“Seventy-six grievances were filed ….”
4.2.6 Abbreviations
1. Use abbreviations sparingly.
2. When acronyms are used as abbreviations, spell out the full name the first time it appears in a directive followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Use the abbreviation for the remainder of the directive. Be consistent. For instance:
“Notify the Intelligence/Organized Crime Unit (IOCU) immediately, and call the IOCU commander at home if necessary.”
3. Generally, do not use periods after letters in an acronym if it is pronounced as a word. Use periods if the acronym is pronounced as letters.
“In these cases, notify POST and the G. B. I.”
4.2.7 Punctuation
Put two spaces after the punctuation that ends a sentence.
Attach an appendix to a directive when the appended material is relevant, but can stand on its own (such as a reference manual), or would interfere with the flow of the directive (such as a large chart). Be sure that the directive number appears on the pages of appendices.
4.4.1 Use the alpha-numeric identifier as a reference to a written directive.
“According to APD.SOP.4025, officers will ….”
“Refer to APD.CM.07.03 for further guidance.”
4.4.2 When referring to only part of a directive, be specific. Use “section” to refer to numbering in the left margin, and “paragraph” for lower-level references. For example:
“The detailed explanation of the numbering is in Section 3.2.3 of APD.SOP.1060.”
“APD.SOP.4320, Section 4.2, states the requirements for a warrant, with specific guidance on extradition policy in Section 4.2.3, paragraph 3.a.”
4.4.3 Put quotation marks around the titles of most directives, but underline the title of a manual which is published as a separate volume. For example:
“Please refer to APD.SOP.5060, ‘Fugitive Operations’ ”
“The Field Manual addresses the use of . . .”
4.5.1 Forms can be important elements of a procedure. If a form is important to understanding the flow, attach it to the directive at least through the review process.
4.5.2 In a directive, refer to a form the first time by its full name and form number. Subsequent references can use a shortened name or just the form number.
None
MSS.CM.01.01, “Written Directive Format”
APD.SOP.1030, “Written Directive System” APD.CM.08.14, “Developing a Directive”
|
|
