Applicable To: FOD sworn employees

Approval Authority:  Deputy Chief E. N. Finley, Jr.

Signature:  Signed by ENF

Date Signed:  8/16/2010

1.               PURPOSE

The intent of this directive is to ensure persons arrested for serious offenses are properly debriefed in an effort to gather as much intelligence information possible.  The intent would be to lessen potential for future crimes to occur.

2.               POLICY

It shall be the policy of the Atlanta Police Department’s Field Operations Division sworn personnel to thoroughly debrief suspects immediately after arrests for serious offenses.

3.               RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1              Zone/section commanders will ensure that personnel within their assigned authority adhere to this objective.

3.2              Watch commanders shall monitor this process, and designate experienced officers for this task whenever an investigator or Field Investigative Team member is unavailable.             

3.3              Supervisors shall monitor this process, and will ensure that debriefings are conducted unless dire or unusual circumstances exist to prohibit such.

4.               ACTION

4.1              Supervisors shall request the services of the appropriate investigative unit whenever an arrest is made of a person accused of a serious offense.  The debriefing would preferably occur at the main precinct, mini-precinct, or most conveniently located precinct in the zone where the offense occurred.

4.2              Supervisors shall request the services of a field investigations team member to conduct debriefings whenever an investigator is unavailable.

4.3              Supervisors shall designate an experienced officer to conduct debriefings as appropriate.  However, this shall be an exception, and only when sub-sections 4.1 and 4.2 are impractical.

4.4              The debriefing investigator/officer shall make an attempt to ascertain the following information from the arrestee only after the arrestee has been read the Miranda Warning in the presence of a least one (1) witness.

a.    Name, date of birth, and address of the arrestee.

b.    Previous crimes committed, whether arrested or not.

c.    Any accomplices or co-conspirators involved in crime.

d.    Motive(s) for criminal act.

e.    Any information deemed useful for intelligence gathering.

4.5              Any useful intelligence information or additional leads would be documented on a lead sheet and forwarded to the appropriate investigative unit.  Supervisors shall ensure that such is forwarded.

5.               DEFINITIONS

                  N/A

6.               CANCELLATIONS

                  APD.CM.07.20

7.               REFERENCES

                  N/A