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Applicable To: Training Academy Staff |
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Approval Authority: Major J. L. Glazier |
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Signature: Signed by JLG |
Date Signed: 1/5/2011 |
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This directive establishes a policy which outlines appropriate conduct and relationships between police recruits and staff of the Atlanta Police Academy. The spirit and intent of this policy is meant to help both staff and police recruits understand and appreciate the delicate balance that exists between them and to better define the boundaries that their respective roles dictate.
It is imperative that the Atlanta Police Academy is committed to fostering a positive learning and working environment for all police recruits and staff in order to promote training excellence. This policy establishes physical and communication boundaries to ensure appropriate standards and relationships are maintained.
3.1 All academy staff members are responsible for understanding and adhering to this directive.
3.2 All Academy staff members are required to sign the Atlanta Police Academy “Anti-fraternization Agreement Form,” which will become a part of a staff member’s personnel file.
3.3 All staff that suspect an inappropriate relationship exists between a staff member and police recruit are required to immediately notify, orally or in writing, the Academy Director or designee.
3.4 The Academy Director or designee shall document all complaints in writing within twenty-four (24) hours. If the alleged violation involves the Academy Director, then the report shall be made to the Support Services Division Chief, whom shall follow the procedural steps outlined in this section of the policy.
3.5 The Academy Director or designee will investigate all complaints to determine if this policy has been violated and if work rule has been violated.
4.1 All staff must be aware that police recruits are susceptible to influence by both staff and fellow peers. While this influence most often yields positive training results, it can also be used in a manner that is entirely inappropriate. Accordingly, staff must be cognizant of their appropriate roles and professional duties in the development of police recruits. Similarly, staff must be cognizant of the imbalance of power that exists in relationships between staff and police recruit, which can live on long after the student has graduated from the Atlanta Police Academy. This imbalance of power places police recruits in a vulnerable position that must be recognized and respected by staff. It is the responsibility of staff not to take advantage of or otherwise exploit this imbalance of power to further any non-training, personal, or inappropriate objective. Accordingly, staff is prohibited from engaging in any romantic, sexual, or physical relationship with police recruits.
4.2 Failure to adhere to the requirements of this policy may result in disciplinary action and / or a transfer of assignment.
4.3 The staff of the Atlanta Police Academy must understand that this Anti-fraternization Policy is a condition of assignment. As a condition of assignment, the Atlanta Police Academy Director reserves the right to at any time, without advance notice to staff, monitor, access, investigate and/or review the appropriateness of any activity or relationship between staff and police recruits in order to protect the health, welfare and safety of the Atlanta Police Academy, its staff and police recruits.
4.4 Academy staff members are responsible for appropriate and professional conduct in all settings and in all forms of communication, including, but not limited to, verbal communications/speech, written communications, text messages, and internet and e-mail communications. Types of prohibited conduct include obscene physical gestures, kissing, hugging, and caressing. This policy does not preclude legitimate, non-sexual, physical conduct such as the teaching of defensive tactics or conduct otherwise necessary to sufficiently train a police recruit.
4.5 Staff shall not conduct social activities on a one-on-one basis outside of the Police Academy with police recruits or single out police recruits from the general recruit population for special treatment (e.g. gifts, dinners, and rides) without prior consent of the Academy Director.
4.6 Any question by staff as to the appropriateness of an activity, relationship, or interaction with a student may be directed to the Academy Director or designee. All inquiries into the appropriateness of an activity or relationship will be confidential to the fullest extent appropriate.
4.7 The Academy Director or designee shall document all complaints in writing within twenty-four (24) hours. If the alleged violation involves the Academy Director, then the report shall be made to the Support Services Division Chief, whom shall follow the procedural steps outlined in this section of the policy.
4.8 The investigation may consist of personal interviews with the reporting individual, the alleged offender(s), and others who may have knowledge of the alleged incident(s) or circumstances giving rise to the suspected violation of this policy, and a review of records when appropriate to determine the existence of previous reports. The investigation may also consist of any other methods and documents deemed pertinent by the investigator. A written record will include the following:
1. the name of the alleged offender(s);
2. the nature of the allegation(s);
3. location and frequency of the violation(s);
4. a detailed factual description of the incident(s);
5. a list of all known witnesses; 6. a summary of the investigation, which will include interviews with the individual(s) reasonably believed to have relevant information, including but not limited to, the reporting individual, the alleged offender(s), and witnesses;
7. a description of any disciplinary actions already taken; and
8. a recommendation for further disciplinary action or review.
4.9 In determining whether the alleged conduct or relationship constitutes a violation of this policy, the Academy Director or designee will consider the surrounding circumstances, the nature of the behavior, past incidents or past or continuing patterns of behavior, and the context in which the alleged conduct occurred.
4.10 Whether a particular action or incident constitutes a violation of this policy requires a determination based on all the facts and surrounding circumstances. In addition, the Academy Director or designee may take immediate steps, at his/her discretion, to protect the staff and police recruit pending completion of an investigation of an alleged inappropriate activity or relationship. The Academy Director or designee must sufficiently investigate all reports of inappropriate activity or relationships that are brought to his/her attention in order to determine the veracity of the report.
4.11 Any disciplinary action will fall within the guidelines of APD SOP.2020 “Disciplinary Process.” The purpose of discipline is to prevent and correct inappropriate behavior, not just to punish. Through an effective disciplinary system, the Academy establishes employee accountability and achieves the organizational values of pride, productivity, professionalism and participation. Therefore, by thoughtfully administering discipline, the Academy challenges each employee to strive and work towards the goals of excellence, self motivation, and self discipline.
4.12 In keeping with the current Departmental Policy on discipline, The Disciplinary Authority will provide thorough, impartial investigations of all allegations of employee misconduct and impose appropriate disciplinary actions for all sustained violations. The Disciplinary Authority will strive for consistency in its application of discipline and provide consideration for mitigating and/or aggravating factors. These include employee intent, past performance, degree of culpability, discipline history, severity of infraction, acceptance of responsibility by the employee and other relevant factors. Any and all violations of this policy determined by the Academy Director or designee may result in disciplinary action taken against the offending staff member.
4.13 The Academy director or designee will take appropriate disciplinary action against any staff member who retaliates against any individual who reports an alleged violation of this policy or any individual who testifies, assists or participates in an investigation, or who testifies, assists or participates in a proceeding or hearing relating to such alleged violation. Retaliation includes, but is not limited to, any form of intimidation, reprisal or harassment.
5.1 Staff: Those Atlanta Police Department employees assigned to the Atlanta Police Academy including those employees assigned to the Atlanta Police Firing Range.
5.2 Police Recruit: Those individuals hired by the Atlanta Police Department with the intent of becoming a police officer. It applies to those persons already training at the Atlanta Police Academy and those persons assigned to a working post while they await the next available recruit class. An individual is no longer considered a police recruit upon their graduation from the Police Academy.
5.3 Inappropriate Activities, Contact, or Conduct: obscene physical gestures, kissing, hugging, and caressing. This policy does not preclude legitimate, non-sexual, physical conduct such as the teaching of defensive tactics or conduct otherwise necessary to sufficiently train a police recruit. Contact includes communication, including, but not limited to, verbal communications/speech, written communications, text messages, and internet and e-mail communications.
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POST Instructor Code of Conduct and Ethics, electronically obtained from http://www.gapost.org/pdf_file/instruct.pdf
Atlanta Police Academy Instructor Code of Conduct and Ethics, SSD Forms. |
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