This was sent to me today. What the heck are they thinking?


Kokomo Police Department General Orders

Disciplinary Procedures G.O. 26.1.1

.26 Officers and employees shall willfully observe and obey the lawful verbal and /or written rules, orders, duties, policies, procedures and practices of this department. They shall forgo their personal preferences and work priorities to the lawful verbal and/or written rules, orders duties, policies, procedures, and practices of this department, as well as to the lawful orders and directives of supervisors and superior ranked command personnel of the department. Officers and employees shall willfully perform all lawful duties and tasks assigned to them by supervisors and superior ranked personnel. Direct, tacit, or constructive refusal to do so is insubordination.
Class 4

BUSINESS NECESSITY FOR THIS STANDARD
Employment is a mutual exchange of interests and benefits between the City of Kokomo and its employees. In exchange for the privilege of employment and paid compensation, the Kokomo Police Department has the right to expect all officers and employees to willfully perform the duties and tasks of their positions, or any other tasks lawfully assigned, and obey operational directives and/or orders of the department’s supervisors. When disagreements between the department and any officer or employee occur, the department has the right to expect the officer or employee to follow the accepted labor principal of “obey now, and grieve later”. Insubordination and insubordinate behavior are very serious offenses. If insubordination is allowed to go unchecked, the city and the department lose control and authority over its work force. The City of Kokomo and the Kokomo Police Department recognize that, at times it is necessary for the betterment of the department and the officers, for the officers to be able to speak with one voice in opposition to business practices that they deem to be unfair or unreasonable. It is for this reason that the City of Kokomo and the Kokomo Police Department recognizes that the President, or his/her designee, of the Fraternal Order of the Police, David Foster Lodge #78, has the right to criticize a policy or procedure, or position that the members of the bargaining unit deem to be unfair or unreasonable. It shall not be acceptable for the President, or his/her designee, to publically criticize or personally attack individual members, or groups of members, of the Kokomo Police Department. Some examples of violations include, but are not limited to the following:

• Refusing to perform assigned work duties or tasks for the position being held.
• Refusing to perform assigned work duties or tasks performed by the typical officer or employee in like or similar positions.
• Refusing to follow a legal and lawful direct order from a supervisor or superior ranked person.
• Refusing to comply with a supervisors work instructions.
• Refusing to sign a performance evaluation.
• Refusing to sign a document related to business necessity, such as a receipt for a counseling record, general orders signature sheet, etc.
• Deliberate defiance of the police department’s legitimate exercise of its rights.
• Refusing to comply, directly or constructively, with established rules, policies, procedures, practices, etc.
• Leaving an assignment or assigned duty without permission of the superior in charge prior to completion of the assigned duty or task.
• Refusing to work overtime in an emergency situation without good cause.
• Refusing to turn in a report as specifically directed to do so by a supervisor or superior ranked officer.
• Not responding to a call for service, or delaying a response to a call, without just cause.
• Releasing departmental information to the media or outside sources without prior authorization from the Chief or his/her designee.
• Inciting others to react negatively to a lawful department directive, causing or attempting to cause disruption of the work force, or creating a substantial risk of affecting others morale in a negative way.
• Criticizing or rebuking departmental policies or decisions to other officers, employees, or citizens while on duty or while serving as a representative of the department.
• Using a tactic of habitually asking for specific clarification of rules, instructions or directives beyond the level at which a normal officer or employee could reasonably be expected to understand the rule, instruction, or directive is substantial proof of insubordination, and may also be a violation of competent performance.

Maybe some new rules will help clean up the few who believe they are above the law and department rules.

Looks like they are paving the way to layoffs and firings. Also appears like they want to make sure no one blows whistles (unless it is for the purpose of guiding traffic I'd assume.)

Sounds like, do your job and you won't have anything to worry about.

Sounds like "Shut your mouth and take it," to me. But, as a county resident, I expect that.

Why would you expect that as a county resident? Here we go bitching again.

Sounds like kiss your first amendment rights bye bye to me.

Had thee been in place 4 years ago, Arnet (now a major), Calabro (now a major), Kelley (still a trouble maker) and many more would have been terminated.

Who knows.

In order for an organization to function efficiently there has to be standard operating procedures. Surly these are not the first to be composed in the KPD.