GENERAL ORDERS LINCOLN POLICE DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: PATROL OPERATIONS
TITLE: CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS
EFFECTIVE DATE: JUNE 1, 2025
REVISION DATE:
ACCREDITATION: ALABAMA ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE (AACOP)
APPROVAL: CHIEF DARREN E. BRITTON
Embedded Files
CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS
420.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the Lincoln Police Department appropriately utilizes criminal intelligence systems and temporary information files to support investigations of criminal organizations and enterprises.
420.1.1 DEFINITIONS
Definitions related to this policy include:
CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM - Any record system that receives, stores, exchanges or disseminates information that has been evaluated and determined to be relevant to the identification of a criminal organization or enterprise, its members or affiliates. This does not include temporary information files.
420.2 POLICY
The Lincoln Police Department recognizes that certain criminal activities, including, but not limited to gang crimes and drug trafficking, often involve some degree of regular coordination and may involve a large number of participants over a broad geographical area.
It is the policy of this department to collect and share relevant information while respecting the privacy and legal rights of the public.
420.3 CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS
No department member may create, submit to or obtain information from a criminal intelligence system unless the Chief of Police has approved the system for department use.
Any criminal intelligence system approved for department use should meet or exceed the standards of 28 CFR 23.20.
A designated supervisor will be responsible for maintaining each criminal intelligence system that has been approved for department use. The supervisor or the authorized designee should ensure the following:
(a) Members using any such system are appropriately selected and trained.
(b) Use of every criminal intelligence system is appropriately reviewed and audited.
(c) Any system security issues are reasonably addressed.
420.3.1 SYSTEM ENTRIES
It is the designated supervisor's responsibility to approve the entry of any information from a report, field interview (FI), photo, or other relevant document into an authorized criminal intelligence system. If entries are made based upon information that is not on file with this department, such as open or public source documents or documents that are on file at another agency, the designated supervisor should ensure copies of those documents are retained. Any supporting documentation for an entry shall be retained in accordance with the established records retention schedule and for at least as long as the entry is maintained in the system.
The designated supervisor should ensure that any documents retained are appropriately marked as intelligence information. The Central Records Clerk may not purge such documents without the approval of the designated supervisor.
420.4 TEMPORARY INFORMATION FILE
No member may create or keep files on individuals that are separate from the approved criminal intelligence system. However, members may maintain temporary information that is necessary to actively investigate whether a person or group qualifies for entry into the department-approved criminal intelligence system only as provided in this section. Once information qualifies for inclusion, it should be submitted to the supervisor responsible for consideration of criminal intelligence system entries.
420.4.1 FILE CONTENTS
A temporary information file may only contain information and documents that, within one year, will have a reasonable likelihood to meet the criteria for entry into an authorized criminal intelligence system.
Information and documents contained in a temporary information file:
(a) Must only be included upon documented authorization of the responsible department supervisor.
(b) Should not be originals that would ordinarily be retained, but should be copies of, or references to, retained documents, such as copies of reports, FI forms, Communications records or booking forms.
(c) Shall not include opinions. No person, organization or enterprise shall be labeled as being involved in crime beyond what is already in the document or information.
(d) May include information collected from publicly available sources or references to documents on file with another government agency. Attribution to a source should be retained with the information.
420.4.2 FILE REVIEW AND PURGING
The contents of a temporary information file shall not be retained longer than one year. At the end of one year, the contents must be purged.
The designated supervisor shall periodically review the temporary information files to verify that the contents meet the criteria for retention. Validation and purging of files is the responsibility of the supervisor.
420.5 INFORMATION RECOGNITION
Department members should document facts that suggest an individual, organization or enterprise is involved in criminal activity and should forward that information appropriately. Examples include, but are not limited to:
(a) Gang indicia associated with a person or residence.
(b) Information related to a drug-trafficking operation.
(c) Vandalism indicating an animus for a particular group.
(d) Information related to an illegal gambling operation.
Department supervisors who utilize an authorized criminal intelligence system should work with the Training Coordinator to train members to identify information that may be particularly relevant for inclusion.
420.6 RELEASE OF INFORMATION
Department members shall comply with the rules of an authorized criminal intelligence system regarding inquiries and release of information.
Information from a temporary information file may only be furnished to department members and other law enforcement agencies on a need-to-know basis and consistent with the Records Maintenance and Release Policy.
When an inquiry is made by the parent or guardian of a juvenile as to whether that juvenile’s name is in a temporary information file, such information should be provided by the supervisor responsible for the temporary information file, unless there is good cause to believe that the release of such information might jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation.
420.7 CRIMINAL STREET GANGS
The Special Investigations Unit supervisor should ensure that there are an appropriate number of department members who can:
(a) Testify as experts on matters related to criminal street gangs, and maintain an above-average familiarity with relevant state laws related to criminal street gangs (Ala. Code § 13A-6-26).
(b) Coordinate with other agencies in the region regarding criminal street gang-related crimes and information.
(c) Train other members to identify gang indicia and investigate criminal street gang-related crimes.
420.8 TRAINING
The Training Coordinator should provide training on best practices in the use of each authorized criminal intelligence system to those tasked with investigating criminal organizations and enterprises. Training should include:
(a) The protection of civil liberties.
(b) Participation in a multi-agency criminal intelligence system.
(c) Submission of information into a multi-agency criminal intelligence system or the receipt of information from such a system, including any governing federal and state rules and statutes.
(d) The type of information appropriate for entry into a criminal intelligence system or temporary information file.
(e) The review and purging of temporary information files.
421.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This policy provides guidelines for the designation of a Watch Commander and, as needed, an acting Watch Commander for each shift.
421.2 POLICY
Each shift will be directed by a Watch Commander capable of making decisions and managing in a manner consistent with the mission of the Lincoln Police Department. To accomplish this, a Lieutenant shall be designated as the Watch Commander for each shift.
421.3 DESIGNATION AS ACTING WATCH COMMANDER
With prior authorization from the Chief of Police or his or her designee, generally when a Lieutenant is unavailable for duty as Watch Commander, a qualified lower-ranking member shall be designated as acting Watch Commander in accordance with the terms of applicable memorandums of understanding and the Temporary Supervisors subsection of the Supervision Staffing Levels Policy.
421.4 WATCH COMMANDER RESPONSIBILITIES
The Watch Commander shall have overall responsibility and accountability for the operation of this department on an assigned shift. Duties may include, but are not limited to:
(a) Ensuring at least one uniformed patrol supervisor is deployed during each shift, in addition to the Watch Commander.
(b) Ensuring sufficient members are on-duty to accomplish the mission of the Lincoln Police Department.
(c) Providing command-level oversight of major crime scenes, tactical situations or disasters.
(d) Establishing service-level priorities.
(e) Providing job-related training and guidance to subordinates.
(f) Acquiring outside resources or providing assistance to other agencies, when applicable.
(g) Handling service inquiries or complaints from the public.
(h) Managing risk exposure.
(i) Ensuring the security of all department facilities.
(j) Ensuring the proper equipment and vehicles are available for member use.
(k) Representing the Department at community functions.
(l) Serving as a temporary agency supervisor when so designated.
These policies and operating procedures are not designed to cover every possible scenario or situation in society, but rather to define standard operating procedures for members of the Lincoln Police Department. These guidelines are subject to past, present and future judicial review. These guidelines can be amended and or repealed by the Chief of Police as necessary. The policies and procedures herein provided supersede all previous policies and orders.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse