Sample Police Officers Duty Manual

A police organization is that part of the government responsibile for enforcing laws and ordinances adopted by elected representatives of the people. The letter of the law determines what a police officer m ust do to discharge the obligation im posed by his oath, but it does not encom pass all of the circum stances which arise in the practical application of these written principles. Understanding of human behavior and application of comm on sense are fundamental to the successful attainment of police obj ectives. These alone, however, are not sufficient to insure the proper handling of every incident. There must be standards of quality and rules for procedure and conduct to serve as guides. These standards, rules and regulations are set forth in this Manual. This Manual prescribes the manner in which m embers of the Police Department will conduct them selves in discharging their sworn obligations. Violations of provisions of this Manual will constitute grounds for disciplinary action.

The MTAS publications provided on this website are archival documents intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered as authoritative. The content contained in these publications may be outdated, and the laws referenced therein may have changed or may not be applicable to your city or circumstances. For current information, please visit the MTAS website at: http://mtas.tennessee.edu