New policy restricts police cruisers' use of emergency lights and sirens

Ardmore Police Chief David Leonardo said rumors local police officers have been banned from responding to calls with lights and sirens activated are not true.
But, according to Leonardo, in today’s world light and siren responses come with a wide range of issues, many centering on officer and overall public safety.
“If an officer, running Code 3, is involved in an accident, the questions always asked are ‘Why were you driving like that?’ and ‘Was it really necessary?’” Leonardo said.
Like law enforcement officials across the country, the chief said he has implemented new policies concerning lights and sirens responses at Ardmore Police Department that take into consideration all of the issues surrounding what is referred to as Code 3.
“Our new policies are very similar to those of the vast majority of major law enforcement agencies in the nation, including Oklahoma City and the departments I’m familiar with in California and Arizona,” Leonardo said Friday.
“This is one of the things the city commissioners wanted me to bring to the department — more modern policies that were as up-to-date as possible and conform to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.”
The new APD policy designates four driving codes:
* Code 0 refers to routine calls to which officers are to respond while observing all traffic laws and speed limits without emergency equipment activated.
* Code 1 are calls requiring immediate responses but still obeying all traffic and speed laws, and without emergency equipment activated.
* Code 2 are “certain emergency calls” with the use of “lights only ... when it is the most appropriate response under the specific articulable circumstance.” Officers are directed to “drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the road or highway.”
* Code 3 refers to lights and sirens (as necessary) and includes APD officer request for immediate-urgent help; other law enforcement requests for immediate-urgent help; medical follow-up calls with life-threatening implications when both ambulance and fire department personnel are delayed or unavailable; and other dispatched life-threatening calls requiring emergency response.
Most in-progress violent crimes also have the Code 3 green light, except when such action would be “inappropriate ... such as armed robbery or burglary alarm calls.”
Surprisingly, the Code 3 response does not include accident-with-injury calls. In fact, the policy restricts officers from responding to accidents with injuries with activated lights and sirens except when ambulance and fire department personnel are delayed or unavailable.
Why, when seconds could play a crucial role in the fate of accident victims, are Ardmore officers being ordered not to respond in the quickest way possible?
“We are not first responders. Officers have only very basic first aid training. We are secondary responders in those cases,” Leonardo said.
The chief indicated the restriction on Code 3 responses to accidents with injuries also includes officer-emergency responder safety issues.
“Multiple sirens are dangerous. The more sirens there are the more hearing is impaired and leads to accidents involving responding agencies,” he said.
According to the policy, the decision to drive under Code 2 or Code 3 conditions is left to each individual officer’s discretion. His or her decision must be made on the information received and not simply as a response to the type of call dispatched.
“Officers will take into consideration additional information provided that would make the call a valid life-threatening situation or a valid violent crime in progress,” the policy states.
But wait, there’s more officers must consider before he or she makes the lights and sirens decision. The policy specifies traffic volume, time of day, type of crime in progress and potential hazard or liability to themselves and the public, as other considerations that must also be factored into the final decision.
“Officers will have sufficient information to justify the decision to drive under emergency conditions and will advise (dispatchers) of their intent,” the policy states.
In addition the policy also gives directives concerning speed and crossing intersections while driving Code 3 and bans passing other emergency vehicles unless requested.
Last but not least, “except in dire emergency,” only the primary officer and his or her immediate assigned back-up officer have the authority to respond Code 3. Exceptions include other officers directed to respond Code 3 by an on-duty supervisor or in instances when APD officers or officers from other agencies call for help.
Shift supervisors and commanders are required to “monitor and exercise appropriate management control of Code 3 responses.” Shift supervisors are also responsible for conducting training and handling “violations of this policy on a case by case basis.”
Does that mean that even though the officer is charged with making an informed in-the-moment decision that decision then comes under the after-the-fact scrutiny of arm chair quarterbacking?
Leonard said no.
“There will be reviews — mistakes will be made. It’s a process that may indicate the need for additional training or re-education. It’s a process for the entire department,” he said.
Editor’s Note: Another new policy Leonardo had implemented at Ardmore Police Department centers on when officers can pursue those fleeing from arrest. Look for information about that new policy in Wednesday’s edition of The Daily Ardmoreite.
Marsha Miller 221-6529
marsha.miller@ardmoreite.com