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Introduction
This guide will provide the Asylum Police Department (APD) with basic policies on proper police procedure. Please direct any questions to Sergeants and above.

Basic Police Conduct
Always keep weapon lowered when there is no threat. (Hit L-CTRL twice) Always be respectful to civilians and other officers. Always follow server rules and police procedures. Always stay in character.

Probable Cause
Probable cause is the reason for an officer to take action. (The standard by which an constable or agent of the law has the grounds to obtain a warrant for, or as an exception to the warrant requirements for, making an arrest or conducting a personal or property search, etc. when criminal charges are being considered.)

What is Probable Cause?
Probable cause is:
Seeing a person(s) or vehicle(s) in an illegal area. Seeing a crime committed, or a seeing a civilian that is on the wanted list (With a bounty over 2,500). Someone with Grand Theft, Attempted Auto theft charges Individual(s) having illegal weapons/vehicles. Suspect(s) evading arrest. Witnessing a civilian self-incriminate (they admit to possessing contraband, committing a crime etc.) Seeing an RV emitting Smoke Seeing a person purposely offroad and attempt to drive around manned APD checkpoints. (Doing an 180 turn to avoid a checkpoint is not probable cause.) Someone currently in the process of committing a Grand Theft or has committed a Grand Theft but has no charges. Any individual found inside the Federal Reserve Probable cause is not:
You see a truck on a highway, it is NOT probable cause. You see a vehicle NEAR an illegal area, it is NOT probable cause. You are told someone is doing something illegal by a civilian, this is NOT probable cause. Seeing an RV NOT emitting Smoke Knowing that a civilian has committed crimes in the past.  
Witness Types
Direct Witness
If you personally witness a crime, then you are allowed by law to restrain the individual(s) and charge them accordingly, be it with a verbal warning, ticket, or jail time.

Eye Witness
If a civilian provides intel of a crime, it is often very difficult to determine the legitimacy of such claim. Therefore, gather as much evidence as possible, and move forward. (IE: 911 Call comes in about a Red SUV traveling well over speed limits on the highway near the airport. If you see such a vehicle with said description, it is enough to pull them over and question the subject (this does not give you probable cause to search).

Relayed Witness
A relayed witness is simply another officer giving you his first hand information on a crime and/or suspect. Proceed with Direct Witness Procedure at this point.
 

Grey Area
Unfortunately, this comes with the game, and must be treated with legit role-play.
For example, you see a vehicle on a road to/from an illegal area, it is not means for probable cause. HOWEVER, you may pull them over, and question them. You may ask to search them or the vehicle, if they give their consent, you may search their vehicle. If they refuse, you are not allowed to search. If you do NOT have probable cause, you need the civilians consent before you can search. If you are ever unsure as to whether or not you have probable cause, ask a senior officer. If one is unavailable and you cannot get a definitive answer, assume you don’t have probable cause to search. It’s better for one criminal to get away, than for officers to overstep their bounds and violate the rights of the citizens of Altis.

Wanted List/Confronting Criminals
One of your primary duties as a police officer will involve handling civilians on the Wanted List. There are several important points to remember when approaching a civilian who is wanted.

As a Police Officer your primary weapon is your VOICE, you always speak first and use your weapon second. ALWAYS announce yourself as a police officer when confronting a suspect. (ie “Altis Police, can I speak with you?” If possible, try to identify you suspect by name, as to get their attention. Always speak with a suspect before restraining, never run up behind a suspect and restrain them without first making contact with them.
If a suspect flees, you are allowed to use non-lethal force to stop them. If a suspect requests to speak with a superior officer, you must respect their request and get in contact with a senior officer (SGT or above). If one is not available you may proceed with your duties.

Searching
You are allowed to search a civilian if one of the following criteria is met: you have probable cause or you are given consent by the civilian in question.
If you do not have probable cause, you may ask an individual if you can search their person and/or vehicle. If the individual gives you consent, you are free to search them and their vehicle. Obviously if they have something illegal on them, they may not consent. Even though you may suspect they have illegal substances, without their consent you cannot search them.
If you have probable cause, you may search and individual and/or their vehicle without their consent. Just always be sure to follow proper police procedure and always ensure that you have probable cause before searching. If you are ever unsure, ASK a superior!

Ticketing
The Asylum Police Department has a ticket first, jail second policy. Meaning, you should always attempt to give the suspect a ticket for their crimes. Civilians have the right to skip the ticket process and go immediately to jail. Below are a few procedures you should follow when giving tickets.

You will find that many civilians may decline the first ticket you give and request to be sent to jail, only to change their mind at a later point. While it is acceptable to give them another chance to pay the ticket; do not give a civilian more than three chances to pay a ticket. If they refuse the third attempt to pay the ticket, take them to jail. At this point they are only stalling and wasting your time. Always issue a single ticket for all charges and check wanted list. (IE. You see a civilian shoot and kill another player. After restraining them you issue them a $5,000 ticket for manslaughter.
They pay the ticket, as you are about to unrestrain them you realize they are on the wanted list for multiple other charges. You CANNOT keep them detained and re-ticket them. It is YOUR responsibility to check the charges BEFORE issuing the ticket.)

Arresting
After refusal to pay a ticket, you may take a suspect to jail. This is done at the nearest Police HQ. When you arrive at the Police HQ, inform them why they are being sent to jail. Keep in mind, if they request a supervisor at this point, you still must comply and request a senior officer. However, the senior officer does not need to comply if they are busy or too far away. At this point you may send them to jail and collect the bounty.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
 
 
 

Purpose
To establish a standard that all officers should abide by while on duty.

Standard Guidelines
As an Officer with APD you will be expected to follow the Department's Standard Operating Procedures while on duty. All Officers are expected to be courteous and professional at all times while on duty. While on duty you are expected to role-play and follow all server rules at all times. Breaking server rules or role-play may result in disciplinary action up and including possible termination from the Asylum Police Department.

Use of Force
The use of restraints (hand-cuffs) is justified when:
A civilian(s) is a threat to themselves, other officers or civilians. A suspect(s) is on the wanted list and needs to be ticketed/searched. You witness a suspect commit a crime. Civilian(s) are interfering with police investigations(Give verbal warning first). The use of less-than-lethal force (rubber bullet) is justified when:
An individual is evading police on foot. An individual is evading police in a vehicle and ignoring verbal commands. An individual is open carrying an illegal firearm. The use of deadly force is justified when:
Ordered by the highest ranking officer at the scene that is Sergeant or higher. If only Corporals or Constables are on scene, then they must seek permission to go lethal from the highest ranking SGT+ who is on the server. If no SGT+ is on the server, then the Constables and Corporals on scene must take a unanimous vote to go lethal To kill the gunner of a .50 cal offroad, armed Jeep, and armed Quilin. To kill gunners that are on the benches of a Hummingbird Helicopter or in the back of an Offroad/Prowler/Quilin if the gunners are actively firing on officers. To kill a suspect that is in an unreachable location. Locked houses are not deemed as unreachable. Role-playing
As a member of the APD, you are expected to set an example to others on the server. You should role-play all situations to the best of your ability. Small details during a role-play can produce great results and make the game/server interesting. For example, if you pull someone over for speeding you could possibly notify them that their tail light is out or that their tires look like they need air. The sky's the limit when it comes to role-play.

Character
You are to remain in character at all times when you are playing as an officer of the APD. This requires discipline at times, and if you cannot comply with department policies, or there is just that one person constantly getting on your nerves, it may be time to take a break.
When acting as an APD Officer, you must adhere to characteristics that are becoming of an Officer. This list could be changed at any time, as it can easily be quite extensive.
You MUST role-play EVERYTHING. Be respectful towards civilians and other officers no matter what rank. Do not use profanity to harass civilians. Do not have sexual intercourse role-play while on the job. Do not lie, cheat or steal.  
Crowd Control/Interference with police investigation
Often times when you are questioning suspect on suspected or known crime, you will have other civilians attempt to annoy, distract, or in other words, remove you from your duties. It is acceptable to restrain nearby civilians who are impeding you from performing your duties. The best solution would be to conduct your interview/investigation in a less populated area, sometimes this is not possible, if that is the case you can use the procedure below for crowd control.
Procedure
Notify the individual(s) that they are interfering with police work, and may be restrained if they do not immediately leave the area. After a verbal warning and adequate time you may restrain anyone impeding your police work. If multiple suspects are restrained and you are alone, it will likely be necessary to call in backup, as civs will often attempt to escort each other away from the cops. Continue with your questioning of the original suspect and warn/ticket/jail accordingly. Speak with additional detained suspects about their interference with police operations. It is your choice to warn or ticket them for interfering with police business. Additional Notes
Always keep in mind that as a member of the APD, you represent the Asylum Server. When playing as a civilian or a police officer, you should always strive to set a good example to all players. As a white listed player you are held to a higher standard than others and are expected to know and obey the server rules, if you are found violating the rules of the server you can expect to receive more harsh punishment.
Any questions should be directed to any APD staff.
Regards,
Asylum Police Department Staff