BACKGROUND:
The Woodridge Police Department historically operated under a general order system. The general orders were written to address all aspects within the police department, from uniform specifications, to use of force. The problem with this system is that once a general order was written, it was rarely updated or evaluated for content. As laws changed, mandates were imposed, and best practices evolved, we found that the Police Department was in need of a better system. In 2013, the police department contracted with Lexipol to streamline and update all of our general orders into model policies. The 18-month conversion process was officially completed in September of 2015.
LEXIPOL
Lexipol provides fully developed, state-specific policies researched and written by subject matter experts and vetted by attorneys. They continuously evaluate policy based on national standards and best practices while also incorporating state and federal laws and regulations where appropriate. Today, we maintain 180 Lexipol policies. Each employee is responsible for reading, understanding, and acknowledging each policy, which is tracked in their system. Each time a change is made, the employee must re-acknowledge the policy, verifying that they understand the change or update. Further clarification and training is provided by sergeants, command staff, and training personnel.
Click here to view our policy manual*.
*Due to the frequency of policy updates, the version you are accessing may not be the most current. We will make every attempt to keep this as current as possible.
WPD has achieved Gold level recognition for 2020, 2021 and 2022, as part of the Lexipol Connect Customer Recognition Program, which recognizes law enforcement agencies for excellence in policy maintenance and training.
frequently asked policy questions
Does the Woodridge Police Department allow the use of chokeholds or strangleholds?
300- Use of Force
300.4.2 CHOKEHOLDS
A member shall not apply direct pressure to the throat, windpipe or airway of a person with the intent to reduce or prevent the intake of air (chokehold) unless deadly force is justified (720 ILCS 5/7-5.5). A member shall not use a chokehold or any lesser contact with the throat or neck area of another in order to prevent the destruction of evidence by ingestion (720 ILCS 5/7-5.5).
300.4.3 SHOULDER PIN RESTRAINT
The proper application of the shoulder pin restraint may be effective in restraining a violent or combative individual. However, due to the potential for injury or death, the use or attempted use of the shoulder pin restraint shall be deemed deadly force.
Does the Woodridge Police Department require de-escalation?
300- Use of Force
300.3.2 FACTORS USED TO DETERMINE THE REASONABLENESS OF FORCE
i. The availability of other reasonable and feasible options and their possible effectiveness, including de-escalation.
300.3.4 USE OF FORCE OPTIONS
Verbal Direction: Dialogue used by an officer can serve to diffuse or de-escalate the majority of situations. It is important to observe that this concerns what an officer says and how he/she says it. These factors involve the officer's language, tone of voice, verbal skills, and/or posture and body language. It is understood that some situations may require harsher verbal techniques than others.
De-escalation: Officers will use de-escalation techniques to prevent or reduce the need for force when it is safe and feasible to do so based on the totality of the circumstances. This includes continually assessing the situation and modifying the use of force as circumstances change and in ways that are consistent with officer safety. Examples of de-escalation techniques include but are not limited to:
- Providing a warning and exercising persuasion and advice prior to the use of force.
- Determining whether the officer may be able to stabilize the situation through the use of time, distance, or positioning to isolate and contain a subject.
- Requesting additional resources to respond or make use of specialized units or equipment including crisis-intervention-team trained officers, as necessary and appropriate.
408- Civil Commitments
408.4 CONSIDERATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
c. Conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques.
429- Crisis Intervention Incidents
429.6 DE-ESCALATION
Officers should consider that taking no action or passively monitoring the situation may be the most reasonable response to a mental health crisis. Once it is determined that a situation is a mental health crisis and immediate safety concerns have been addressed, responding members should be aware of the following considerations and should generally:
- Evaluate safety conditions.
- Introduce themselves and attempt to obtain the person’s name.
- Be patient, polite, calm, courteous and avoid overreacting.
- Speak and move slowly and in a non-threatening manner.
- Moderate the level of direct eye contact.
- Remove distractions or disruptive people from the area.
- Demonstrate active listening skills (e.g., summarize the person’s verbal communication).
- Provide for sufficient avenues of retreat or escape should the situation become volatile.
Responding officers generally should not:
- Use stances or tactics that can be interpreted as aggressive.
- Allow others to interrupt or engage the person.
- Corner a person who is not believed to be armed, violent or suicidal.
- Argue, speak with a raised voice or use threats to obtain compliance.
Does the Woodridge Police Department require their officers to provide a warning before shooting?
300 – Use of Force
300.4 DEADLY FORCE APPLICATIONS
When reasonable, the officer shall, prior to the use of deadly force, make efforts to identify him/herself as a peace officer and to warn that deadly force may be used.
Does the Woodridge Police Department require officers to exhaust all options before using deadly force?
300 – Use of Force
300.3 USE OF FORCE
Officers shall use only that amount of force that reasonably appears necessary given the facts and circumstances perceived by the officer at the time of the event to accomplish a legitimate law
enforcement purpose. The reasonableness of force will be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene at the time of the incident. Any evaluation of reasonableness must allow for the fact that
officers are often forced to make split-second decisions about the amount of force that reasonably appears necessary in a particular situation, with limited information and in circumstances that are
tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving. Given that no policy can realistically predict every possible situation an officer might encounter, officers are entrusted to use well-reasoned discretion in determining the appropriate use of force in each incident. It is also recognized that circumstances may arise in which officers reasonably believe that it would be impractical or ineffective to use any of the tools, weapons or methods provided by the
Department. Officers may find it more effective or reasonable to improvise their response to rapidly unfolding conditions that they are confronting. In such circumstances, the use of any improvised device or method must nonetheless be reasonable and utilized only to the degree that reasonably appears necessary to accomplish a legitimate law enforcement purpose. While the ultimate objective of every law enforcement encounter is to avoid or minimize injury, nothing in this policy requires an officer to retreat or be exposed to possible physical injury before applying reasonable force.
Does the Woodridge Police Department require their officers to intervene on inappropriate or unreasonable use of force?
300 – Use of Force
300.2.1 DUTY TO INTERCEDE
Any officer present and observing another law enforcement officer or a member using force that is clearly beyond that which is objectively reasonable under the circumstances shall, when in a position to do so, intercede to prevent the use of unreasonable force. Any officer who observes another law enforcement officer or a member use force that is potentially beyond that which is objectively reasonable under the circumstances should report these observations to a supervisor as soon as feasible. Officers shall submit a written report within five days of the incident (720 ILCS 5/7-16).
Does the Woodridge Police Department allow their officers to shoot at moving vehicles?
300 – Use of Force
300.4.1 SHOOTING AT OR FROM MOVING VEHICLES
Shots fired at or from a moving vehicle involve additional considerations and risks, and are rarely effective. When feasible, officers should take reasonable steps to move out of the path of an approaching vehicle instead of discharging their firearm at the vehicle or any of its occupants.
An officer should only discharge a firearm at a moving vehicle or its occupants when the officer reasonably believes there are no other reasonable means available to avert the threat of the vehicle, or if deadly force other than the vehicle is directed at the officer or others.
Officers will not shoot at any part of a vehicle in an attempt to disable the vehicle.
Does the Woodridge Police Department have a use of force continuum?
300 – Use of Force
300.3.4 USE OF FORCE OPTIONS
Command presence, Verbal Direction (De-escalation), Soft Hand Controls, Control and Compliance Tools, Hard Hand Control, Intermediate Weapons, Less That Lethal, Deadly Force.
Does the Woodridge Police Department require all use of force to be reported?
300 – Use of Force
300.5 REPORTING THE USE OF FORCE
Any use of force by a member of this department other than Command Presence, Verbal Direction, or Force as described in section 300.1.1 of this policy when a person allows him/herself to be searched, escorted, handcuffed or restrained, shall be documented promptly, completely and accurately in an appropriate report, depending on the nature of the incident. The officer should articulate the factors perceived and why he/she believed the use of force was reasonable under the circumstances. To collect data for purposes of training, resource allocation, analysis and related purposes, the Department may require the completion of additional report forms, as specified in department policy, procedure or law.