Sample Scenarios for Watch Commanders (#1)

You are the W/C at a patrol station. The new watch sergeant advises you that the L.E.T. told him that the deputies routinely no-ack their calls near the end of shift. The L.E.T. also indicates that one of the deputies involved is an intimidating peer leader. What are your concerns and what should you do?

First and foremost, determine the validity of the allegation. What are the facts? Find out if it is true. It's your responsibility to take steps to initiate an inquiry to determine the facts of the case. Assuming the new sergeant hasn't been there long enough to know the players and may not have enough firsthand knowledge regarding the working relationship or habits of all the parties involved, it is imperative that you inspect all logs and MDT messages to determine if there is actually a paper trail that substantiates the alleged pattern of behavior. It is of utmost importance for you to determine if there is sufficient information to corroborate the allegation.

Along these lines, interviewing the L.E.T. is very important. Give her an opportunity to articulate the exact nature of the intimidation. Determine if the alleged intimidation actually consists of overt acts or if the situation is actually a matter of perception. Is this a training issue? As a dispatcher, does she have enough skill and training to know exactly what resources are available? For example, are the deputies actually trying to avoid unnecessary overtime by using the last hour of the shift to complete their reports and paperwork prior to going off shift? Are there other cars available, such as oncoming or overlap units that should be getting the calls? Equally as important, your concern for the L.E.T. must be paramount. Unsubstantiated and unchecked, the circumstances of this allegation lend themselves to a host of issues regarding hazing, hostile work environment, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, morale, teamwork, etc. In light of these concerns, it is imperative that you take steps to ensure the L.E.T.'s well-being, even so far as to advise the Equity Unit at the Bureau of Compliance and advise the unit commander.

Ultimately, it is imperative for you (as the lieutenant) and your sergeant to talk to the deputies individually and collectively. Your inquiry is imperative. Any way it goes, you have an opportunity to turn this incident into a win-win situation. If your worst fears are confirmed, you've nipped an untenable situation in the bud. If not, you have an opportunity to use it as a training issue and provide your personnel with a learning mechanism.

You are the day shift W/C at a patrol station. As you make your daily inspection of the jail, the day shift C.A. tells you that the early morning C.A. is leaving early and the inmate count sheet is incorrect. Meanwhile, one of the prisoners alleges that he was physically assaulted by deputies during the previous shift. You observe that he is injured and is bleeding from the head. What are your concerns and what should you do?

Without question, your number one priority is to see to it that the prisoner's injuries are treated. He needs to be interviewed and video-taped without delay. Pending verification, you may be dealing with an un-reported use of force that includes a head wound.

As you know, alleged or actual head wounds at the hands of a Department member ultimately require a notification to IAB. Depending on the circumstances, IAB will determine whether or not they send a roll-out team. Equally as important, your unit commander should be kept abreast of the situation as it unfolds.

You need to initiate an inquiry to determine the facts. Contact the early morning W/C and find out if there was a fight or use of force. After all, the prisoner could be lying. Ultimately all of the facts and reports should be collected and forwarded to the appropriate shift commander. He/she is your peer, but it is his/her shift. Once you get the force issue rolling, deal with the errant C.A.

Once again, determining the facts is paramount, and you need to resolve the inmate count. Initiate an inquiry. Contact the early morning W/C and determine if the C.A. had permission to leave early. Then ascertain if there are any other negative behaviors associated with that individual's performance. Instruct the day shift C.A. to conduct an accurate count. Ultimately, you need to determine if the errant count is an issue that can be resolved through training or discipline.

Again, all of the facts and reports should be collected and forwarded to the appropriate shift commander. He/she is your peer, but it is his/her shift. The unit commander should also be kept abreast of this situation as it unfolds.

You are the PM shift W/C at a custody facility. One of the deputies advises you that two of your sergeants hate each other. The deputies and C.A.'s have seen each of them openly arguing with each other about policy and procedural issues. Furthermore, the sergeants are soliciting their subordinates for support. What are your concerns and what should you do?

Again it is important to ascertain the facts. Initiate a supervisory inquiry and talk to more of the deputies and C.A.'s to determine the extent of the problem. There are several concerns that need to be addressed. Team effort and morale can be seriously impacted by sparring supervisors. More importantly, their actions could constitute a policy violation - behavior toward others. In which case, an investigation is imperative. If the behavior doesn't rise to the level of a policy violation, there are a number of options that can be employed, such as conflict resolution and a change of assignment or shift. A consultation is imperative, and any such contact should be documented with an entry in the performance log. Secondly, both sergeants should be admonished and reminded to air their differences in private behind closed doors or in the presence of their immediate supervisor(s).

You are the PM shift W/C. The W/D advises you there has been a 211 at a convenience store, shots have been fired, a deputy has been shot, and a DB car is in pursuit of the fleeing suspects, who have pointed a gun at the pursuing vehicle. The nearest marked unit from your station is two minutes away and the pursuit is entering the jurisdiction of an adjoining LASD patrol station. What are your concerns and what should you do?

Judicious use of your resources is imperative. There will be several things going on at the same time. Your response must be contemporaneous as well, and you must delegate responsibilities without hesitation.

Handle the injured deputy first. Dispatch your field sergeant to the scene to ensure he is taken to the hospital and all of his medical needs are met. That sergeant should remain with him at all times and follow him to the hospital. A second field sergeant should be responsible for securing the crime scene, i.e., organizing the deputies and preserving evidence. The watch sergeant will be responsible for making all of the appropriate notifications, including the unit commander. Have the watch sergeant call SHB so that they can advise the appropriate Department command staff, IAB, Health and Safety, and Employee Support Services. Steps should be taken to advise the wounded deputy's family and have them brought to the hospital. The field sergeant at the hospital can address their needs until Employee Support services and Health and Safety Arrive.

Notwithstanding the extent of your dilemma, you are the watch commander and the pursuit is your responsibility. Having extended your resources to the limit, you still have some options in your favor. Obtaining air support is imperative. Although you know you have a plain-wrapped DB car confronted with an emergent situation and forced to take questionable action in the face of extremely extenuating circumstances, the protocols of pursuit management are still in effect. It is imperative that you confirm reason, vehicle/plate/suspect description, number of occupants, speed, direction of travel, and traffic/weather conditions. Secondly, while you are on the cold line with SCC, direct them to put you into contact with the W/C of the LASD patrol station's jurisdiction that the pursuit is headed toward. Just because your nearest unit is two minutes away doesn't mean that deputies from the adjoining LASD patrol station's jurisdiction can't get there before your people do. Immediately ask the other W/C for the assistance of one field sergeant and three additional marked units. Once they arrive on scene, instruct your DB car to back off, and hand the pursuit over to the adjoining LASD patrol station. The pursuit and its terminus will be handled by the personnel from your peer station, but as the watch commander who initiated the chase, you are still in overall command of the pursuit.

As all of your available resources will probably be tied up at the hospital and the crime scene, you need to make arrangements to obtain assets from the surrounding LASD stations to assist you with calls for service in your area.

After everything is said and done, all paper and reports will be collected for review. Ultimately the results of this incident will be de-briefed and the training issues will become fodder/material for subsequent briefings.

You are the PM shift W/C at a custody facility. You smell smoke in one of the dorms. There are approximately 100 inmates, divided along racial lines - 30% Black vs 70% Hispanic - fighting inside the dorm. Two inmates are on the ground, they appear to be unconscious and injured. There is a trash fire at the rear of the dorm. The module officer's booth is secure. It has not been breached. The module officer is secure in the restroom. What are your concerns and what should you do?

Fire/life safety are your ultimate objectives. The security of the facility and the individuals therein, employees and inmates, are your primary concerns. None of these goals can be attained until you secure the facility and bring the appropriate resources to bear.

Several things must happen at once. Lock the facility down. Shut off the vents so that the smoke doesn't permeate the entire facility. Notify the fire department/paramedics. Meanwhile, summon the appropriate ERT and Cell Extraction personnel. You will also need to have your own medical staff staged and ready to assist you. Advise the watch sergeant to make the appropriate notifications through SHB and keep the unit commander abreast of events as they unfold. SEB should be on standby in the event the situation escalates and a deputy is taken hostage. While these preparations are being made, you (as the watch commander) should order the combatants to cease and desist.

Once your resources (response teams equipped with video cameras and less lethal weaponry) are in place, again order the combatants to cease and desist. As long as the module officer is secure, don't worry about him. He's a red herring and isn't part of the problem. He doesn't need to be rescued. Enter the dorm, quell the disturbance, extract the injured, extinguish the fire, separate and segregate the combatants and non-combatants. Triage and treat the injured. Videotape the entire operation.

Care should be taken to maintain the appropriate racial balance when these individuals are re-assigned to different housing locations. Equally as important, the other custody facilities should be advised of the disturbance, as these events have a tendency to migrate form one facility to the next.

After everything is said and done, all paper and reports will be collected for review. Ultimately the results of this incident will be de-briefed and the training issues will become fodder/material for subsequent briefings.