Standard Operating Procedures are methods to be followed routinely for the performance of designated operations or designated situations. The Las Cruces Police Department SOPs are referred to as General Orders. These General Orders are compiled, adapted, and published by the Chief of Police’s authority with the City Manager’s approval and concurrence for information, guidance, government, discipline, and administration of the Las Cruces Police Department and its personnel.
The Las Cruces Police Department’s General Orders are also available on the City of Las Cruces Municode website.
Manual Format
The General Orders Manual of the Las Cruces Police Department is formatted into six volumes with four currently being used:
- Volume 1: Administrative
- Volume 2: Field Operations
- Volume 3: Evidence and Property
- Volume 4: Emergency Operations
General Orders shall follow the guidelines outlined in General Order 163, Policy Procedure Development.
Policies are general statements that guide the department and its personnel in establishing missions and goals. Definitions provide clarification of specific terms used in this manual. Rules are directives designed to govern those situations in which no deviation or exception is permitted. Procedures are approved methods of handling, responding to, or dealing with given situations.
General Orders Manual contains relevant information for all employees and, at times, specific employees of the department. Some General Orders may not apply to civilian staff.
Policy & Procedure Development Revisions
Citizens can find policy development and publication in GO-163 Policy and procedure development. The Las Cruces Police Department aligns its policies with best practices and current laws, including federal, state, local, and case laws. Ensuring the policy reflects what currently is practiced within the Department.
Policies marked as Being Edited/Revised means that department personnel is editing or revising the policy following GO-163, and the policy will not be available online. Citizens can obtain a copy upon request per Chapter 14, Article 2 NMSA 1978, The Inspection of Public Records Act.
Policies marked as Published are implemented Department-wide as well as being available on the City’s public-facing website. Scroll down to review the Department’s published General Orders.
Numbering & Dates
General Order Numbering coincides with the Volume number, Volume 1 Administration, which is currently GO’s 001 through 199. Volume 2 Field Operations 200 through 299, and Volume 3 Evidence and Property 300 and 301. Numbers that do not fall in the sequence are not used; in an ever-changing job field, these missing numbers are made available for additions and potential changes in the manual.
Classification
LCPD will use a three-level classification system to indicate the critical importance of each General Order. It is important to understand that all General Orders are critical; some more critical than others.
- General Orders in RED are the MOST CRITICAL for employees to know and understand. These General Orders outline information and procedures that need to be followed in situations that allow little or no time to research or clarify when action needs to be taken.
- General Orders in ORANGE are CRITICAL for employees to know and understand as they execute their duties. These General Orders outline procedures that need to be followed in situations that allow employees time to review and ask questions about certain situations.
- General Orders in BLUE are LESS CRITICAL for employees to know but are still important to be familiar with them. These General Orders outline procedures covering issues that do not routinely impact commissioned officers while executing their day-to-day duties.
- General Orders in BLACK are DAILY.
Disclaimer
The Las Cruces Police Department’s Standard Operating Procedures page was developed to provide general information. Las Cruces Police Department documents displayed are for reference purposes only. Their completeness or currency is not guaranteed.
To manage and keep the General Orders Manual current, we will keep the general orders listed in the current status column.
We will be using three labels, Active, Pending Upload, and Under Review.
- Active – After the Chief approves the draft, Research and Development (R&D) personnel publish the policy and implement it Department-wide through its document management system and publish the policy on the City’s public-facing website. Scroll down to review the Department’s published SOPs.these policies are current and most up-to-date.
- Pending Upload – Policies that are active but are not available on the transparency page at the moment.
- Under Review – The policy owner or subject matter experts within the agency, alongside the Research and Development Unit personnel are editing/revising the policy by incorporating policy recommendations from internal stakeholders (e.g., Department personnel). They align the policy with best practices and current laws, including federal, state, and local laws and case laws. They are also ensuring the policy reflects what currently is practiced and trained within the Department.
