Task Forces/Best Practices
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Transcript of Task Forces/Best Practices
Task Forces/Best PracticesChris Omodt - Captain, Hennepin County Sheriff’s OfficeBob Bushman - Statewide Gang & Drug Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Public SafetyPete Orput - Washington County Attorney
“When properly organized, supervised and managed, task forces have proven to be one of law enforcement’s most effective methods of proactively addressing illegal criminal activity.”
Advantages of Task Force ParticipationThe total is greater than the sum of its
partsForce multiplierCollective review of problem & strategies
Few agencies have the expertise, manpower and resources to effectively combat organized criminal activity
Shared resources allow focused, long term investigations, e.g., wiretaps, surveillance of multiple targets, etc.
Criminals do not respect political/geographical boundaries and they operate inter-county, interstate and internationally - we must follow them to get them
Joint Powers AgreementPurpose
Establishes mission & purposeIdentifies participants & fiscal agentDefines multijurisdictional response &
managementIdentifies funding sources Outlines participants’ responsibilities &
commitmentsSets jurisdictional boundaries & scope of
authorityEstablishes command structureProvides for sharing of seized assetsEstablishes review and employee selection
processAddresses liability/insuranceProvides for orderly dissolution
Joint Powers AgreementsMSS 471.59 - 2 or more govt. units may
jointly or cooperatively exercise any power common to the contracting parties or any similar power…
Commonality of powers may be broad- anything you can do for yourself, you can do for others. MSS 471.59, Subd. 10
A county can agree to perform a service or function of another. Subd.8
Joint Powers Joint powers entity- governed by joint
board, power to receive and spend $, enter into contracts and is insurable as separate entity
The board should draft & adopt operating agreement/by laws
Liability: No liability for acts of other government units unless agreed to in writing
Total liability for joint powers entity= tort limits
Officer Selection
Task Force Commander should participate in interviews & have veto over candidates
Beware of “red flags”TF Commander must be able to review
officer’s personnel file- Task Force isn’t a “dumping
ground”.“Green” officers vs. experienced officers?Limit number of officers from each
contributing agencyRotation policy?Labor agreement conflicts/issues
Co-locationMakes it easier to manage/superviseBuilds “team” atmosphereMore effective use of
equipment/inventoryCentral filesOne agency should be responsible
for:Evidence storage/managementCase/records managementIT (phones, computers, servers, etc.)
Task Force MissionDetermine a clear mission
Built around realistic goalsStrategy that will realize goals
Conduct a local threat assessmentIdentify problems & crime issuesAnalyze past, current & related trends
Regularly re-evaluate to avoid “mission drift” and to make refinementsAre we doing what we intended to do?What/how can we improve?
Planning ConsiderationsChanges in technologyCourt decisionsImpact of social issuesPreparing for future changesNeeds & expectations of the
communityEconomy/budgetAvailable resources
Report WritingONE REPORT WRITING SYSTEM!
Common RMS/CMSOther agencies’ reports need to be
submitted (scanned) into the Task Force case files.
Every report gets reviewed by first line supervisor
Review must be for: Quality; timeliness, details, evidence chain-of-custody, correspondence (including e-mails) with prosecutors
Officers’ Time KeepingSeparate time keeping from officer’s home
department - track hours/days worked at TFNo games - TF thinks officer at home agency,
home agency thinks officer is at TFOvertime issues
InvestigationsAll cases assigned to Task Force officers
must be approved by the Task Force Commander Including those from Task Force Officer’s home
agency!Case initiation form must contain:
What/who is the subject of investigation?Alleged violation?Background reports/information/suspect
identifiers?Are investigative goals consistent with TF
mission?Will any special resources be needed?
Language translationTech equipment (T-III, DNR)
Evidence HandlingUse one evidence management system No evidence storage at the Task Force
officeStrict chain of custody on all evidence
and property seized Who handled it, whenWhen it went to lab, when it was
returned and by whomWhen and where it was disposed of and
by whomDocument all seizures by photo/video.If you can’t legally justify the seizure, it
may be considered a theft
SupervisionTeam based investigations - be careful of “lone
wolf” investigatorsFirst line supervisors must review & approve all
search warrants & arrests/seizuresCommand staff responsible for auditing:
Case files - CI files Buy fund expenditures - Evidence Equipment/property inventories - Officer Evaluations
Risk ManagementOfficer safety firstProtecting careers & task force integrity
Supervision and Oversight
Task Force command and supervisors do the supervising - not the home agency
Agencies should be informed of Task Force operations in their jurisdictions. De-confliction is required! RISSafe
Prosecutor designated to give guidance & legal adviceTask Force Board needs to be engaged
Must meet regularlyMust thoroughly review operations/administrationSets, reviews & refines policiesPlan/provide for officer training
Task Force Case FilesMandatory time limits for:
Submission of completed reports to fileForfeiture notices completed/servedEvidence seizure documentation &
submissionEvidence logs completedSearch warrant copies in fileCRI activity documentationExpenditure /return/receipt of confidential funds
Closing Case FilesWhen agents are transferred, files stay at the
Task Force They are Task Force propertyTransfer of case to new agent should be documented in
fileFile closing must contain:
Letter from prosecutorConviction certification/information 0r dismissalRecord of evidence disposal/destructionForfeiture certification, asset dispersal
Command level review/sign off before file is closed
No poaching of files, CIs, etc. without authorization from Task Force Commander
Storage, retention & security of closed case files
Task Force Training
Must have field training manual/programOfficer skills assessmentMust include policy & procedure sign-off
Training together in tactics, entries, use-of-force, etc., promotes team building, cohesion & uniformity in adherence to policies & procedures
Prepare & train for critical incidentsLikely to occur in proactive unitsCritical incident training saves lives &
careersConsider basic schools such as: DEA 2 week, FBI
Street Survival, CRI handling, BCA Courses, etc.
Informant Management
Follow strict guidelines on handling spiesMultijurisdictional Task Force Operating Procedures
and Guidelines manual-Chapter 3-12.CI mismanagement is the source of many task force
misconduct allegations and sustained complaintsComplete CI packet forms
Personal history, agreement, photo, criminal history, etcConduct & document detailed debriefing
Document all meetings, payments, termsCI’s belong to the task force NOT the agent/officerSecurity policy for CI file system
Seizures/ForfeituresMust follow law & established guidelines.
MSS 609.531 (Serve admin forfeiture notices ASAP)
New model policy - POSTConsider one agency (fiscal agent) handling all
forfeituresProsecuting authority to dispose of forfeited
property - e.g. like done in prostitution, DWI, racketeering cases
Administrative forfeitures should be reviewed & approved by first line supervisor
Task Force Shut DownPlan must be in place for shut downProperty distribution (cars, equipment, forfeited
funds, etc.) should be determined during development of task force agreement, not when deciding to close the shopAddressed in MOU?
Retention of task force records/evidence By whom? Where?
Legal Considerations
Liability - Each officer assigned to the Task Force must assume responsibility for his/her actions or inactions
Insurance - recommend that each agency maintain workers comp and other insurance and hold the Task Force harmless
Complaints – Have plan/policy in place for investigating misconduct/conducting Internal Affairs investigations
Questions? Comments? More information?
Pete Orput [email protected]
Captain Chris Omodt [email protected]
Bob Bushman [email protected]