Florida Police Officer Requirements – 6

Principle Six

Police officers shall not compromise their integrity, nor that of their Department or profession, by accepting, giving or soliciting any gratuity which could be reasonably interpreted as capable of influencing their official acts or judgments, or by using their status as a police officer for personal, commercial, or political gain.

Rationale

For a community to have faith in its police officers, officers must avoid conduct that does or could cast doubt upon the impartiality of the individual officer or the Department.

Rules

6.1 Police officers shall not use their official position, identification cards or badges: (1) for personal or financial gain, for themselves or another person; (2) for obtaining privileges not otherwise available to them except in the performance of duty; and (3) for avoiding consequences of unlawful or prohibited actions.

6.2 Police officers shall not lend to another person their identification cards or badges or permit these items to be photographed or reproduced without approval of the Chief of Police.

6.3 Police officers shall refuse favors or gratuities which could be reasonably interpreted as capable of influencing official acts or judgments.

6.4 Unless required for the performance of official duties, police officers shall not, while on duty, be present at establishments that have the primary purpose of providing sexually oriented adult entertainment. This rule does not prohibit officers from conducting walk-throughs of such establishments as part of regular assigned duties.

6.5 Police officers shall:

(a) not authorize the use of their names, photographs or titles in a manner that identifies the officer as an employee of their Department in connection with advertisements for any product, commodity or commercial enterprise;

(b) maintain a neutral position with regard to the merits of any labor dispute, political protest, or other public demonstration while acting in an official capacity; not make endorsements of political candidates, while on duty, or while wearing the Department’s official uniform.

This section does not prohibit officers from expressing their views on existing, proposed or pending criminal justice legislation in their official capacity. None of these rules shall prevent officers from engaging in the free expression of political speech in their capacities as private citizens, or the rights of police fraternal or labor organizations to endorse political candidates or express views on political issues or other matters of public concern.