Department Policy Manual

Policing has become much more complicated than when I first entered the profession in 1993. The level of scrutiny that is placed upon our first responders is to a degree that I have never seen before. Officers and dispatchers have a challenging job. They contend with chaotic and stressful situations every day. They are expected to restore order, and must often make split-second decisions. They are judged far less for events that have positive outcomes but must answer extensively to those events with negative ones. Among my responsibilities as Chief of Police is to aim high for positive outcomes, and as our Mission Statement says, that we “protect our community with exceptional service.”

In order to do this, it is especially important that law enforcement agencies guide their operations by creating rules and expectations for those who are entrusted to serve our community. This policy manual is a foundational instrument for that. Though it cannot predict every aspect of policing, nor every potential situation that our employees can face, it forms a solid base from which to work.

We are also accountable to the community. All of our employees are expected to be familiar with our policy manual and are responsible for following established policies. This policy manual also contains the Oxnard Police Department’s Mission Statement, Core Values, and the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, which also set standards to follow.

This policy manual is a “living document” in that we continue to review policies for their practicality, how they line up with contemporary laws, and how they contribute to our community’s safety.

Another responsibility that a chief of police has is to promote transparency. This manual and its contents is available to the public on our website at https://www.oxnardpd.org/.

As I mentioned above, this policy manual is fundamental for establishing rules to follow. Combined with ongoing training that repeatedly reinforces policy, and leadership that exemplifies this policy, we are better positioned to promote officer safety, as well as the safety of the public that we serve.

Jason Benites, Chief of Police