Manuals of Operations govern at the divisional
level with guidelines that best serve the needs
of each element’s specific responsibilities and operations.

CONTENT OF MANUALS

Each division-level element shall maintain a
Manual of Operations (MOP) that delineates tasks
and responsibilities for operations and positions
in the element.

To ensure some degree of uniformity in the various
Manuals of Operations, they shall all include the
following major topics:

A. Objectives;

B. Policies;

C. Duties and responsibilities; and

D. Standards and guidelines.

EXPLANATIONS (MAJOR TOPICS)

A. Objectives: A concise definition of element
objectives as outlined in functional charts of the department.

B. Policies: An alphabetical listing of pertinent
departmental directives related to the particular element.

l. Topics and statements from departmental
directives should be cited as references rather than being quoted.

2. Topics and statements, listed by subject,
should serve as a reference file to aid elements
in the location of particular directives.

C. Duties and Responsibilities: Specific duties
of the positions within the element.

D. Standards and Guidelines: Element policies
and procedures, in addition to departmental standards.

1. Policies should provide general, overall
guidelines applying to a function.

2. Procedures should provide a series of steps
to follow in a regular, definite order to
accomplish an operation or act (e.g., how to
review directives or handle traffic citations).

Individual task goals for each position within
the element may be codified.

DISTRIBUTION AND POSTING

A. Element Manuals of Operation, including updates,
shall be available to personnel assigned to that element.

B. Element Manuals of Operation are subject to inspection.

KNOWLEDGE OF MANUALS

Personnel shall be responsible for knowing their
element’s MOP which has the force and effect of directives.

A. Each element shall ensure that any change to
the MOP is relayed to its personnel who are then
responsible for reviewing the change and
acknowledging that they have done so.

B. Each element commander shall ensure that
new personnel review the MOP in its entirety
within 30 days of having been assigned to
the element and incumbent personnel acknowledge
having reviewed an MOP change within seven days.

C. Element commanders shall ensure that
documentation of personnel’s acknowledgements
of being apprised of MOP changes and having
reviewed these changes are kept for at least
four years (including the current year).
REVIEW AND UPDATE

A. Each element shall review its entire
MOP by March 1st of every year to ensure
that its contents are current.

B. Each element shall maintain documentation
of its annual review for at least four years.
The documentation shall include:

1. The name of the person who conducted the review;

2. The date the review was completed; and

3. A list of sections that were added, amended,
or deleted since the last annual review.

C. Manuals of Operations may be amended at any
time. When an MOP is amended, all pages of the
affected procedures (e.g., MOP NO. 101) shall
be redated and reissued.

RETENTION OF MANUALS

At least three copies of an element’s MOP
shall be maintained by each division-level
or higher element, one with the:

A. Element commander or designee;

B. Next higher level in the chain of command
(e.g., the bureau chief shall have a copy of
the MOP for each element reporting to him or her); and

C. Information Technology Division.