PURPOSE

The purpose of this SOP is to establish a uniform standard for all Bloomington
Police Officers to
use when conducting traffic stops on vehicles that have committed violations of the
Illinois Vehicle
Code and/or violations of the Illinois Criminal Code.
Traffic stops have been and remain a significant source of police/citizen contacts.
The public
perception of the Department’s professionalism may be based upon a single traffic
stop. Since
traffic stops are generally accusatory in nature, participants may be defensive and
prone to
misinterpret what is said or done during the stop. For example, citizen accounts of
what transpired
during their stop have frequently been disproven by video recorded evidence.
Increased diversity,
public attention to discrimination, and increased scrutiny of police procedures has
given rise to
complaints of harassment and allegations of rudeness. Further, tactical
considerations while
conducting felony stops have evolved over the years, resulting in several
procedures being used
throughout the Department. Lack of standard procedures for traffic stops may expose
our officers
to unwarranted criticism, citizen complaints, and unnecessary risk.
To meet rising public expectations, project a professional police image, reduce the
opportunity for
misunderstanding, and provide a measure of security for our police officers, the
following
procedures will be implemented. Separate procedures have been established for
traffic stops where
the amount of risk is unknown (i.e., routine stops), and for high risk traffic
stops (i.e., felony stops).
PROCEDURE
Police officer conduct must be professional at all times during all traffic stops.
Officer’s comments
should be polite and respectful. Officers shall not use profanity, talk down to,
demean, or belittle
citizens by their comments. However, police officers are expected to maintain
control of the traffic
stop scene through verbal and nonverbal communication skills and to be firm in
their comments
as needed.
EIGHT STEP TRAFFIC STOP
PAGE 2
UNKNOWN RISK TRAFFIC STOPS
Proper planning prior to initiating a traffic stop is necessary for officer and
public safety:
1. Transmit by radio to dispatch and other officers your intent to make a traffic
stop.
2. Request a backup if you suspect you need one, and await its arrival prior to
stopping if
necessary, and if able to do so.
3. Choose the best available location for the traffic stop. The less vehicle and
pedestrian
traffic, the better the location. This includes being aware of other people who may
be
nearby and who could be adversely affected by the stop.
4. Position your squad car behind the suspect vehicle so that your squad car is in
line but
offset to the driver side of the suspect vehicle, at a sufficient distance,
approximately 1
to 1½ car lengths (20 to 25 feet). As a rule of thumb, you should be able to see
the
suspect vehicle’s license plate from the driver’s seat of your squad car.
5. Assisting officers shall proceed code one, unless circumstances justify
otherwise, but
in any case they shall comply with the provisions of SOP 5.10 RESPONSE CODES
AND USE OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHTS FOR EMERGENCY CALLS.
6. Upon determining that the primary officer is secure, assisting officers shall
clear from
the immediate scene so as not to appear to congregate or cluster.
When conducting Unknown Risk traffic stops, the procedure that shall be used is the
Eight Step
Tactical Traffic Stop Procedure, which officers shall follow unless conditions
reasonably justify
deviating from it. The proper execution of this procedure relies in large part upon
the driver and
vehicle occupants, if any, to respond in an appropriate manner. Unanticipated or
inappropriate
responses from a driver or other vehicle occupant may significantly undermine the
officer’s ability
to follow the eight step tactical traffic stop procedure.
EIGHT STEP TACTICAL TRAFFIC STOP
Step 1. Greeting
Example: “Morning” or “Afternoon” or “Evening”
Step 2. Identify Self, Department, provide recording notification
When identifying yourself, be sure to provide the driver of the stopped vehicle
enough
information to know who you are, which agency you work for, and the stop is being
recorded.
Example: "I am Officer John Doe of the Bloomington Police Department. All of our
traffic stops are recorded."
Step 3. The reason for the stop
Explain to the driver the reason for the traffic stop.
Example: “I stopped you for traveling 40 MPH in a 30 MPH speed zone."
Step 4. Justification for the Violation
Ask the driver if he/she has any justifiable reason for committing the traffic
violation.
Alternatively, you can ask the driver “if everything is okay.” Asking if everything
is
okay can have a calming effect on the driver and put them more at ease while they
are
speaking with you about the traffic stop.
Example: "Is there a reason why you were traveling so fast this morning? Is
everything
okay?"
EIGHT STEP TRAFFIC STOP
PAGE 3
Step 5. Request Driver’s License from Driver
Ask the driver for their license. The driver may have to move in some manner to get
their driver’s license for you. Watch the driver’s hands and where they are
reaching to
get their driver’s license. Upon receiving the license from the driver, verify the
picture
on the driver’s license is in fact the driver, and then put the license away.
Step 6. Request the registration and insurance for the vehicle
Ask the driver for the registration and proof of insurance for the vehicle, and ask
where
they keep these documents in the vehicle. Once the driver tells you, request they
get
the documents for you. Again, watch the driver’s hands and movements in the vehicle
as they get the documents for you. Once you have the documents, verify the
registration and insurance is for the vehicle you have stopped, and verify that it
is valid.
Then return the documents to the driver. The least amount of paperwork you have in
your hands the better. Do not occupy your weapon hand with any paperwork, if at all
possible.
Step 7. Decision
Make your decision as to whether or not you are going to issue UTT(s) while you are
still speaking with the driver. There is a two fold reason for this
1. if you decide to write UTT(s) you can ask the driver what they want to post for
bond; and
2. it eliminates having to make multiple trips between your squad car and the
stopped
vehicle. You want to make the least amount of trips possible for safety reasons.
Step 8. Closing the Traffic Stop
When you are ending your traffic stop explain the UTT(s) to the driver, if you
wrote
any, and ask him/her if they have any questions concerning the stop or the UTT(s).
You should end all traffic stops with a closing statement. Try to avoid statements
such
as, “have a nice day” and “drive safely”. To some drivers these statements may
appear
to be condescending.
Examples: “thanks for your cooperation” and “you are free to go”. It is important
that
your closing statement tells the driver the traffic stop has been completed and
they can
leave.
HIGH RISK / FELONY TRAFFIC STOPS
High Risk (i.e., Felony) traffic stops shall be executed when a suspect vehicle is
being stopped for
a felony offense based on probable cause and/or reasonable suspicion that a felony
is being
committed, may have been committed, or is about to be committed. When responding to
a
situation where a weapon was used or implied, officers should also consider
executing a High Risk
traffic stop on the suspect vehicle.
The first consideration should be evaluating the facts and determining whether the
High Risk stop
should be conducted. Once initiated, this procedure should be followed unless
changing conditions
and common sense reasonably justify deviating from it. Again, the proper execution
of this
procedure relies in large part upon the driver and vehicle occupants, if any, to
respond in an
appropriate manner. Unanticipated or inappropriate responses from a driver or other
vehicle
EIGHT STEP TRAFFIC STOP
PAGE 4
occupant may significantly undermine the officer’s ability to follow the High Risk
traffic stop
procedure.
1. Responsibility of Primary Officer
1. Transmit by radio to dispatch and other officers your intent to make a felony
traffic
stop. Secure the radio channel for "10-33 traffic" or “emergency traffic only.”
2. Wait for backup and insure that a sufficient number of officers are present to
conduct
a High Risk traffic stop based on the number of occupants of the suspect vehicle.
3. Choose the best available location for the traffic stop. The less vehicle and
pedestrian
traffic, the better the location. This includes being aware of other people who may
be
nearby and who could be adversely affected by the stop.
2. Positioning of Police Squad Car
1. If possible, position the primary squad car behind the suspect vehicle so that
the
primary squad car is offset to the driver side of the suspect vehicle, but angled
so that
the headlights of the squad are pointing toward the center of the suspect vehicle.
The
distance separating the squad car from the suspect vehicle should be double the
length
as compared to a regular traffic stop (approximately 40 to 50 feet). This spacing
allows for maximum use and effectiveness of all squad car lights (i.e. overheads,
takedowns, spotlight, bright headlights, wigwags, etc.).
2. If the stop is being conducted at night, all available lighting systems should
be utilized
and directed toward the suspect vehicle. This will create a "wall of light" that
will
reduce the ability of the occupants in the suspect vehicle to see the location and
actions
of the officers, thus giving the officers a tactical advantage.
3. Positioning of Backup Squad Cars
1. The terrain surrounding the area of your stop will dictate where backup officers
park
their squad cars when they arrive.
2. If possible, the first backup squad on scene should be offset to the passenger's
side of
the suspect vehicle, and angled so that the headlights of the squad are pointing
toward
the center of the suspect vehicle.
3. Other backup officers' squad cars should be positioned in a manner that blocks
other
vehicular traffic from interfering with the felony stop.
EIGHT STEP TRAFFIC STOP
PAGE 5
4. The remaining responding officers should park their squad cars in positions that
block
cross traffic or other potentially problematic traffic from entering the immediate
area
of the felony stop.
5. When a K-9 Unit is available, the K-9 handler will assume the position he/she
feels is
most beneficial and advantageous. Some K-9 handlers may wish to take over verbal
commands in order to better control their K-9 partner. This will need to be
coordinated
by the officers on scene.
6. When the stop is being conducted at night, or in low light conditions, squads
parked
behind the primary and secondary squads should shut off any lights pointed forward,
toward the stop itself. This will prevent the officers on the stop from being
backlit,
hence giving away their positions.
4. Positioning of other officers
1. In order to best utilize readily available cover, officers should move to a
position
located behind the primary and secondary officer's squad cars, or other points of
"hard"
cover nearby. Officers must ensure that their positions are on-line with one
another,
and that they do not create a crossfire situation.
2. It is recommended that the primary officer be near the rear driver's side corner
of their
squad, while the secondary officer is at the rear passenger's side corner of their
squad.
Officers should also take several steps back away from their squads. The created
distance (approximately 10 to 12 feet) will reduce the chance of the officer being
struck by a ricochet off of the squad car from a round fired by the suspects at the
officers, as well as provides a better field of view for the officers while
conducting the
stop.
5. Responsibility of secondary {cover} officers
1. Act as backup and cover suspect vehicle: use backup officers to cover passengers
in
suspect vehicle.
2. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic control: use other backup officers to block off
roadway
when needed.
EIGHT STEP TRAFFIC STOP
PAGE 6
6. Making contact with the driver and other occupants
1. Upon initial contact with the driver and occupants, the primary officer shall
inform the
subjects who they are, and the reason for the stop.
Example: "This is Officer John Doe of the Bloomington Police Department. We
are investigating an armed robbery."
2. The primary officer should then direct all occupants to put their hands straight
up in
the air, or have them hold their hands out the window of the vehicle if the windows
are
already open.
3. Once this is done, the primary officer can begin removing the occupants from the
vehicle. The removal of the occupants should be done one-by-one, in a systematic
fashion. The driver of the suspect vehicle should be the primary focus, as they
control
the movement of the vehicle
4. First, have the driver turn off the car if it is still running, and if possible,
remove the
keys and throw them out the window. Try to control the movements of the driver by
telling them which arm to use to accomplish this.
Example: "Driver. With your left hand, turn off the car and throw the keys out the
window."
5. Then have the driver exit the vehicle. One option is to have the driver open the
door
by reaching out the window and using the exterior handle. However, this is not
always
possible due to mechanical, or design issues with the vehicle. If possible, have
them
leave the door open upon exit. This will be useful upon approaching the vehicle
later
on.
Example: "Driver. With your left hand, open the door and exit the vehicle. Leave
the car door open when you exit."
6. Upon their exit, direct the driver to keep their hands raised straight up in the
air as high
as possible. This ensures that any movements made by the driver with their
hands/arms
is clearly visible to the officers. It also will cause the garments (shirt, jacket,
etc…)
worn by the driver to raise slightly, further revealing the waistband area.
Example: "Driver. Keep your hands raised straight up in the air as high as
possible."
7. Then direct the driver to turn around slowly until you tell them to stop. This
will give
officers the opportunity to observe the driver for signs of a concealed weapon. Do
not
tell the driver to stop until they have turned completely around, and are facing
away
from you.
Example: "Driver. Slowly turn around until I tell you to stop."
EIGHT STEP TRAFFIC STOP
PAGE 7
8. If you should see a weapon, clearly, and loudly announce to the subject that you
see
the weapon. By doing so, you notify the subject, assisting officers, potential
witnesses,
and potentially the video recording equipment in the squad cars (evidence) that the
weapon has been seen. Then direct the subject not to make any motion toward
retrieving that weapon or they will be shot.
Example: "I see that you have a pistol in your waistband. If you reach for that
pistol, you will be shot. Keep your hands straight up in the air."
9. With the subject facing away from you, have them walk slowly backwards toward
the
sound of your voice. Continue to give them direction so that they walk between the
primary and secondary officers squad cars. If necessary, have them stop and take
steps
right or left so that this can be accomplished. Make sure they are keeping their
hands
in the air as they move.
Example: "Driver. Walk backwards toward the sound of my voice. Keep walking.
Keep walking. Stop. Take two steps to your right. Continue walking backwards."
10. Once the subject has reached an area near the front of the squad cars, have
them stop.
Verbally communicate with your assisting officers to take over commands of the
subject. The assisting officer should then direct the subject to continue walking
backwards to the rear of the squad cars. It is important that the officers involved
direct
the subjects to their point of cover, as opposed to leaving cover in order to go
apprehend
the subject. It is recommended that the subject be directed down onto their knees
in
order to be taken into custody. Additional officers on scene, if available, should
be
utilized as "arrest teams" in order to place the subjects in custody and escorted
to a
secure location until the suspect vehicle is completely clear.
11. Repeat the process of removal for all occupants of the vehicle one at a time.
7. Making contact with the passengers
1. The commands to the passengers should be given in the same loud and clear manner
that was used with the driver
Example: "Front seat passenger. With your left hand, open the door and exit the
vehicle. Leave the door open when you exit."
EIGHT STEP TRAFFIC STOP
PAGE 8
2. The commands to all remaining occupants of the vehicle will be the same as those
given
to the driver once they have been directed out of the suspect vehicle.
3. A key factor in successfully and safely conducting the High Risk stop is
establishing
and maintaining control of all suspects' movements while they are inside and
outside
of the suspect vehicle, as well as giving clear orders to the suspects so that you
know
what their movements and actions should be. This way, any "furtive" movements can
be immediately identified and reacted to.
8. Approaching and clearing
1. When all occupants visible inside the vehicle have been removed, the primary
officer
should give one last command for the remaining occupant to exit the vehicle. If
there
is someone concealing themselves inside the vehicle, this may cause them to think
they
have been seen and to go ahead and exit the vehicle.
Example: "Occupant still in the vehicle. We know you're in there. Exit the vehicle
with your hands held in the air."
2. Once it is reasonably believed the vehicle is empty, it is still necessary to
approach the
vehicle in order to verify it is in fact empty. Approach of the vehicle will be
made with
a minimum of two (2) officers. The team of officers should approach while walking
side-by-side, to a predetermined side of the suspect vehicle. Upon approach, one
officer will take a position of cover at the rear corner of the suspect vehicle,
looking
through the rear window. While doing so, the officer can also ensure that the trunk
lid
does not come up by placing their hand on the lid. The remaining officer will then
move along the same side of the vehicle that the cover officer is located, visually
"slicing the pie," while ensuring that no one is still inside the vehicle. It is of
the upmost
importance that both officers be located on the same side of the suspect vehicle to
eliminate a crossfire situation.

3. After the passenger compartment of the vehicle is clear, there is still a need
to make
sure the trunk is empty. The cover officer is in the best position to do so, as
they are
already located near the trunk. Assisting officers must coordinate how the trunk is
to
be opened (via button, remote, or key). Once it is decided how the trunk is to be
opened,
EIGHT STEP TRAFFIC STOP
PAGE 9
the cover officer is to give the assisting officer the go-ahead to open the trunk
lid while
the cover officer clears the trunk compartment from the corner. It is important
that the
officers not stand directly in front of the trunk upon it opening, as this is where
an
assailant waiting inside the trunk is likely expecting an officer to be.
9. Disengaging
Proper disengagement may make the critical difference in the citizen’s mind as to
whether
they were treated poorly or professionally. If it is determined that the vehicle
stopped was
not actually involved in the crime which created the need for the stop, as time
permits
explain to the driver the reason(s) for the stop (e.g., the vehicle matched the
description of
the suspect vehicle, the driver matched the suspect's description, etc.). This may
be a
highly stressful event for an innocent citizen, who may not fully understand the
explanation
you provide at the time. Therefore, provide the driver your business card and
encourage
them to call you or your supervisor if they have any further questions concerning
the stop.
If time is a factor and a detailed explanation cannot be provided, give the driver
your
business card and instruct them to call you or your supervisor for an explanation
of the
reason for the stop. If the person does not inquire within a reasonable period of
time,
initiate contact with the person and provide the proper explanation.