Principles for Public Safety Employment

T ABLE OF C ONTENTS

8-22 S

S ECTION 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................8 S ECTION 2 Hiring Practices .............................................................................................................................................................8 A. Peace Officer Background Investigations .......................................................................................................8 1. Overview..................................................................................................................................................8 2. Responding to Requests for Information from Other Public Safety Agencies.......................................12 B. Fire Personnel Background Investigations ....................................................................................................13 C. Legal Restrictions on Background Investigations Imposed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act and/or the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act ........................................................................13 D. Legal Restrictions on Access to Medical Information in the Hiring Process ................................................15 1. Overview................................................................................................................................................15 2. Pre-Conditional Offer Inquiries and Examinations ................................................................................16 3. What is a “Medical Examination”? ........................................................................................................18 4. Post Conditional Offer Inquiries and Examinations...............................................................................21 5. Denial of Employment Based on Results of Medical Examination .......................................................22 E. Legal Restrictions on Access to Social Media Information in the Hiring Process ........................................24 S ECTION 3 Administrative Investigations ......................................................................................................................................25 A. Overview of the POBR and the FBOR..........................................................................................................25 1. The POBR..............................................................................................................................................25 2. The FBOR..............................................................................................................................................30 B. Who is Entitled to Protection Under the POBR and FBOR? ........................................................................34 1. Employees Covered Under the POBR ...................................................................................................34 2. Employees Covered Under the FBOR ...................................................................................................37 C. Unique Issues Regarding the Application of the FBOR................................................................................38 1. Events and Circumstances Involving the Performance of Official Duties .............................................38 2. Investigations and Discipline by Licensing/Certifying Agencies ..........................................................39 D. Investigations of Emergency Medical Technicians .......................................................................................39 E. Issues to Consider When Beginning an Investigation for Administrative Misconduct .................................41 1. Deciding When to Start an Investigation ...............................................................................................41 2. When Should a Public Safety Employee Be Advised that He/She is the Subject of an Administrative Investigation? .........................................................................................................................................43 3. Subject Employee’s Status While Under Investigation..........................................................................43 4. Selecting an Investigator ........................................................................................................................43 5. General Format for Conducting an Investigation ...................................................................................45 6. Investigations by Outside Agencies .......................................................................................................46 F. Interrogation of the Subject Employee..........................................................................................................46 1. When is Contact with an Employee Considered an “Interrogation”? ....................................................47 2. Pre-Interrogation Discovery Rights........................................................................................................49 3. Timing of the Interrogation ....................................................................................................................51 4. The Right to Representation...................................................................................................................51 5. Who May Be Present During the Interrogation on Behalf of the Department?......................................53 6. What Must an Employee Be Told About the Nature of the Investigation Prior to Interrogation? .........53 7. Recording of Interrogation .....................................................................................................................54 8. Offensive Language/Threats ..................................................................................................................54 9. Restrictions on Employees’ Discussion/Disclosure Concerning the Investigation ................................55 10. Disclosure of Information/Materials ......................................................................................................55 G. Special Considerations When Criminal Charges are Possible.......................................................................56

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