313 – Employees Arrested, Indicted, or Convicted
I. Purpose
This policy provides directives for employees of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) in the event they are under investigation for a criminal offense, arrested, charged, or convicted thereof.
II. Policy
In order to merit and maintain the public’s trust, it is the policy of the HCSO to demonstrate integrity. It is against the policy of the HCSO to be arrested, charged, indicted, convicted, or found to have willfully violated any federal statute, state law, or local ordinance, except minor traffic offenses that are resolved in accordance with the manner prescribed by the overseeing court.
III. Procedures
A. Whenever an employee is detained by a law enforcement agency, they must identify themselves as an employee of the HCSO.
B. An employee must then immediately:
1. Notify a supervisor if they are arrested or charged with any criminal offense, excluding minor traffic citations,
2. Notify a supervisor if they receive an indictment, and
3. Notify a supervisor of the disposition of the case once it has concluded.
C. Failure to notify a supervisor will result in termination.
D. Employees arrested or indicted will be relieved of duty at the point of arrest or indictment.
E. If the arrest is for DWI, the employee will immediately be relieved of duty. If the employee’s blood alcohol content is found to be over the legal limit, they will be terminated.
F. Employees convicted of anything greater than a Class C Misdemeanor will be terminated.
IV. Supervisory Responsibilities
A. The supervisor must notify the Sheriff, or his or her designee, in writing through the chain of command within 24 hours upon learning that:
1. An employee has been named as a defendant in a criminal action,
2. An employee is the subject of a criminal investigation being conducted by a law enforcement agency other than the HCSO, or
3. An employee has received any criminal citation, including, but not limited to, a citation or warrant issued for any misdemeanor offense.
Revision
This policy has been revised on the below listed dates:
June 15, 2021