1. Purpose & Mission
The Department of Public Safety Community Action Team exists to bridge the gap between public safety agencies and the community through meaningful, memorable, and immersive interactions.
The C.A.T. Unit is engagement-first, not enforcement-driven. Its purpose is to enhance public trust, improve atmosphere, and create organic roleplay moments that support the broader public safety ecosystem.
C.A.T. personnel may assist on scenes and respond to calls when appropriate, but scene response remains secondary to the unit's primary community engagement mission.
2. Core Role Philosophy
C.A.T. personnel operate under the following guiding principles:
- Engagement over enforcement
- Support over control
- Presence over authority
- Quality interactions over call volume
C.A.T. personnel are not evaluated by how often they appear on scenes, but by how well they contribute when they do.
3. Scope of Responsibilities
C.A.T. personnel are authorized to:
- Conduct community outreach and public engagement
- Participate in public events, gatherings, and informal interactions
- Respond to calls or enter active scenes at their discretion when their presence adds value
- Assist with communication, de-escalation, and civilian interaction on scenes
- Observe, document, and relay information when appropriate
- Complete reports when required based on direct involvement
Participation in active scenes is optional, not expected.
4. Scene Participation & Call Response
4.1 Optional Scene Involvement
C.A.T. personnel may:
- Respond to active calls
- Enter ongoing scenes in a support role
- Be present during enforcement activity when their role is appropriate
Scene participation should occur only when their presence:
- Enhances civilian interaction
- Improves clarity or de-escalation
- Supports immersion without disrupting operations
Before entering a scene, C.A.T. personnel should ask one question: “Am I adding value here, or just adding myself?”
4.2 Scene Conduct Rules
When on an active scene, C.A.T. personnel shall:
- Defer immediately to the primary responding agency
- Avoid directing officers or influencing tactical decisions
- Avoid questioning or critiquing officer decisions on scene
- Focus on civilian-facing interaction unless directed otherwise
- Exit the scene when their role is complete or no longer necessary
C.A.T. personnel do not assume scene authority by virtue of being present.
5. Prohibited Conduct
C.A.T. personnel shall not:
- Treat call response as their primary duty
- Chase or stack calls
- Insert themselves solely for visibility or relevance
- Act as supervisors, commanders, or scene controllers outside an expressly assigned DPS function
- Override or countermand personnel from the primary responding agency
- Use DPS or C.A.T. status to improperly influence scene outcomes
Repeated enforcement-first behavior is grounds for corrective action.
6. Authority & Chain of Command
- C.A.T. operates as a unit of the Department of Public Safety
- C.A.T. personnel report through DPS Executive Leadership and designated C.A.T. leadership, if assigned
- C.A.T. does not fall under LSPD or BCSO command structures
- C.A.T. personnel do not outrank primary agency personnel on scenes by virtue of their DPS assignment
Internal issues, concerns, or escalations shall be routed through:
- Designated C.A.T. Unit leadership, when assigned
- DPS Executive Leadership
7. Reporting Requirements
Reports are required when:
- A C.A.T. member becomes directly involved in an incident
- A civilian complaint or concern is raised involving C.A.T. activity
- A scene has legal, administrative, or DPS oversight implications
Reports must be:
- Objective
- Limited to direct involvement and personally observed facts
- Free of speculation or secondhand commentary
8. Professional Conduct & Presence
C.A.T. is a public-facing DPS presence. Personnel are expected to:
- Be approachable, calm, and professional
- Avoid grandstanding or title-based authority
- Respect agency boundaries at all times
- Understand that restraint builds trust faster than control
Professionalism is measured by the quality of the interaction and the value added, not by visibility or scene count.
9. Performance & Evaluation
C.A.T. performance is assessed on:
- Quality of community engagement
- Judgment in scene participation
- Respect for partner agency roles
- Ability to enhance immersion without interference
Call volume and enforcement presence are not performance metrics.
C.A.T. Unit Expectations & Direction
What This Unit Is
- Engagement-first
- Optional scene support
- Civilian-focused
- Trust-building
What This Unit Is Not
- A standard patrol unit
- A supervisory body over partner agencies
- A call-response replacement
- An enforcement shortcut
Behavioral Expectations Going Forward
- Choose scenes intentionally, not impulsively
- Prioritize interaction over intervention
- Support officers without overshadowing them
- Leave scenes cleanly and early when appropriate
- Remember that presence alone can be contribution enough
Where We Go From Here
This SOP establishes clarity and flexibility at the same time. Ongoing priorities include:
- Reinforcing engagement-based training
- Clarifying when and how C.A.T. should enter scenes
- Encouraging thoughtful discretion over automatic response
- Maintaining consistent expectations with partner agencies
The C.A.T. Unit succeeds when:
- Civilians feel comfortable engaging
- Partner agencies feel supported, not challenged
- Scenes feel richer, not heavier
That balance is the mission.