Reporting Criminal Activity

• An off-duty police officer is required to immediately notify dispatchers and on-duty police officers of any observed or suspected criminal situation that qualifies as an offense. He must contact on-duty police personnel to respond to the situation and provide necessary details regarding the location and details of the criminal activity.
  
  

Arrests

• An off-duty police officer is permitted to make an arrest when he is off duty and within the legal limits of his established jurisdiction under specific circumstances. Such a situation might include a need to prevent a criminal situation or detain a suspect, when the situation requires a complete custodial arrest. The off-duty officer must have appropriate police identification in his possession and abide by all policies and procedures of his police department regarding arrests.
  
  

Extra-Duty

• Many police departments assign off-duty police officers for extra-duty at special events and situations, as requested by businesses or individuals, as long as the activities abide by the procedures and policies of the department. An off-duty officer providing service to a special event or situation is generally present in a uniform to maintain security and control crowds and traffic. All extra-duty situations must be located within the city limits of the police department.
  
  

Submit Reports

• An off-duty police officer must always complete a thorough report of situations that led to off-duty arrests, and include valuable information such as the suspect's name, victims, witnesses and other facts regarding the incident. He must submit reports to on-duty watch commanders at the time of the situation and forward a copy to his specific watch commander to review the situation.
  
  

Limitations

• Off-duty police officers don't need to enforce minor offenses such as trivial traffic violations, public intoxication, disorderly conduct and other annoying activities. An off-duty police officer may not make an arrest if she is personally involved in an incident leading to the arrest or if on-duty officers are able to quickly and safely respond to the situation within a reasonable timeframe. She must also not make an arrest while engaging in non-police employment when her actions are only in the interests of the employer. An off-duty police officer is forbidden from carrying weapons when under the influence or expected to be under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances, no matter the amount. If an off-duty officer decides to consume alcohol or other substances, she must appropriately store the weapon in a securable area.