NEW ALBANY POLICE DEPARTMENT - New Albany, Ohio

18.1.5 Mass Arrests
Under rare circumstances, the Police Department may encounter situations that involve mass
arrests of people which exceed the normal daily booking ratios. Contingency plans are made in
the event such actions become necessary to facilitate the restoration of order.
A. Situations involving the arrest of a large group of individuals require the immediate
physical presence of a Sergeant or command level officer at the arrest location to
coordinate manpower and resources to address the situation. Considerations for the
supervisor include:
Prisoner identification
First aid needs
Prisoner containment
Transportation resources
Appropriate and timely booking
Post-arrest transportation of crime scene evidence
The slating officer(s) will immediately search prisoners brought to the Police Department
upon arrival even though an initial search for weapons and contraband should have been
completed by the arresting officer.
B. In the event juveniles are arrested in mass arrest situations, care shall be taken to ensure
they are kept separate (sight and sound) from adult prisoners. Generally, all juveniles
charged with criminal offenses should be released to their parent(s), legal guardian, or an
intake representative of Franklin County Children’s Services as soon as practical after the
arrest. (see also Directive 4.1.2.) Juveniles charged with serious felony offenses requiring
incarceration will be transported to the juvenile detention facility at the Court of Domestic
Relations as soon as practical.
C. In circumstances where it is clear to supervision that the number of persons arrested may
exceed the resources of the Police Department’s holding/booking area, the following
alternatives should be examined:
Direct transportation to the Franklin County Jail
Establishment of temporary booking areas within the sallyport or other
designated areas of the police facility.
Establishment of temporary off-site booking areas such as the equipment bay
areas at the Plain Township Fire Department
The most practical solution involves the coordination of mutual aid with the Franklin
County Sheriff’s Office wherein secured prisoner buses could be borrowed to transfer the
prisoners to a designated secured facility at the main county jail or the secondary
corrections center on Jackson Pike.
D. Some types of mass arrest situations or civil disorders may dictate the need for the
photographic recording, preservation, collection, transportation, and security of physical
evidence. If those situations arise, the Sergeant will be notified in order to deploy
resources to address those task(s) which may include ordering in personnel on overtime.
E. The on-duty shift supervisor has the responsibility of guarding against prisoner escape.
The supervisor may request, through the chain-of-command, permission to order in offduty
officers or supervisors to assist with the booking process. The supervisor also has
the latitude to request officers from surrounding law enforcement agencies to assist the
Police Department under the countywide mutual aid agreement. (see Directive 16.1.3)
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