Ride with a Patrol Officer

The Police Department's Ride-Along Program enables citizens and other off-duty law enforcement personnel to ride with a patrol officer.

Requirements & Qualifications

All citizens must meet the following requirements to be approved to ride with a patrol officer:

• Participants must be at least 18 years old;
• Participants must complete and sign the Ride-Along Application and Ride-Along Release and Indemnity Agreement and present valid photo ID;
• Participants must pass a record check with the State Department of Criminal Justice as well as an NCIC inquiry. An applicant who has a felony record or misdemeanor record which involves moral turpitude or dishonesty may be excluded from participation in the program.

Rules

The following rules apply to individuals participating in the Ride-Along program:

• Participants should arrive at the station at least 15 minutes prior to their scheduled ride-along. If the participant is not present at this time, the department reserves the right to cancel the ride-along rather than delay the officer from going on duty.
• Participants will fully review the release and indemnification form with a superior officer.
• Once the forms are signed, the participant will be issued a visitor participant identification card which will be worn on the outermost clothing during the entire ride-along. This identification card shall be turned in to a supervising officer at the Public Safety Building at the end of the ride-along.
• Participants shall play no active role in the police function. They must only act as an observer unless otherwise directed by their host officer.
• Participants shall not be allowed to operate any police equipment unless directed to do so by a police officer in an extreme emergency.
• Participants must remain in the police vehicle at all times until directed otherwise by the host officer.
• Participants must not speak to victims, witnesses, prisoners or other persons associated with a police event. Should a witness, prisoner, victim or other person speak to the participant, the participant should politely direct the person to speak to one of the officers present.
• Participants are encouraged to ask questions of the host officer; however, such questions should be asked after the police event has been resolved so as not to interfere with the police operation.
• Participants shall not bring or use cameras or any recording devices without the express written permission of the office of the Chief of Police.
• Participants shall not enter any person's home while participating in the ride-along unless the host officer has asked and has been granted express permission from the homeowner/occupant to allow the ride-along participant entry.
• Participants shall follow the instructions of the host officer at all times during the ride-along.
• Participants shall not be allowed to carry any firearm or other weapon, even when otherwise authorized by law, while participating in the ride-along program.
• Participants should be dressed in comfortable, casual but conservative clothing during the ride-along. (Pants and shirt/jacket for men; pants and blouse/jacket for women.) Participants who are inappropriately dressed as determined by the supervising officer shall not be allowed to participate in the program on the assigned date.
• Participants shall only be allowed to participate in this program once every 12 months unless given written authorization from the Chief of Police.

Contact Us

For more information, please contact the Aberdeen Police Department at 605-626-7911. If this is an emergency, please dial 911.