- Florence City Council unanimously approved updates to police department rules and regulations.
- Changes align department policies with Kentucky’s Police Officers’ Bill of Rights under KRS 15.520.
- The Florence Police Department was recently reaccredited through the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police.
Florence has updated its rules and regulations for its citywide police department to better align its policies with the ‘Police Officers Bill of Rights.’
The Police Officers’ Bill of Rights, a state law enacted by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1980, was designed to provide due process protections for law enforcement officers during internal investigations and disciplinary proceedings. It also outlines the process for reporting allegations, officers’ representation rights and hearing procedures.
On Tuesday, May 12, the Florence City Council held a second reading of an ordinance amending two prior ordinances – O-1-02 and O-9-83 – to bring them up to date with modern-day standards and practices. The council unanimously approved the ordinance.
“The previous rules and regulations governing the City of Florence were adopted in 1983 and last updated in 2022,” Mayor Julie Metzger-Aubuchon said. “It is necessary to update the existing rules and regulations. Most amendments to the previously existing rules and regulations are minor corrections and reorganization.”
Ordinance O-9-83, passed in 1983, established the standard rules and regulations for the efficient operation, management and internal discipline of the Florence Police Department.
In 2022, the city council passed ordinance O-1-02 – an amendment to O-9-83 — mandating that all newly hired, transferred or promoted department employees undergo a one-year probationary period with performance evaluations. After that, police officers must begin their probationary period upon completion of their state-mandated training.
Lastly, the ordinance required all Florence police emergency vehicles to be equipped with red and blue flashing or rotating lights in compliance with Kentucky law.
The city council first discussed the ordinance at a meeting on April 28, where Florence Police Chief Jeff Mallery explained that the department was requesting the amendments to ensure its policies were current and accreditation-compliant.
In addition, Mallery said during that meeting that the Florence Police Department was recently reaccredited by the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police, a process that occurs every four years.
“This was where we started with the whole ‘updating the rules and regs’ to make sure that it would pass accreditation and that we were good with everything that we were doing,” Mallery said.
During reaccreditation proceedings, the department undergoes a comprehensive evaluation of its policies, training, evidence procedures, and overall operations to ensure compliance with professional standards and best practices. The process took place in April.
“We are accredited through the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police and every four years they come in and do a whole overview of our department – make sure our policies are up to date, make sure our training is up to date, and everything that we use as far as evidence collection and processing – it is best practices.”
Metzger-Aubuchon said that text updates to the ordinances are available at the Florence Government Center during regular business hours.
