OVERVIEW:
The policy of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is to treat every citizen
with courtesy and respect. The purpose of this position is to reaffirm our
commitment to unbiased policing in all its encounters between deputy
sheriffs and citizens.
A fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution of
the United States is equal protection under the law. Along with this right
to equal protection is the fundamental right to be free from unreasonable
searches and seizures by government agents as guaranteed by the Fourth
Amendment. Citizens are free to walk and drive our streets, highways, and
other public places without law enforcement interference so long as they
obey the law. They also are entitled to be free from the acts of criminals,
and to drive and walk our public ways safe from the actions of reckless and
careless drivers.
OUR DUTIES:
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is charged with
protecting these rights, for all, regardless of race, color, ethnicity,
national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or economic status.
Law enforcement action which is biased is illegal and violates the equal
protection clause and the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. It also
alienates citizens, fosters distrust of the Sheriff’s Office, and undermines
legitimate law enforcement efforts.
The nature of our business requires
deputy sheriffs to be observant, to identify unusual occurrences and law
violations, and to act upon them. Proactive law enforcement keeps our
citizens safe to live and work in a crime free environment. Criminal
profiling is a legitimate tool in the fight against crime. Criminal
profiling is an investigative method in which a deputy, through observation
of activities and environment, identifies suspicious behavior by individuals
and develops a legal basis, consistent with the Fourth Amendment, to stop
them for questioning.
CRIMINAL PROFILING -VS- BIAS-BASED PROFILING:
Criminal profiling is one of many accepted and
necessary law enforcement investigative practices. However, it differs from
and should not be confused with bias-based profiling. One is an
investigative tool; the other, a discriminatory practice. Illegal profiling
refers to a decision by a deputy to stop, detain, interdict, or search an
individual based on their race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion,
sexual orientation, gender, or economic status. The Lake County Sheriff's
Office prohibits illegal profiling as a law enforcement tactic and will not
tolerate or condone its use by any of our deputies.
ZERO TOLERANCE:
It is the Sheriff's Office philosophy to accomplish our mission in a way that respects the
dignity of all persons and yet sends a strong message of zero tolerance to
actual and potential lawbreakers.
2023 | Lake County Sheriff's Office | All rights reserved
