Which of the following correctly lists typical written directives in a police department?

• A. Departmental policies, goals, objectives, procedures, rules or regulations
• B. Mission statements, annual budgets, shift schedules, inspection reports
• C. Handbooks, press releases, memoranda, audits, assessments
• D. Legal codes, statutes, case law, court orders

Answer: (A)

Written directives are the internal rules and guidance that tell officers how to act, what standards to meet, and how to carry out procedures across the department. They translate policy into concrete, enforceable instructions for daily operations. The best choice reflects this: departmental policies, goals, objectives, procedures, and rules or regulations are exactly the kinds of formal, written directives that establish how the department should function and how members should behave.

Other options mix items that aren’t internal, prescriptive instructions. Mission statements, budgets, shift schedules, and inspection reports focus more on vision, resources, staffing, or evaluation than on binding procedures officers must follow. Handbooks and memoranda can contain policies, but press releases are public communications and audits or assessments are evaluative rather than directive. Legal codes, statutes, case law, and court orders come from outside the department and govern actions through law, not as internal directives created by the department itself.