And, simply providing a manual of policies is not the solution to the problem. There must also be training to educate the officer about the standards by which he will be held accountable. And, it is now well established that an agency must have competent policies to help avoid liability. A good place to start is to write and issue high-risk policies. After the decision is made regarding the topic of the policies, then a decision must be made regarding in what format and style the policies should be issued.
Policies can also include unwritten forms including customs, usage, and practice.
Policies can be judgmental, restrictive, discouraging, or prohibiting. A judgmental policy allows officers to make decisions and to take action. An example would include discretionary handcuffing of those people who are arrested, taking into account medical, physical, and other concerns. Restrictive policies are those which place restrictions on officers' judgment and decisions, such as don't handcuff visibly pregnant women with their hands behind their back. At a minimum, policies must be within the bounds of the law.