How does a police officer make a decision on whether a vehicle should be stopped to question the driver?

The Massachusetts courts are the strictest in the country, limiting police authority on motor vehicle stops and threshold inquiries. Our policies require a police officer to articulate reasonable grounds to make a lawful motor vehicle stop. An officer cannot stop a motorist on "a hunch".A traffic law violation is reasonable grounds for a stop. Otherwise, an officer must have reasonable suspicion that a crime has, is, or is about to be committed to engage in a threshold inquiry.

Our policies are written so as to align with the law and our traffic enforcement policies posted on our website.

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1. Does the Lexington Police Department have a protocol for addressing cases which involve run away teenagers or cases where child abuse may have been involved?
2. How does a police officer make a decision on whether a vehicle should be stopped to question the driver?
3. How are officers trained on making motor vehicle stops?
4. What methods do you have for formally documenting complaints?
5. How are calls for domestic disputes or drug/alcohol use/overdose handled?
6. What can’t we know, due to protecting privacy (as is appropriate)? How is that overseen?
7. How do Town Departments like the Police, Fire, and Human Services departments work together?
8. How often are firearms used by officers?
9. What are the Lexington Police Department's policies on use of lethal force and less than lethal force?
10. Policies are important - but how can you be confident that the policies are being respected?
11. Can you please explain how undercover police officers and vehicles are used in Lexington?
12. What weapons do police officers carry?
13. How are video cameras used in Lexington, such as body cameras or police cruiser dashboard cameras?
14. Is it possible that Lexington Police Officers could have body cameras in the future?
15. How are school resource officers used? Are they an effective tool in our school system?
16. Is there a quota system in place for the number of tickets officers must write?