“The exercise of law enforcement authority based solely upon an individual’s race, ethnic origin, gender, age, or income status by the members of the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office is prohibited. The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office enforces the law in a fair and impartial manner, recognizing both the statutory and judicial limitations of police authority, while protecting the rights of all persons. To this end, enforcement action, including but not limited to vehicle stops, stop and frisk of an individual, arrests, searches and seizures, the application of force, and initiation of forfeiture proceedings must be made solely on law, policy, and articulable facts.
Deputies will receive continued training beyond their academy training regarding proactive enforcement, deputy safety, cultural diversity, search and seizure, courtesy, and communication skills. In keeping with the Sheriff’s Mission, training programs will emphasize the need to respect the rights of all citizens to be free from unreasonable intrusion or police action.
Any person may file a complaint if they believe that a DeSoto County Sheriff’s Deputy has violated its policy. No person shall be discouraged, discriminated against, intimidated, or coerced from filing such complaint. The complaint may be made by phone, mail, or in person. All complaints are thoroughly investigated and the person filing the complaint will be notified of the outcome of the investigation.”