What enhances the good faith defense for an officer during a legal proceeding?

The good faith defense for an officer during a legal proceeding is significantly enhanced by written directives of the department. This is because written directives provide documented guidelines on how an officer should perform their duties, including protocols for conducting searches, arrests, and interactions with the public. When officers adhere to these established procedures, it demonstrates that they acted within the scope of their training and the established policies of their department.

Following written directives can serve as crucial evidence in court that the officer was acting in accordance with their department's rules and procedures, thus bolstering their argument for acting in good faith. The presence of these directives supports the notion that the officer was not engaging in arbitrary or capricious behavior, but was following established protocols meant to ensure just and fair policing practices.

In contrast, personal experience, public opinion, and training hours, while relevant to an officer’s overall competency and approach to their duties, do not provide the same concrete framework as documented policies. Personal experience may vary widely among officers, public opinion is subjective and often inconsistent, and the amount of training hours alone does not guarantee adherence to appropriate practices without the support of written guidelines.