Your Rights and Responsibilities

NDPD is here to serve you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our Officers are approachable and trained to be courteous in their interactions. Often in the course of carrying out their duties, it becomes necessary for police officers to stop a person on foot or in a vehicle, to make inquiries. Many of their actions are prescribed by law or department policy and are intended to enhance the safety of all involved. Every contact is an unknown situation. Officers must take a number of factors into consideration to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

Here is some information regarding the interactions you might have with police such as traffic stops, pedestrian stops and searches. They were created to help lessen your anxiety and provide guidelines on how you should respond when stopped by an officer. They also describe what you can expect from the officer. There are a number of reasons why you might be approached by a police officer but this does not mean you’re in trouble or being accused of something.