Social Media and Electronic Communications by Department Members

Department members will abide by the following:

1. Adherence to LVMPD 1.120 Law Enforcement Code of Ethics is required in the personal use of social media

2. Public employees have qualified First Amendment rights. Speech on or off-duty, made pursuant to official duties is not protected speech under the First Amendment and may form the basis for discipline if deemed detrimental to the efficiency of operations of the department

3. Dept. members are free to express themselves as private citizens in matters of public concern to the degree that their speech does not:

   1. Impair working relationships of the department for which loyalty and confidentiality are important

   2. Impede the performance of duties

   3. Impair discipline and harmony among co-workers; or

   4. Negatively impact or tend to negatively impact the department’s ability to serve the public

4. Dept members will not post, transmit, or disseminate any info, documents, photos or videos, to which members have access as a result of employment, without written permission from the Sheriff or designee

5. Dept members are prohibited from disclosing information pertaining to my other dept members without permission of the affected member (ex. Tagging in photos or text)

6. Officers In covert capacity will not post any form of visual or personal identification. Will not post anything that could reveal or comprise any covert operation. For officer safety, purposes, it is required that officer working in a covert capacity and have posted anything, past or present, that may identify them must remove all such posts

On the job use of electronic communication:

Department Sanctioned Presence

A. Each social media page will include an intro statement that specifies purpose and scope of agency’s presence on site

B. Social media pages will be designed to for the target audiences such as potential LVMPD employees and volunteers

On the Job Use of Electronic Communication:

Department Sanctioned Use

1. Department members representing the department via social media outlets will do the following:

A. Conduct themselves at all times as representatives of LVMPD and adhere to all LVMPD standards of conduct policies and observe proper decorum

B. Identify themselves as a member of the department via social

C. Make no statements about any suspect or arrestee, or comments concerning pending prosecutions or otherwise disseminate personal or confidential information, including but not limited to photographs or videos, related to department training, activities, or work-related assignments without express written permission.

D. Monitor public comments and respond to those that may spread misinformation

E. Conduct no political activities or private business.

F. Keep information current and up to date

2. Dept members will observe and abide by all copyright and trademark restrictions in posting materials on electronic media

Personal Use of Electronic Communication

Precautions

1. Cautioned that the following actions could have a detrimental effect on department member’s safety and the operational security of the department:

A. Position/displaying dept logos/uniforms/similar identifying items on social media

B. Posting/displaying on social media personal photos or providing similar means of personal recognition that may cause a person to be identified as an officer or a dept member

2. Dept members should be aware that privacy settings and social media sites are constantly in flux and should never assume that personal info posted on such sites is protected from pubic access

3. Dept members should expected that any info created, transmitted, downloaded, exchanged, or discussed in a public online forum may be accessed by the department at any given time without prior notice.

4. Dept members should be aware that they may be subject to civil litigation for:

A. Posting false info that harms reputation of person, group, org. (Defamation)

B. Publishing or posting private facts and personal info about someone without permission that has not been previously revealed to the public, is not legitimate public concern, would be offensive to a reasonable person

C. Using someone else’s name, likeness, or other personal attributes without that person’s permission for an exploitative purpose or;

D. Publishing the creative work of another, trademarks, or certain confidential business info without the permission of the owner

Personal Use of Electronic Communications

Prohibitions

1. Dept members will not access personal social networking site(s) while on duty

2. Dept. members will not use the department logo, a replica of the badge or use “LVMPD” as a part of a page, posting, signature, or to serve as an embellishment of any statement

3. Dept. members prohibited from speech that ridicules, maligns, disparages, or otherwise promotes discrimination against race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, political affiliation, gender identity and expression or other explicit class of individuals

4. Dept. members are prohibited from speech or other expression that suggests the person is engaged in behavior reasonably considered to be unlawful or reckless toward public safety

5. Speech that conflicts with ICARE values negatively affects member and department ability to serve the community. Violations of this policy or related policies (values, conduct, etc) in the use of social media that bring the member or the department into discredit or would tend to bring the member or the department into discredit will result in the department taking appropriate action up to and including termination