CCMT Sponsor Director of Information, Science & Technology Department/Area Corporate Communications Section/Sector

Transcription

1 Policy Title Use of Social Media Policy CCMT Sponsor Director of Information, Science & Technology Department/Area Corporate Communications Section/Sector 1.0 Rationale 2.0 Intention 3.0 General Principles 4.0 Guidance, Procedures & Tactics 5.0 Compliance with Policies 6.0 Challenges & Representations 7.0 Communication 8.0 Compliance and Certification 8.1 Human Rights Audit 8.2 Equality Impact Assessment 8.3 Management of Police Information (MoPI) 8.4 Data Protection 8.5 Freedom of Information Act 8.6 Protective Markings 8.7 Health & Safety at Work 1.0 Rationale 1.1 Social media has opened up many new channels which Thames Valley Police can use to increase direct communication with the public. The Force recognises the opportunities and benefits associated with utilising these channels to engage and interact externally. 1.2 This policy sets out the framework for using social media for both business use and personal use and provides individual users with guidance to ensure 1

2 they maintain their, and the Force s, professional integrity and reputation when using social media. 2.0 Intention 2.1 This policy is designed to support and encourage the effective, safe and appropriate use of social media in a way which enhances the reputation and integrity of the Force in line with our values. 2.2 Users are defined as: all police officers, special constables, police staff, contractors, volunteers, and approved users (including individuals on secondment to, or from, other forces) with Force issued identification and passwords. 2.3 Aims and Objectives To engage with and respond to the communities of Thames Valley online about policing and community issues, in order to cut crime and help build confidence in the service we provide To develop an online TVP community and build relationships with local audiences To provide responsive and timely updates on key events and incidents To respond to and manage reputation issues highlighted through social media sites To utilise online conversation trends to broaden the reach of TVP s key messages To enable and support users to embrace new technology and tools to improve communication and engagement To encourage traffic to This policy applies to all users and is effective immediately. 3.0 General Principles 3.1 Thames Valley Police recognises the growing importance of social media channels by which many people communicate and share content. The Thames Valley Police Social Networking Strategy clearly sets out the direction of travel for the Force regarding the use of Social Media as a means of communication and engagement with the public The following principles apply: TVP branding should be used on our corporate accounts so people know it is really us As the hub of TVP s online activity, all social media content (where appropriate) should support, link back to, and be fed from the main website Content on social media sites is available for others to share on their own blogs, local community sites, and media sites 2

3 Content should be professional, but it should be in a less formal voice During a major incident, warning and informing updates will be posted on appropriate social media sites, using Force-wide and local accounts by Corporate Communications after being approved by Gold to ensure a consistent message Additional corporate accounts, not included in Appendix B, will be developed in specific circumstances to support campaigns or investigations. Contact Corporate Communications to enable a new account to be opened Any communication through social media should fulfil one of the aims listed in 2.3 of this policy Consider data protection issues when using social media as you would when using any other channels of communication through your work The public must be able to trust the integrity of Thames Valley Police and its employees so please keep this in mind when you are networking. 4.0 Guidance, Procedures & Tactics 4.1 The Social Media strategy sets out the level of Force accounts (Appendix B) and usage of social media. The Force recognises that social media is constantly developing, with new key platforms emerging all the time therefore this strategy will be regularly reviewed to reflect these fast moving developments. 4.2 Procedure for setting up a TVP account If a user wishes to open a corporate account not currently listed in Appendix B, and they can demonstrate it will fulfill the aims and objectives within the policy, they should contact one of the Corporate Communications management team to discuss The Head of Corporate Communications will make a decision on whether the new account can be approved or if further consultation with the relevant Chief Officer is required Individual professional accounts are encouraged for ACPO/LPA Commanders and heads of operational departments. Individual professional accounts are set up in your business name e.g. Chief Inspector West rather than your personal name. Other officers are encouraged to use the local area account or relevant OCU accounts rather than individual professional accounts to ensure resilience around the times that staff and officers are off shift and not in work or move on from the organisation To maximise the effectiveness of all our corporate accounts, users are required to attend a short training course prior to using the account where they will learn lots of useful tips and hints. 4.3 Use of social media for work purposes Every communication produced by TVP or from a member of TVP, whatever form it takes, is viewed by the public and stakeholders as an official TVP communication and could impact on our reputation and relationships with others. 3

4 4.3.2 All members of TVP, therefore, are ambassadors for the Force and have a role to play in ensuring the Force communicates consistently effectively, in line with our values and that we demonstrate openness and transparency When using social media publish things you would consider saying to the press or at a public meeting. 4.4 Guidance for using a corporate account Remember you are responsible for the accuracy of the information you post either to a TVP channel or as a contributor You should inject your personality into posts but remember you are still representing the organisation so you should remain professional Keep passwords safe and secure at all times. The password to TVP accounts are issued by Corporate Communications and should only be changed by Corporate Communications. You should not disclose passwords to other people including other TVP officers or members of staff. Should they require a password please direct them to Corporate Communications Retweeting messages to your followers is good pracice as you are helping to share information to a much wider audience. Messages you can tweet or retweet could include: - safety and crime prevention messages - crime updates and information appeals - road closures - details about neighbourhood policing community meetings and events - information about community events events and activities especially those organised by partners or local community groups Remember that social media is a two way communication tool, so ensure you respond to comments and questions from your followers and fans Freedom of Information (FOI) requests that are sent in by the public to a Twitter inbox or should be sent to the TVP Freedom of Information Office for advice as soon as possible Remember that a large number of journalists and local media will follow your Twitter posts, so it is essential that you have further information at hand. If you want to tweet information about a crime or incident that is news worthy please let the Press Bureau know the details so they can deal with any subsequent media enquiries that come in Ensure you have the approval of the OIC or SIO before tweeting about incidents or investigations. Corporate Communications will agree lines for social media use with the OIC or SIO as part of the overall communications strategy for a Major Crime incident so please contact them for advice Please check your facts as once you have posted something via social media it is nearly impossible to pull it back and correct it You need to understand and adhere to copyright when linking to images or other online material. Corporate Communications can assist you with this. Contact Corporate Communications if you come across any social media content that disparages or reflects poorly on TVP All content posted on social media sites is considered to be in the public domain, and Terms and Conditions on sites usually include waiving copyright. 4

5 It is a user s responsibility to ensure that content is appropriate and there is no breach of copyright Things not to post on a corporate account Information or details which are confidential, political, sensitive or personal data. This may include information about internal processes such as PDRs, reviews and admin work and certain meetings. Operational tactics should never be posted Information that might be misinterpreted as wasteful Posts that are rude, aggressive, sexist, racist or in any way likely to offend others Information about ongoing criminal investigations or operations without the approval of the OIC or SIO Information which could undermine operational activity including operation names or code names for exercises Disparaging or defamatory statements about the organisation, colleagues, staff, residents, suppliers, partners and others Personal views or opinions which criticise the values, policies or decisions of TVP Comments that might be construed in a way that could damage the reputation of TVP, even indirectly or undermine public confidence in the Force Language and style when using a corporate account A more informal tone and language has the most success on social media. Inject your personality into posts but remember to remain professional Emulating youth language can appear patronising, therefore a more relaxed conversational style is recommended Avoid jargon, acronyms and police speak Content should be kept concise and to the point. This is especially important on sites with limited character input, such as Twitter Don t Tweet about personal issues in your area no one wants to know what you had for lunch but Tweet if you re having a public meeting at a coffee shop Start every Tweet with your shoulder number and last name so your followers get to know you Appendix A gives further helpful guidance on the use of Twitter 4.5 Taking and publishing images 4.6 General Interest Images Publishing general interest photographs via TVP social media accounts is an effective way of keeping posts fresh and engaging. 5

6 4.6.2 General interest photos, not directly connected to a crime, incident, or crime related operation, can be published directly by the officer via TVP social media accounts A consent form must be signed by any officer or member of Thames Valley Police staff who appears in a photograph prior to release or publication by the organisation. This form can be found on the Corporate Communications intranet portal No images of children under the age of 18 can be released or published without the signed consent of a parent or legal guardian Please also consider the following: Think about what the photo is and why you are publishing it Is the photo likely to cause offence? Seek advice from your line manager or the Corporate Communications helpdesk If someone is prominent in the photo you need to obtain written consent, however do not worry about people in the periphery of the image Before publishing photos that identify car registrations or could identify a residential address or place of work please contact Corporate Communications for advice Be aware that publishing a photo via social media could reveal the location the photograph was taken from due to Geo tagging. 4.7 Publishing CCTV images of unnamed suspects Thames Valley Police adopts the national ACPO Guidance on the Release of Images of Suspects and Defendants Images of an unknown person police would like to interview in relation to a particular incident or crime can be published via TVP social media channels. Approval to release the image should be confirmed in writing (hard copy or e- mail) by the Officer in Charge (OIC) or Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) of the case. The following conditions must be met: The image should only show the individual the police want to speak to and not any other person The wording of the Tweet needs to be approved by the Corporate Communications Help Desk prior to publication to ensure it does not imply guilt. They can supply you with a template Tweet to accompany the image In addition the following points should be considered: The OIC/SIO believes on reasonable grounds that the person(s) pictured committed the offence or could be a key witness to the offence The photograph is of good enough quality that a member of the public is likely to identify the suspect s face No other investigation will be compromised by publishing the image 6

7 The photograph has been displayed at briefings and internally across the police area The photograph is being used only to help reveal the identification of the person(s) pictured and accompanying copy does not state they are guilty of the offence Any witness to the incident has verified in their statement that he/she believes that the image is of the alleged offender The owner of the CCTV has given consent for it to be published. However once the CCTV has been produced in court the owner s permission is not longer required but out of courtesy we should inform them if we intend to release the image The release of the image is considered to be proportionate to the crime committed. 4.8 Pictures of named (wanted) suspects or defendants These images can only be published via TVP social media channels by Corporate Communications If you have an image of a named suspect or defendant you want to publish please contact the Communications Help Desk. 4.9 Personal use of Social Media Channels TVP permits reasonable use of personal social media during the working day using Force equipment, providing it does not affect the individuals performance Users should not post on personal social media anything which could undermine public confidence in the Force or bring discredit to the Force either on or off duty Users should not use their own device for personal social media use while on duty in a public area Users should be careful about making reference to TVP as an orgnisation or their role within the organisation on a personal social media account. This may impact on their own privacy, the security of family and friends, and may compromise their vetting status or ability to be deployed on certain types of policing Even without expressing a direct or indirect link to TVP, unless your comments are very guarded and your identity very secure it will not be difficult for people to see that you are a member of TVP e.g. by retweeting corporate messages, Google name search etc As a result you should consider the following: All users are accountable for whatever they put into the public domain even on a privately held account Users should be aware that the media use social media to gather information about officers and staff, including personal details, telephone numbers, 7

8 addresses and links, images and interests and are entitled to report on anything posted All comments made on social media will be deemed to be in the public domain and could be liable to a misconduct severity assessment. This applies to both personal and corporate sites To protect the reputation of the Force users should not express personal views which may be derogatory towards colleagues, TVP policies/procedures/ operations or other activities, nor those of partners Comments made on personal sites should not reveal confidential information or information you only have access to via your role with TVP Information about a crime, incident or TVP related matter, not already in the public domain, should not be communicated via your personal social media accounts. This should be done via the corporate accounts as the official source of information You must never reveal any protectively marked information If you disclose that you work for TVP you should make it absolutely clear that any views expressed are yours alone and do not represent the official position of TVP. However this does not prevent the Force from taking action if the policy is breached Remember not to use the TVP logo or other copyrighted material Think about any images you are posting, would you show them to a line manager, a member of the public or the media? Careful consideration should be given to posting any photos of you in uniform on a personal account. They must not discredit the Force, breach Standards of Professional Behaviour or undermine operational activity Never display offensive images or make offensive comments, or in any way harass, intimidate, bully, victimise or discriminate against others. 5.0 Compliance with policies 5.1 Anyone who works for Thames Valley Police must comply with this policy and all other TVP policies at all times. The Social Media Policy complements the following existing TVP policies: The Guidance on use of Twitter (Appendix A) The Electronic Communications Policy The Information Security Policy 722/2011 Media Engagement Policy Data Protection Freedom of Information All associated terms and conditions of employment Breach of this policy or any other Thames Valley Police policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal regardless of whether the breach is committed during working hours, and regardless of whether our equipment or facilities are used for the purpose of committing the breach Postings on any TVP social media site not in line with Thames Valley Police policy and guidance may be removed from the account by Corporate 8

9 Communications and access to the account could be removed depending on the severity of the breach. Formal action or investigation may also be initiated. 5.2 Monitoring of Social Media Accounts Corporate Communications monitor all Thames Valley Police accounts on a daily basis via the free online tool Tweetdeck and use Social Mentions as a tool to pick up wider references to TVP and policing on social media sites. This assists us in identifying any emerging community issues and enables us to respond positively to any rumours, concerns of complaints from the public. 6.0 Challenges & Representations Amanda Cooper, Director of Information Science and Technology Headquarters South, Kidlington, OX5 2NX 7.0 Communications Internally to officers and staff on the Policy Management Unit site Through internal publications such as Thames View, Weekly Orders and Managers Briefing On the homepage of the intranet. Externally to the Police and Crime Commissioner, the public and the media. Through the website, direct to the media, FOI policy site. 7.1 Implementation Strategy Face to face meetings with operational officers and CID Through operational briefings Learning and Development training course on Social Media. 8.0 Compliance and Certification 8.1 Human Rights Certification The Human Rights Audit will be carried out by a trained Human Rights Auditor. (i) Legal Basis (ii) Human Rights Articles Engaged This policy has the potential to engage Article 8 Right to Respect for Privacy and Family Life. A public authority may interfere with the exercise of this right in accordance with the law and as is deemed necessary in a democratic society in the interests of :- - National security - Public safety or the economic well being of the country - The prevention of disorder or crime - The protection of health or morals 9

10 - The protection of rights and freedom of others (iii)prohibition of Discrimination The policy is designed to ensure that staff and officers do not discriminate against any individual in the way they engage with social media. 8.2 Diversity Impact Assessment An Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out for this policy and is assessed as having low impact on the protected characteristics. 8.3 Management of Police Information (MoPI) Compliance The policy ensures that officers and staff comply with the MOPI rules for managing operational information. 8.4 Data Protection The policy includes guidance to ensure officers and staff comply with the rules of Data Protection. 8.5 Freedom of Information Act In line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, all policies which do not contain police tactics and have the GPMS NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED, will be made available to the public. Any other exemptions to this should be evidenced to prove why this policy should not be published, e.g. publishing this policy will: (i) Present a real risk of breach of security (ii) Impede the course of a criminal investigation Is this policy suitable to be made available to the public? 8.6 Protective Markings This document is not protectively marked. 8.7 Health & Safety at Work This policy has no implications for Health and Safety at work. 9.0 Monitoring and Review Compliance with the policy will be monitored continuously. Any non compliance will be identified through Solcara and through media monitoring within the Press Bureau. A full review will be carried out by the policy author and will examine: Changes in legislation 10

11 Examples of good practice from other forces or other organisations Developments with ACPO Policy Unit Representations made by individuals and relevant organisations Relevant equality data The policy will be reviewed annually. Date of next review: November Policy signed off by: For use by the Policy Management Unit Only Chief Officer Policy Authorisation Name of relevant ACC Date 11

12 APPENDICES Appendix A Twitter guidance for staff How to get started You will access Twitter from your PC or the Twitter Blackberry App. Introduction Your twitter account will be at town level You have 140 characters in which to update your community It s best not to go beyond around characters in order to leave room for hashtags and re-tweeting Web links are shortened on Twitter, but they still use up to 20 characters. As Twitter.com does not automatically shorten web addresses at the moment, you will have to visit and follow the instructions to shorten your web address. Town accounts will be directly linked to the relevant neighbourhood pages on Using the right style and language Use Twitter to add a human face to Neighbourhood Policing, aim to be professional, yet friendly using a relaxed conversation style. Avoid formal language Draw attention to positive new stories on your neighbourhood website pages Link back to as much as possible, Let the Communications Helpdesk know if you need a press release published Use language you would use with friends and family rather than police speak Try not to truncate words or use text/youth speak. This is a work tool and you are representing TVP in an official capacity. What to tweet Start your tweet with shoulder number and last name. This will help TVP identify who sent the tweet and also help the community get to know their local officers When you re going on patrol and where people may approach you who wouldn t normally. Promote your Twitter feed Twitter is an instantaneous tool. Use it for appeals as soon as you can e.g. if you see graffiti, photograph it and upload to Twitter and ask for the public s help to out who did it Your followers may also notify you of criminal damage through either tweets or photographs. Direct them to the correct channels if necessary and keep them up to date 12

13 Ask for intelligence from the public who may have seen a break-in, assault etc. Make sure you update them if their intelligence was successful Tweet to publicise surgeries or meetings, tweet afterwards to say how it went, then tweet again when the local priorities have been decided and put a link to your neighbourhood policing page. Find out who else is using Twitter in your area. Follow them and interact with them using re-tweeting, public and direct messaging Highlight good news stories in your area, good statistics, a regular troublemaker caught, positive results in court. Re-tweet positive stories published in local community and media websites If there are negative stories, promote how your neighbourhood team is tackling them Engage with people in your area write an update to them, comment on their tweets but don t offer any promises to help that you can t deliver. What not to tweet Don t tweet about personal issues in your area no one wants to know what you had for lunch but tweet if you re having a public meeting at a coffee shop. Information posted online should not: Contain protectively marked, restricted or otherwise sensitive information Discriminate or appear to support discriminatory attitudes Be libellous Breach copyright Undermine operational activities or impact the security of officers and staff Damage the reputation of the police service. Basically, don t tweet about anything you wouldn t say to the press or at a public meeting. Many media outlets monitor Twitter feeds and will quickly pick up on any controversial messages; Tweets have no legal immunity meaning you are open to being sued for libel and defamation. Hashtags These help categorise tweets worldwide. Either incorporate a hashtag into your tweet or add it at the end. Given the localised nature of your local account, this will increase the visibility of your messages. Some key hashtags# #cops #students #asb #football You may want to join a hashtag used in your area or establish one yourself. E.g. #oxford 13

14 Re-tweeting When you re-tweet someone else s tweet, make sure it starts RT@username. This will eat into your 140 character limit. Re-tweet messages from partners and followers to become more involved in the community, rather than just pushing out messages. Following Encourage people, businesses, and organisations to follow your feed. We recommend you follow partner agencies and local community organisations and representatives and be careful about the individuals you follow. If you follow a councillor from one political party, you may need to follow them all no matter what party they are from. Think about any political ramifications or allegations of favourites as to who you follow. The more people who follow your account increases the chance of messages being re-tweeted. Use of #ff tag (which means followfriday) to recommend your followers follow someone else. You will then hopefully in turn be recommended to other Twitter users. Public messages of the person you d like to reach in your tweet. These go on public feeds. You do not have to be a follower to send a public message. Direct messages Twitter s private messaging channel they don t appear in public feeds or search results. The sender and receiver both have to follow each other s feeds to send a direct message. Deleting messages It s easy to delete a message but remember tweets are never really deleted from the internet. Negative messages If someone says something derogatory about TVP it won t appear on your twitter feed page. But by monitoring the mentions of you can spot any negative comments and consider if and how you respond. 14

15 APPENDICES Appendix B List of approved Force Twitter Accounts LPA Oxford Vale of White Horse & South Oxon Cherwell West Oxon Aylesbury Milton Keynes Reading South Bucks Wycombe Chiltern West Berkshire Wokingham Slough Windsor and Maidenhead Bracknell Specialist accounts TVP Roads Policing TVP LPA Commanders TVP CCMT TVP Students TVP Dogs TVP Horses Suggested @tvprp Individual Accounts ACPO LPA Commanders Heads of Operational Departments 15

16 16