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27A-Social Media
<br />Policy & Procedure Page 2 of 5
<br />5. Social Media: A category of Internet-based resources that integrate user-
<br />generated content and user participation. This includes, but is not limited to,
<br />social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace), micro-blogging sites (Twitter,
<br />Nixle), photo- and video-sharing sites (Flickr, YouTube), wikis (Wikipedia),
<br />blogs, and news sites (Digg, Reddit).
<br />6. Social Networks: Online platforms where users can create profiles, share
<br />information, and socialize with others using a range of technologies.
<br />7. Speech: Expression or communication of thoughts or opinions in spoken
<br />words, in writing, by expressive conduct, symbolism, photographs, videotape,
<br />or related forms of communication.
<br />8. Web 2.0: The second generation of the World Wide Web focused on
<br />shareable, user-generated content, rather than static web pages. Some use
<br />this term interchangeably with social media.
<br />9. Wiki: Web page(s) that can be edited collaboratively.
<br />B. Employee Responsibilities & Limitations
<br />1. Photographs or other depictions of departmental uniforms, badges, patches,
<br />marked units, other departmental property or on duty personnel, including
<br />incident scenes, shall not be posted on internet sites by department
<br />personnel without the approval of the Chief of Police.
<br />2. Employees are prohibited from posting, transmitting, and/or disseminating any
<br />pictures or videos of official departmental training, activities, or work-related
<br />assignments, without the expressed, written permission of the Chief of Police.
<br />3. Employees shall treat as confidential, all the official business of the
<br />department.
<br />4. No employee shall release, either directly or indirectly, information concerning
<br />crimes, accidents, or violations of ordinances and/or statutes to persons
<br />outside the department, except as authorized by departmental policy under
<br />Public Information Function.
<br />5. No employee should gossip about the affairs of the department with persons
<br />outside the department.
<br />6. No sexual, violent, racial, ethnically derogatory material, comments, pictures,
<br />artwork, video, or other reference may be posted along with any department
<br />approved reference.
<br />7. Employees shall not post any material on the internet that brings discredit to or
<br />may adversely affect the efficiency or integrity of the Lexington Police
<br />Department. In addition, no employee shall use the internet in any way, shape,
<br />or form in order to disparage or harass another department or town employee,
<br />as well as any other citizen
<br />8. Employees should consider the possible adverse consequences of internet
<br />postings, such as future employment, cross-examination in criminal cases,
<br />and public, as well as private, embarrassment.
<br />9. Employees are reminded to exercise good judgment and demonstrate
<br />personal accountability when choosing to participate on social networking sites
<br />such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc. Use of these types of sites while on
<br />duty shall be restricted to official departmental business only
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