81B-Use of Cell Phones - 2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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81B-Use of Cell Phones Policy & Procedure Page 2 of 4 PROCEDURES A. Department Owned Cell Phones 1. Cell phones are only authorized for official police business. Exceptions may be made for pressing family situations or personal matters that require attention and where alternative forms of communication are not suitable or easily available. 2. Any additional financial charges incurred by cell phone use should be limited and clearly linked to the necessity to use cell phones when other alternatives are inappropriate or not available. Employees will be responsible for any additional charges incurred for personal use. B. Personal Cell Phones 1. AUTHORIZATION: a. Employees may carry personally owned cell phones while on duty. The employees immediate supervisor should have the officers cell phone number as an alternative method of communication in an emergency situation. 2. LIABILITY: a. The department is not responsible for loss or damage to personal cell phones while on/off duty. b. Use of personal cell phones is governed by the same safety restrictions as provided for departmentally-owned cell phones. C. USE of Cell Phones While on Duty [81.2.10] 1. GENERALLY a. Cell phones should not be used if they may be disruptive to others. b. Ringer: Cell phone rings should be set to silent or vibrate in situations where a cell phone ring could be disruptive, such as meetings, court, etc. 2. ATTRIBUTES: Cell phones should be carried in a place that limits them from public view. They shall not have ring tones or carry cases that may be offensive the public. 3. DISTRACTION: A cell phone shall not be used when it would unnecessarily or unreasonably divert the attention of an employee from official duties and/or cause a potentially hazardous situation.