Social Networking

1. Whether staff are entitled to access Social Networking sites (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc…) via the organisations network. If so, which sites?
2. If so, what are the acceptable usage terms (i.e. time spent per day)?
3. Any guidelines which set other standards or good practice in relation to the use of Social Networking sites.
4. Any documents which detail the benefits of marketing the organisation via Social Networking sites.
5. Any guidelines issued to staff in relation to their home use of Social Networking sites.  How many staff have been disciplined in relation to inappropriate use (including excessive usage) of Social Networking sites?  Did the incident take place on the organisations’ premises or was the incident related to private/domestic use?  Brief details of the incident in question. 
6. Has your organisation made any requests to any Social Networking sites to remove any inappropriate material in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010? If so, how many and what was the nature of the posting?
7. Does your organisation hold a list of inappropriate words or phrases, which are automatically filtered out for any Social Networking postings? If so, please can I be supplied with a copy?
8. How much has your organisation spent on consultancy fees
9. relating to setting up and the maintenance of Social Networking sites in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010?
10. Do you have any staff resources dedicated to Social Networking?

If so, how many FTE posts?

In accordance with section 1(1) (b) of the Act our response is provided below;

Question 1. Staff do access social networking sites in order to carry out their duties where such access is necessary for policing purposes, i.e investigations etc. There is no time limits other than what is necessary.

Staff are not entitled to access social networking sites via the force network for their own personal use.

Question 2. see Q 1 above.

Question 3. See Q 4 below

Question 4.  Social Media Guidance

Question 5. Extract from Force orders

MANAGING STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOUR

The standards of professional behaviour requires police officers to act in a manner which does not bring discredit on the police service or undermine public confidence in their ability to discharge their duties as a police officer, whether on or off duty. All members of the Constabulary need to exercise particular caution in ensuring no adverse implications can be drawn from their contributions to social networking sites and any information placed thereon. As the name implies, the content of such sites can readily be networked widely into the public domain irrespective of any privacy controls in place. There is increasing local and national concern over the impact of social networking on the reputation of individual officers and the police service in general.

Question 6. A. 8 staff have been disciplined
B 7 cases occurred on force premises and involved excessive usage
1 case occurred on private premises and involved inappropriate and offensive comments
4 staff given advice, 3 staff given written warnings, 1 resigned prior to discipline

Question 7. In 2009, we had cause to approach social networking sites who had published upon them information which was being heard in court during a trial . The information was being published by family and friends of the defendants who were attending court, and was deemed to be potentially prejudicial.

In 2010 we contacted Facebook regarding a number of inflammatory remarks that had been placed on the site in relation to arrests made as part of the investigation into a murder in Chester. Some threatening and abusive comments were pasted onto Facebook following the arrests. We requested that Facebook remove the comments on behalf of the SIO.

Question 8. No

Question 9. None

Question 10. Corporate Communication Department has as part of their remit to communicate information about a diverse and wide variety of subjects including contacting the organisation, and local neighbourhood information regarding the prevention and detection of crime. In order to reach specific target audiences Corporate Communications will consider all the different communications channels available including social networking channels. Social networking channels are used by the department along with other web based applications, the print and broadcast media and face to face communications. This adopted way of working provides the department with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver communications activity in a way that is best suited to different target audiences with out having dedicated resources for social networking.