For non-emergencies, call 574-235-9201.**
The South Bend Police Department works to safeguard the lives and property of the people we serve, to reduce the incidence and fear of crime, and to resolve problems among residents. The Department, in partnership with our community, strives to protect the life, property, and the personal liberties of all individuals. We believe that the overall quality of life for all residents will improve through the deterrence of criminal activity and an understanding of the diversity of cultures within this community. We also work to build and sustain community-police relationships to advance a culture of trust and inclusion. Because many of our community and other stakeholders utilize social media for news and communications, the South Bend Police Department has developed social media accounts, which help us inform the public about our work and mission. The South Bend Police Department has an important interest in assuring the accuracy and consistency of information associated with our social media sites. We also respect the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the constitutional right to freedom of speech. These terms and conditions establish guidelines for the public’s use of social media that balances these values. DEFINITIONS
1. “Social media” means digital content created by us and communicated on platforms that allow sharing, commenting, and engagement from the public. Examples of social media accounts we may use are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and NextDoor.
2. “Comments” include any digital content, information, links, images, videos, or any other form of communicative content posted in reply or response to a social media account operated by us.
3. “User” means a member of the public who views or interacts with one or more of our social media accounts. GENERAL GUIDELINES
1. These terms and conditions apply to all our social media sites.
2. Users should know that social media posts we make, comments and replies to those posts, and any direct or private messages sent to us may be public records subject to applicable public records release.
3. Our social media accounts are not monitored 24/7 and no one should utilize our social media accounts to seek emergency services. Anyone in need of emergency help should call 9-1-1.
4. We do not guarantee we will respond to comments or messages sent on our social media accounts. EXPECTATIONS
1. The South Bend Police Department believes that honest, civil, and productive discussions provide the best environment for community to understand the work of their government and participate in constructive engagement.
2. We ask users to consider that our social media feeds may be viewed by children and other impressionable people. Please refrain from profanity, personal attacks, bullying, or use of incorrect information. CONTENT MODERATION
1. Limited Public Forum. Our social media accounts are created and maintained as limited public forums under the caselaw pertaining to the First Amendment to the U.S Constitution. We invite members of the public to view and, where possible, provide comments or other engagement on our social media accounts. However, the law permits us to hide and/or delete comments that are not protected speech under the First Amendment and relevant caselaw. As a general rule, we will not hide and/or delete comments solely because such comments are critical of The South Bend Police Department or its officials.
2. Prohibited Content. Relevant First Amendment caselaw permits us to hide or delete certain comments on our social media accounts. The following will be hidden or deleted:
a. Comments directly advocating violence or illegal activity. Comments containing obscenity, which is defined as sexually explicit and/or pornographic content that is patently offensive, appeals to prurient interest, and lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value;
c. Comments that directly promote or advocate that we illegally discriminate based on race, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other legally protected class;
d. Comments containing links to malware and/or malicious content that affects the normal functioning of a computer system, server, or browser;
e. Duplicate comments posted repeatedly within a short period of time;
f. Comments containing actual defamation against a person, either as determined by a court or comments that are patently defamatory by easily discovered facts;
g. Comments that contain images or other content that violate the intellectual property or copyright rights of someone else, if the owner of that property notifies us that the property was posted in a comment on our social media account(s). h. Comments that contain a hyperlink to any website other than those controlled by The South Bend Police Department. This will be done without regard to the viewpoint of the comment containing such a link or the content of the site to which the link redirects.
3. Retention. When a comment containing any of the above content is posted to our social media account(s), a copy or electronic record of that content may be retained or archived pursuant to our records retention policy, along with a brief description of the reason the specific content was deleted. Once documented, the content will be removed, where possible, from our social media account(s)
