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SOP-SSD-10 Nixle Messages Technical Services Division SOP-TSD-10 December 16, 2013 Revised June 9, 2015 SUBJECT: NIXLE Messages – use and distribution of PURPOSE: The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety prioritizes partnerships with the community and seeks to find innovative ways to distribute information to the public. Nixle is a networking site in which interested or designated community members can obtain information from the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety. This system will allow community members to better protect themselves or provide information to the Public to allow for the apprehension of suspects, locate involved vehicles, or otherwise resolve incidents as well as be advised of events and impactful incidents. I. BACKGROUND: Nixle is a privately funded company that provides Community Information Service built exclusively for secure and reliable communications. The Nixle service is built on an authenticated, secure, reliable, and high- speed platform; ensuring communications are trusted and accurate. Nixle currently delivers information to consumers over their cell phones (SMS text messaging), emails (computers and smart phone devices), and simple web access at www.nixle.com. Interested citizens can subscribe by area and choose the level of notifications they desire. Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety will provide specified information via Nixle to those citizens who have voluntarily subscribed. Citizens can change their notifications or unsubscribe at any time. At this time the service is free of charge to the citizen and the agency. Nixle is a partner with the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS). NLETS is a computer-based message switching system that links together local, state, and federal law enforcement and justice agencies for the purpose of exchanging information. Nixle’s servers are housed within the NLETS secured facility. All local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies can send out instant, geographically-targeted information from their existing secured law enforcement terminals. II. POLICY: This policy specifies the manner in which Nixle broadcasts will be distributed. All personnel using the Nixle networking system will comply with the current SOP. III. PROCEDURE: The following message types are explained to assist you in determining the type of message to be sent. Command Staff, Sergeants, Detectives and Dispatch personnel are the current users of the Agency Nixle account. Additional users can be added as needed. Alert Messages: Nixle Definition -- Alert messages should be reserved for critically important information where loss of life and/or property is potentially imminent. Alert messages are time-sensitive and require your residents to take immediate action. RPDPS Example - Includes public warnings and instructions during emergencies; such as a major earthquake, severe weather alerts, gas leak, or when assistance is needed with locating an at risk missing person Advisory Messages: Nixle Definition -- Advisory messages are intended to communicate important, need-to-know information. Advisories should be considered less time-critical than Alerts and require a heightened sense of awareness from your residents. RPDPS Example -- Includes information about incidents that will impact the community – such as: police activity or wanted suspects, weather/flooding issues, minor earthquakes, power outages, traffic congestion, road closures/road work, etc. Advisory messages can be sent at the discretion of the employee, unless specific suspect or incident information would require a supervisor’s approval. Community Messages: Nixle Definition -- Community messages should be used to convey every day local news, happenings, and developments. Community messages should not contain any time-critical information. RPDPS Example -- Includes information to assist the public such as DUI checkpoints, traffic or special enforcement operations, Crime Prevention Tips, Community Updates, Town Hall Meetings, National Night Out, POA Santa Sleigh, employment opportunities etc. Press Releases should also be sent under Community. Only City or Agency sanctioned events will be sent. Community messages can be sent at the discretion of the employee. 1. When considering sending an Alert, Advisory or Community message, the employee should first make sure it has not been sent previously, or determine if the message is suitable for rebroadcast. The employee can check to see if a message has already been broadcast via Nixle by logging into their agency account and reviewing the “Recent Activity.” If the message is not listed there, it should be sent out or scheduled to be sent out. Once this is done, the employee should send a message to the email group “1 Dispatchers” that the message has been broadcast via Nixle. NOTE: Press releases should not be attached as PDF files to the Nixle message. This creates too many links for a user to follow. If the employee is unable to cut-and-paste from the Press Release PDF and it’s too long to re-enter, then a MS Word version may be requested from the original author. 2. Advisory broadcasts involving criminal activity and/or suspects at large should only be distributed at the direction of a supervisor. Nixle broadcasts may be done on the following types of cases, or if otherwise determined by a supervisor, when there is sufficient information for a BOLO and is suitable for the general public. Some examples of when a Nixle message can go out: 187 PC, 207 PC, 211 PC, 215 PC Prowlers, Missing Persons at Risk, Amber, Silver or Blue Alerts. If appropriate, check the “Request Tip” box on the Nixle message. 3. Nixle Messages shall not include the following information in the broadcasts, unless approved by the watch commander or supervisor. • Names of Victims • Information which indicates a person is 5150 W&I • Any CLETS/DMV information including registered owner’s information. • Any Criminal History or CII and/or III information. • Address location of private residences (use generic information i.e. 7300 Block of Adrian Dr) Broadcasts may contain the following information if applicable; • Names of Missing adults or juveniles – At risk by circumstances. • Suspect name and description • Business names and addresses are permissible eg. Chevron or 4990 Commerce Bl. • Vehicle descriptions including license plate numbers. • Contact telephone numbers for dispatch, investigating officers/detectives, or watch commander. • DMV photo of missing or wanted person if available 4. Upon distribution of a Nixle broadcast, the Dispatcher will note in the remarks of the CAD event that a Nixle broadcast was distributed with the ID number of the broadcasting employee, if related to an active CAD event 5. All Nixle messages should have the “Facebook” box checked to forward the Nixle message to the Department’s Facebook feed. (It is not necessary to check the “twitter” checkbox because the Facebook feed is automatically forwarded to the Department’s twitter feed.) 6. Advisory and Community messages can be distributed at the discretion of authorized Nixle users within the agency. Each discipline will be responsible for their Nixle messages. For example: Traffic will send their Checkpoint messages, unless otherwise arranged with Dispatch. 7. The time of day and the seriousness of the event will be considered prior to sending Nixle messages. Every effort will be made to ensure messages are sent out in a timely manner based on the event being broadcast: however, non-urgent messages should be sent during commute, business or evening hours. Press releases received after hours should be scheduled for broadcast by Nixle between 0800-2000 hrs daily, by the dispatcher on duty at the time of release. 8. When possible, messages should be reviewed by another person prior to disseminating to avoid sending messages with mistakes or typos. 9. Retention/cancellation of messages: all “BOLO” messages should be cancelled once resolved. Advisory and Community messages should be set for cancellation after the situation is over (construction end date, event date etc.) or self-cancelling in 24 hours, whichever is appropriate. 10. Anonymous Tips • It is now possible to receive anonymous tips from subscribers if the message is sent with Tipping enabled. This allows for a user to reply back via text message information they may have regarding a Nixle message. • Nixle Administrators, the Detective and Traffic Sergeants and Dispatchers are set up to receive the tips via email. • Upon receipt of a tip, on duty dispatch staff shall respond to the tipster with acknowledgment that the tip was received and ascertain if the tip is related to an agency case. The dispatcher should attempt to ascertain any further information if needed. • The tip should then be forwarded to the officer or detective investigating the case. If it is of an urgent nature, it should be brought to the shift sergeant for follow up.