Policy Text
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GENERAL ORDER
Control of Employees ’ Personal Information
The purpose of this General Order is to provide the policy and procedures for control of
Sheriff’s Office Employ ees’ Personal Information.
It is the policy of the Sheriff’ s Office that all Personal Info rmation of current and former
employees is considered strict ly confidential and not public re cord. Personal Information
may not be disclosed, removed fr om Sheriff’s Office facilities, emailed, printed, copied,
mailed, distributed, etc. excep t as prescribed in this General Order.
I. Consequences of Violation
Individuals determined to be in violation of this Order may be subject to
prosecution under Penal Code Section 502.
II. Personal Information Defined
Personal Information can be in ele ctronic, hard-copy, or any fo rmat, and is
defined as:
A. Social Security Number
B. Residence/Mailing address
C. Telephone numbers, including home, emergency contact, and
agency-issued cellular phone
D. Work Schedule
E. Family/Emergency contact information
F. Payroll Data – actual salary, leave balances, deductions, ta xes, etc.
G. Employment Status, i.e., on- call, probationary, permanent, e tc.
H. Medical information
I. Any other personal data. ( Employee photographs, DMV informat ion,
etc.)
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III. Distribution/Use of Personal Information
The distribution of Employees ’ Personal Information will be per formed by the
Personnel/Payroll Unit and will be limited to those supervisory / management
employees deemed appropriate.
Use of Employees’ Personal Information is strictly limited to t he performance of
job duties .
IV. Disclosure of Information Restricted
Except as noted in this Order, Department employees are restric ted to the extent
of information that may be di sclosed regarding current and form er Department
employees. ONLY the following informati on may be disclosed:
A. Confirmation that individual is/ is not a current or former
Department employee
B. Individual’s job classifica tion, i.e., Deputy Sheriff, Sheri ff’s Records
Officer, etc.
C. Salary range for classification
D. Current assigned Division
E. General phone num ber for Division
Requests for any additional information MUST be referred to the Personnel /
Payroll Unit, Adminis trative Division.
V. Responding to Non-Emergency Requests
Non-emergency telephone and in- person requests for information should be
responded to as follows:
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If the request is for
information . . . and it is . . . then . . .
regarding a known Sheriff’s
Office employee during normal business
hours, take a message for the
employee to contact the requestor or refer the requestor to the proper Division.
regarding an unknown individual during normal business
hours, refer the requestor to
the Personnel / Payroll Unit.
regarding either a known or unknown individual after normal business
hours refer the requestor to
the on-duty supervisor in the Communications Bureau.
beyond what is permitted to disclose anytime refer the requestor to
the Personnel / Payroll Unit.
VI. Responding to E mergency Requests
In situations where the requesto r indicates an emergency and a need to contact
an employee immediately, the call taker MUST make every effort to get a
message to the employee as soon as possible usin g one or more o f the following
methods.
A. Direct contact using Departm ent-issued pager / cell phone, r adio,
VDT / Administrative Message, etc.
B. Communications Bure au, on-duty Supervisor,
C. Personnel / Payroll Unit, and
D. Division Secretary or o ther Divisio n personnel.
If the employee cannot be contac ted, the call-taker shall advis e the requestor.
VII. Responding to Criminal Investigation Requests
In the event one of our employees is the subject of a criminal investigation, the
call taker shall immediately not ify the on-duty supervisor. Th e supervisor shall
confirm the validity of the inve stigation and determine the exi gency of the
request. If the request is determi ned to be valid, and an exig ency exists (felony,
misdemeanor with like lihood of bodily injury, destruction of ev idence, etc.), the
on-duty supervisor shall provid e the investig ating agency with the employee’s
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personal contact information to i nclude phone numbers, resident ial address, and
work schedule.
The on-duty supervisor shall i mmediately notify the appropriate personnel as
outlined in General Order 7/04, N otification R equirements.
VIII. Reporting Lost, Stolen, or Im properly Disclosed Informati on
All employees are responsible fo r notifying their Division Comm ander
immediately upon learning of the loss, theft, or improper discl osure of
Employee’s Personal Information.
The Division Commander is respons ible for then notifying the Ch ief Deputy,
Administrative Services.