TUSPD_GO_0346_-_News_Media_Relations_74458

CATEGORY DATE ADOPTED LAST REVIEW 1 01/24/2011 07/27/23 TUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS _______________________ 346 - News Media Relations 1 POLICY 346 NEW S MEDIA RELATIONS 346.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE The policy provides guidelines for media releases and media access to scenes of disasters, criminal investigations, emergencies , protests , marches, rallies, and other law enforcement activities. 346.1.1 ACCREDITATION STANDARDS This section pertains to the following CALEA Standards: 41.2.4 , 46.1.3 , 54.1.1 , 54.1.2, 54.1.3 , 82.1.1, 82.1.2 This section pertains to the following Standard Operating Procedures: N/A 346.1.2 MEDIA PHILOSOPHY The Polic e Department exists to serve the community and the media is one of the vehicle s that allows the community to see the service we provide. Through a relationship of professional cooperation with the media, the department is able to promote the positive activ ities by department employees as well as respond to any requests for incident information . This policy should reflect a relationship between this department and the media. Therefore, input from the media may be sought when changing or updating this policy . 346.2 RESPONSIBILITIES The ultimate authority and responsibility for the release of information to the media shall remain with the Chief of Police . However, in situations not warranting immediate noti ce to the Chief of Police and in situations where t he Chief of Police has given prior approval, Division Commanders, Watch Commanders and designated Public Information Officer(s) may prepare and release information to the media in accordance with this policy and the applicable law. 346.2.1 MEDIA REQUEST Any media request for information or access to a law enforcement situation shall be referred to the designated department media representative, or if unavailable, to the first available supervisor. Prior to releasing any information to the media, employees shall consider the following: a) At no time shall any employee of this department make any comment or release any official information to the media without prior approval from a supervisor or the designated department media representative ; CATEGORY DATE ADOPTED LAST REVIEW 1 01/24/2011 07/27/23 TUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS _______________________ 346 - News Media Relations 2 b) In situations inv olving multiple law enforcement agencies, every reasonable effort should be made to coordinate media releases with the authorized representative of each involved agency prior to the release of any information by this department ; c) Under no circumstance shoul d any member of this department make any comment(s) to the media regarding any law enforcement incident not involving this department without prior approval of the Chief of Police . 346.3 MEDIA ACCESS 346.3.1 MEDIA ACCESS GENERALLY Authorized members o f the media shall be provided access to scenes of disasters, criminal investigations, emergencies and other law enforcement activities subject to the following conditions ( Penal Code § 409.5(d) ): a) Reasonable effort should be made to provide a safe staging area for media representatives which is near the incident and that will not interfere with ongoing emergency or criminal investigation operations. All information released to the media should be coordinated through the Public Information Officer o r other designated spokesperson. b) Media representative s should identify themselves as duly authorized representatives of a news service, online news service, newspaper, or radio or television network or station (“Media Representatives”) when seeking a ccess to any media staging area. Media Representatives should , whenever possible, produce and prominently display press credentials at all times while in areas otherwise closed to the public . This will allow members of the department to ensure prompt access to these areas by Media Representatives. c) Media representatives may be prevented from interfering with emergency operations and criminal investigations : 1. In situations where media access would reasonably ap pear to interfere with emergency operations and/or a criminal investigation, every reasonable effort should be made to provide media representatives with access to a command post at the nearest location that will not interfere with such activities . 2. Wheneve r the presence of media or other aircraft pose a threat to public or officer safety or significantly hampers incident operations, the field supervisor should consider requesting a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR). All requests for TFR should be routed th rough the Watch Commander. The TFR request should include specific information regarding the perimeter and altitude necessary for the incident , and should be requested through the appropriate control tower. If the control tower is not known, the Federal Av iation Administration should be contacted ( Federal Aviation Regulations § 91.137). d) No member of this department who is under investigation shall be subjected to media visits or interviews without the consent of the involved employee ( Government Code § 3303(e)) ; CATEGORY DATE ADOPTED LAST REVIEW 1 01/24/2011 07/27/23 TUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS _______________________ 346 - News Media Relations 3 e) Media interviews with individuals who are in custody shall not be permitted without the approval of the Chief of Police and the expressed consent of the person in custody . A tactical operation should be handled in the same manner as a crime scene