Social Media Comment and Removal Policy

The Rolling Meadows Police Department established our social media accounts such as our Facebook Page, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube,  and Nextdoor accounts with the intent of these social media sites to serve as a communications tool between the Rolling Meadows Police Department and the public. Rolling Meadows Police Department personnel are the sole administrators of these Police Department social media sites and these sites are NOT monitored 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

This Social Media Comment and Removal Policy includes the Terms of Use, Prohibited Content, and a Disclaimer to ALL social media sites currently in use by the Rolling Meadows Police Department and any other social media platforms that the police department or the City of Rolling Meadows may use in the future.

Terms of Use:

The social media sites that are used by the Rolling Meadows Police Department and the City of Rolling Meadows are used as a communications tool, the Rolling Meadows Police Department shall utilize its Facebook Page, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Nextdoor accounts to raise awareness among Rolling Meadows residents and neighboring residents, visitors, community partners, and interested fans and followers of public safety news and information that affects the City of Rolling Meadows Police Department and at times sponsored events in the City of Rolling Meadows.

Social media sites grant the Rolling Meadows Police Department and the City of Rolling Meadows an additional opportunity to share its public safety messages and information with the general public. The Rolling Meadows Police Department shall utilize its Facebook Page, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Nextdoor accounts to post news releases, photos, videos, and important public safety messages and information, including but not limited to Amber Alerts, information about wanted criminals, road closures, power outages, Police Department and city events and other emergency announcements. Whenever possible, the Rolling Meadows Police Department's social media sites shall comply with all applicable Rolling Meadows Police Department policies and procedures set forth by the Chief of Police or his designee.

Postings on Rolling Meadows Police Department’s social media sites, comments and activity on the Department's  Facebook Page, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Nextdoor accounts  are NOT public records and NOT subject to the FOIA rules.

 Prohibited Content:

The intended purpose of the Rolling Meadows Police Department’s social media sites is to serve as a means of communication between the Rolling Meadows Police Department and members of the public. Therefore, information, posts, videos and video links including comments containing ANY of the following forms of content shall NOT be allowed and WILL be removed from the social media site(s).

 • Profane language or content of ANY kind, including content and video links that a reasonable person would find offensive, disparaging or intending to harass in any form. 

• Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, marital status, familial status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, or other protected status under applicable law. 

• Inappropriate sexual content or links to inappropriate sexual content or social media or web sites. 

• Explicit or implied sexual content of ANY kind. 

• Solicitations of commerce in ANY form, including links to videos or other websites. 

• Conduct or encouragement of ANY illegal activity. 

• Private and confidential information of ANY kind. 

• Information that may tend to compromise the safety and security of the public or public systems. 

• ANY other posting that, by its nature or content, might harm the public welfare including video links and postings from other social media platforms and sites. 

• Slanderous, libelous, offensive, threatening, uncivil, harassing or insulting language of any sorts. Comments not related to the article being commented upon, comments that promote discrimination, sexual content, harassment of any kind, solicitations or links to other social media sites, YouTube videos, web sites, or Facebook tags, political links, encouragement of illegal activity of ANY kind and information that may compromise the safety of the public are also banned and will be removed. 

• Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party.

• Off-topic discussion(s) unrelated in any manner to City services or programs provided, however, that any submissions critical of City issues or policies or of City officials not be subject to deletion unless otherwise prohibited by this comment policy. 

If a member of the public wishes to make those types of comments or has a complaint about the police department or one its employees, please contact the police department at 847-255-2416 and ask to speak to a supervisor, OR  you may file the appropriate complaint using this link and NOT on the social media sites that are referred to in this policy or any site the department may use in the future. 

Members of the public are encouraged to file any complaint or negative comment(s) about a police employee by clicking here. Comments that are mentioned on social media platforms will be removed as soon as possible. 

The Rolling Meadows Police Department reserves the right to remove any comment or conversation that is prohibited by this Social Media Comment and Removal Policy and will remove those comments or conversations as soon as it is possible. 

The Rolling Meadows Police Department disclaims any and all responsibility and liability for any materials or content that the Rolling Meadows Police Department deems inappropriate for posting. The Rolling Meadows Police Department  shall make all efforts to remove said materials in an expeditious or otherwise timely manner, but disclaims liability if circumstances exist that prevent or hinder efforts to remove said materials due to all social media sites that are mentioned NOT being monitored on a 24 hour 7 day a week basis. 

Disclaimer:

The Rolling Meadows Police Department does NOT endorse nor otherwise support or sponsor ANY advertising that may be posted by the Social Media host such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Nextdoor on their specific social media platforms. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Nextdoor are privately operated sites and the privacy terms of each respective site applies. The Rolling Meadows Police Department does NOT guarantee the reliability or accuracy of any third-party links that the respective social media platforms post. The Rolling Meadows Police Department or the City of Rolling Meadows are unable to control the third party information offered by these social media platforms and have to abide by their terms. 

The Rolling Meadows Police Department also does NOT use the messaging services offered by the social media sites to speak to the public unless the department opens it for specific purposes such as community events or specific reasons that are authorized by the Chief of Police or his designee. The messaging platform is not monitored 24 hours a day. If there is an emergency or other issue you are asked to call 911 or the department's non-emergency number at 847-255-2416. 

Members of the public are encouraged to contact the Rolling Meadows Police Department at 847-255-2416 with any questions or concerns. 

SOCIAL MEDIA SITES REMOVAL

The Rolling Meadows Police Department and the City of Rolling Meadows reserves the right to remove ANY and ALL social media accounts at any time the police department or the city chooses.  By using our social media platforms you are indicating that you understand this comment and removal policy and will abide by its terms of use.