Vere Software Offers 3 Model Policies for Social Networking Support

PRLog (Press Release) - May 12, 2010 -
Reno, NV – Vere Software, pioneer of legally defensible online investigation procedures and software, is pleased to support investigators, other police officers and their agencies with three new model policies. The policies cover what is expected of officers as they gather evidence, communicate on behalf of their agencies, and represent themselves as law enforcement officers online.

“Law enforcement agencies' first forays into social networking carry both risk and reward,” said Todd Shipley, Vere Software president and CEO. “To minimize the risk and maximize the reward, agencies need carefully crafted policies governing how their employees use social networking sites – not just personally, but also professionally.”

The “Investigative Use of Social Networking” policy provides for:

-- Professional online conduct
-- Investigation preparation
-- Undercover work
-- Legal issues
-- Employee stress management

The “Agency Official Use of Social Networking” policy discusses:

-- Social media tools
-- Strategy for use
-- Communicating on the agency's behalf
-- Restrictions on use
-- Handling requests from media and general public

The “Employee Off-Duty Use of Social Networking” policy includes:

-- Employee self-identification as a police officer
-- Confidential and sensitive information
-- Legal requirements
-- Disciplinary action

“There is a wide range of social media policies available from private companies, but very few from government agencies, especially for law enforcement,” said Shipley, who as founder and manager of the Reno Police Department's Financial & Computer Crimes Unit wrote dozens of policies. “The more law enforcement officers use social networking sites in an official or unofficial capacity, the more need there is for proper policy. We believe our policies will be important stepping stones in bringing more agencies comfortably online, to fight crime and communicate with their constituents.”

The policies are designed to provide a starting point for administrators who want their officers using social media, but are concerned about the potential ramifications, including unprofessional conduct and investigations gone wrong. Administrators must take care to clear all policy provisions with their agency and/or government legal team before implementing.

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ABOUT VERE SOFTWARE:
Incorporated in February 2007, Vere Software, Inc. designs, develops, programs, and markets software and hardware built upon concepts related to online evidence collection and preservation. Offered to both public and private markets domestically and internationally, Vere Software's WebCase and related products meet the standard for criminal legal defensibility by logging, date and time stamping collected Internet evidence, then authenticating it via one of a number of accepted hash algorithms.