IR-01-22-11191
8 July 2022
Joshua Rogers
[FYI request #19140 email]
Dear Joshua
I refer to your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 15 April 2022 in regard to this
post on the Waikato Police Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/100067753234841/posts/306335238301582/?d=n
My response to each of your questions can be found below.
1. All communications and emails around the post.
Attached is the only email communication regarding the post.
Please note that some information has been withheld under section 9(2)(g)(ii) of the OIA,
to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the protection of members of
organisations from improper pressure or harassment.
Police considers the interests requiring protection by withholding the information are not
outweighed by any public interest in release of the information.
2. A breakdown around setting up and taking the photos - for example - how long it
took to setup and take the photo.
As an estimate, it would have taken no more than 10 minutes time to organise the photo.
3. Where was the bunny rabbit from?
The bunny rabbit belonged to a staff member.
4. How many officers were involved in setting up and taking the photo
Two.
5. The police policy/social media policy around posting such a photo
The police social media policy does not specifically address posts involving bunny
rabbits. The post and photo in question did not go against any policy.
6. Who authorized the post to be put on the Facebook page.
The post was authorised by the social media team.
7. How much would it have estimated to cost police to do this (staff wages)
including the social media team and Cambridge team.
As the involvement of the staff time to take the photo was less than 10 minutes the cost
would be minimal.
As we post thousands of posts on social media each year, we do not attribute costs to
each post we make. Posting on social media is part of the teams’ day to day job.
8. Could you also please attach a copy of the social media policy to this OIA.
Attached as requested. Please note that some information has been withheld under
section 9(2)(g)(ii) of the OIA, to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the
protection of members of organisations from improper pressure or harassment.
Police considers the interests requiring protection by withholding the information are not
outweighed by any public interest in release of the information.
You have the right, under section 28(3) of the OIA, to ask the Ombudsman to review my
decision if you are not satisfied with the way I have responded to your request.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Yours sincerely
Jane Archibald
Executive Director: Media & Communications
Police National Headquarters
From: YALDEN, Phillipa <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 14 April 2022 8:02 PM
To: NZP Social Media <[email address]>
Subject: Re: easter pics
She just replied to my text.
No issue with photo.
She doesn’t believe the PRN is in use.
So go for it.
Sent from my iPhone
On 14/04/2022, at 7:57 PM, NZP Social Media <[email address]> wrote:
I don’t have access for that sadly! I could blur it as part of the joke?
From: YALDEN, Phillipa <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 14 April 2022 7:56 PM
To: NZP Social Media <[email address]>
Subject: Re: easter pics
Hey,
She didn’t answer! Sorry left message but haven’t heard back.
I highly, highly doubt it would be a real PRN. Could look up the PRN to be sure?
I wouldn’t see any other issue with it.
I’ll try email her too.
Phil
Sent from my iPhone
On 14/04/2022, at 7:54 PM, NZP Social Media <[email address]> wrote:
Any word on this one?
Thanks,
P
From: YALDEN, Phillipa <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 14 April 2022 3:40 PM
To: NZP Social Media <[email address]>
Cc: Internal Comms <Is.9(2)(g) OIA
Subject: Re: easter pics
I don’t think so - should be fine.
I assume it’s fake too - I’ll call the officer now.
Sent from my iPhone
On 14/04/2022, at 3:28 PM, NZP Social Media <[email address]> wrote:
Super keen to post drugs bunny on social. no issues from your end? Assuming the PRN is fake?
From: Internal Comms <Is.9(2)(g) OIA
>
Sent: Thursday, 14 April 2022 3:07 PM
To: YALDEN, Phillipa <[email address]>; NZP Social Media
<[email address]>
Subject: RE: easter pics
Drugs bunny is next level! And he does not look like he cares one bit about being caught
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From: YALDEN, Phillipa <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 14 April 2022 3:05 pm
To: NZP Social Media <[email address]>
Cc: Internal Comms s.9(2)(g) OIA
z>
Subject: RE: easter pics
It was part of our photo comp for easter.
But essentially the two officers snuck into the house of a fellow officer (I think he was home, but it
was just a joke) and had a cuddle with his bunny.
So could say:
Two Hamilton police officers have a cuddle with Vivian (that’s the bunny’s name) who belongs to
one of their colleagues.
Constables Leigh Clarke and Ysobella Rolfe.
There was also this one from Cambridge – which made me laugh:
The coffee one is quite appropriate too!!
From: NZP Social Media <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 14 April 2022 3:01 PM
To: YALDEN, Phillipa <[email address]>
Cc: Internal Comms <s.9(2)(g) OIA
>
Subject: RE: easter pics
This is fabulous – thank you! Any story behind the bunny? or a name?
Appreciate the pics!
P
From: YALDEN, Phillipa <[email address]>
Sent: Thursday, 14 April 2022 2:48 PM
To: NZP Social Media <[email address]>
Cc: Internal Comms <s.9(2)(g) OIA
>
Subject: easter pics
Hi team,
In case you are doing any easter posts for Waikato here’s some photos for use.
Ones with the officers is approved for external.
Social media policy
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
3
Policy statement and principles
4
What
4
Why
4
How
4
Police social media contact
4
Our social media platforms
5
Our social media model
5
Community guidelines and appropriate commentary
5
Personal use of social media for staff
6
Dos
6
Don'ts
7
Other relevant NZ Police policies and guidelines
7
Content and moderation
8
Private messaging through Facebook
8
Wanted to arrest posts
8
Missing persons
9
Persons sought
10
Lost and stolen property
10
Use of content regarding youths
10
Filming guidelines for social media
11
Live streaming
11
Use of music and soundtracks
11
Use of imagery
11
Branding and tone of voice
12
Posting photos of Police employees
12
Privacy
12
Politically neutral/areas for comment
12
Using social media for overt and covert investigations
13
Social media policy
Policy statement and principles
What
Police have a strong social media presence across several major social media platforms. This policy will help
to guide you when using work and personal social media and interacting with our online communities. The
policy also references other Police policies and guidelines that support it, as well as specific social media
features and functions that have an important role in providing guidelines for staff.
Why
Media & Communications are responsible for setting the strategy for social media and day‐to‐day
management of all accounts. The Police social media approach is intended to be consistent, responsive,
engaging and representative of our brand. Adhering to these guidelines will ensure we have a consistent
and positive online presence that supports Our Business and increases public trust and confidence. Content
that does not adhere to this policy may be hidden, removed or escalated for learning and resolution.
How
The Code of Conduct applies to all employees when using social media (both for work and personal
purposes). Be aware of the risks of using social sites and take the steps outlined to protect yourself, your
(and our) reputation, your family, colleagues and the wider organization.
Police social media contact
Jess Bovey ‐ Social Media Manager
For any queries related to social media, please email [email address].
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Social media policy
Our social media platforms
Media and Communications monitor social media trends and makes strategic decisions as to which
platforms suit our engagement needs.
As part of the Police Social Media Strategy this is our current social media presence.
National Page
District Pages
Facebook
Yes
Yes
Twitter
Yes
No
Instagram
Yes
Yes
LinkedIn
Yes
No
YouTube
Yes
No
Neighbourly
Yes
Yes
Our national Facebook pages are New Zealand Police, NZ Police Recruitment, and NZ Police Museum.
Twitter: In addition to the national NZ Police account we also have an NZ Police Media account which is an
RSS feed of media releases for journalists and a Commissioner of Police Twitter account, which is managed
by Media & Communications.
TikTok: We have a verified account, but we do not post content on it. There are guidelines in place,
however, for staff regarding personal use of TikTok. Click here to see the guidelines.
Our social media model
To ensure a consistent, manageable and professional online presence, the Police social media model is
limited to one Facebook & Instagram page per district, as well as the set national pages. Rather than having
multiple pages per district, ours is a district model. We have one district page, and we communicate
through that page.
Our policy is based around investing most of our time in Facebook and Instagram, as these channels have
the highest levels of engagement and reach our target audience the best.
New accounts must not be set up without making prior contact with Media and Communications, PNHQ ‐
email: [email address]
Community guidelines and appropriate commentary
We encourage contributions to the pages, however any comments that are deemed inappropriate or in
breach of a social media platform's terms and conditions will be removed.
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Social media policy
We have community guidelines in place to help create a safe environment on official New Zealand Police
social media channels.
We welcome questions and commentary, including constructive feedback and differing opinions, however,
please ensure comments are relevant and respectful.
As per the Community Guidelines:
New Zealand Police reserves the right to:
‑ determine what constitutes inappropriate content
‑ edit or entirely remove inappropriate content, and
‑ ban users from its social media communities.
We may delete posts that are:
‑ racist, sexist, homophobic or other forms of hate‐speech
‑ potentially defamatory
‑ spam, or
that contain:
‑ offensive language, abuse or threats
‑ off‐topic or irrelevant information to the thread of conversation
‑ nudity, pornography or child abuse
‑ excessive violence
‑ content that is illegal, gives instructions for illegal activity or advocates illegal activities
‑ personally identifiable information.
Here are our the Community Guidelines. These are available to the public on our website and linked via our
social channels.
We operate an extensive profanity filter in the backend of our pages. If a word you believe should be banned
is coming through, please email [email address] and let us know. When a word in the filter is
used, the comment will be automatically hidden. Hidden comments are only visible to the original poster
and any of their connections.
Comments can be turned off for posts made on Facebook and Instagram. Comments will be turned off only
in situations where most of the commentary is expected to, or does, breach our community guidelines.
Comments will always be turned off on
Wanted to arrest posts.
Personal use of social media for staff
Dos
‑ When posting personal opinions on your personal social media accounts, make sure that it's clear
that it is your own view and not the Police view on a particular issue.
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Social media policy
‑ Only access personal social media sites at work as outlined in the ‘Information security’ chapters in
the Police Manual.
‑ Select high privacy settings on your personal accounts to prevent others (including media) viewing or
using your information and photos.
‑ Be aware of security advice issued through Pānui. Do what you can to avoid being the victim of
harassment, identity theft or other unwanted attention from criminals.
‑ Do report any content of concern regarding staff members or Police to [email address].
For more information on keeping yourself safe online, go here.
If you see something inappropriate posted by a staff member, please raise it with
[email address].
Don'ts
‑ Posting photos of yourself in uniform on personal social media accounts, or anything that identifies
you as a Police officer is not recommended.
‑ Don’t post anything that can bring Police into disrepute or negatively impact the reputation of Police
(i.e. anything in breach of our Code of Conduct).
‑ Don’t post anything that compromises your security/safety of family or colleagues (e.g. posting
personal information, such as phone numbers or addresses).
Other relevant NZ Police policies and guidelines
Be familiar and comply with Police instructions that apply to traditional communication methods, as these
also apply to communication via social media:
‑ Releasing information to the media
‑ Community disclosure of offender information
‑ Sub judice
‑ Missing persons
‑ Crime Prevention Cameras (CCTV) in Public Places
‑ Filming Operations Policy
‑ Police media policy.
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Social media policy
Content and moderation
Responsibility for day‐to‐day management of the accounts, including content creation, posting, monitoring
and moderation sits with the social media team at PNHQ.
For non‐urgent post requests, or to submit content from your district, please email
[email address]. All content submitted must have the appropriate permissions granted (as per
this policy) from those pictured and/or involved.
For urgent posts, the social media team is available between 8.30am and 5.00pm weekdays (excluding
public holidays) ‐ please contact [email address].
Outside of these hours, the media team will handle genuine, urgent operational requests, such as crashes
or
Wanted to arrest posts. The media team can be reached at [email address]. All comments on
Wanted to arrest posts will be turned off. Any non‐urgent requests sent to the media team will be pushed
back to the social media team.
Private messaging through Facebook
Private messaging functionality is turned off for some Facebook pages, while for some it is still on.
For those pages that private messaging is still on, messages (spam excluded) are responded to as quickly as
possible.
All messages need to be responded to within 24 hours. Private messaging is managed by the
social media team at PNHQ.
Wanted to arrest posts
In relation to ‘WTA’ posts, the following process must be followed:
‑ there must be urgency ‐ the person wanted must be considered a risk to staff or the public and
apprehending them is a matter of urgency
‑ consideration must be given to the likelihood of the photograph encouraging trolling ‐ will the photo
result in negative/bullying commentary?
‑ posts must be made in consultation with your DCC and with approval from the NCCC.
The decision to go public with a wanted photo must be a last resort, rather than a first step. An image of a
person may only be posted if that person cannot reasonably be located by other means. Enquiries
undertaken to locate the wanted person must have failed, and/or there are compelling reasons to publicise
the image without delay.
Wanted to arrest posts should use only objective language to describe the person, and should
not include
any of the following:
‑ any other personal information (such as health status)
‑ reference to the person’s ethnicity, unless this will materially aid in the person’s identification
‑ indicate if the person has previous involvement with Police (e.g. PRN)
8/13
Social media policy
To submit a wanted post:
1. District staff send their wanted post request to their DCC (using the approved template below)
2. If the DCC agrees the request meets the criteria above, the DCC forwards the wanted post request to
s.9(2)(g) OIA
3. NCCC assess the request and, if approved, send it to [email address] for copywriting with
nationally consistent wording.
4. If within 8.30am‐5pm, the media team will forward to the social media team for posting. Any requests
outside these hours will be posted by the media team and forwarded to the social media team for
reference only.
5. The post will be made with comments turned off.
Simply copy/paste the below template and attach the NIA image to submit for approval.
For district completion:
Offender (LAST NAME/First Name):
PRN:
File no:
District Facebook page for posting:
How does this person meet the
Please include specific details about their risk level and urgency, as
threshold:
per the policy.
Post request by (name ✛ QID):
District sign off (name ✛ rank):
For NCCC completion:
Does this post meet NZP social media policy threshold:
Yes / No
Reviewed by:
Once a person has been apprehended, [email address] (or [email address] if outside
business hours) must be notified as soon as possible so the post can be removed.
Missing persons
All missing person/s posts must be approved by the supervisor of the person making the request.
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Social media policy
Once approved, the request should be made to the media team who will write nationally consistent
wording and pass to the social media team for posting. If outside business hours, the media team will post.
Posts should use only objective language to describe the person, and should not include any of the
following:
‑ any other personal information (such as health status)
‑ reference to the person’s ethnicity, unless this will materially aid in the person’s identification
‑ indicate if the person has previous involvement with Police (e.g. PRN)
The district staff member making the request must ensure the family are aware of the post and concerns
addressed ‐ the necessity of the post should be explained to the family.
Once the person has been found, the media team and [email address] must be notified as
soon as possible so the post can be removed.
Persons sought
All person/s sought posts must be approved by a senior person within district (as listed below).
District approvers must be one of the following: Detective Inspectors, Detective Senior Sergeants, Area
Prevention Managers; DCC Shift Managers; ISU Senior Sergeant; District Intelligence Manager and any
District Intelligence Supervisors.
Once approved, the request should be made to the media team, who will write nationally consistent
wording and pass to the social media team for posting. If outside business hours, the media team will post.
Posts should use only objective language to describe the person, and should not include any of the
following:
‑ any other personal information (such as health status)
‑ reference to the person’s ethnicity, unless this will materially aid in the person’s identification
‑ indicate if the person has previous involvement with Police (e.g. PRN).
Once the person has been found and/or identified the media team and [email address] must
be notified as soon as possible so the post can be removed.
Lost and stolen property
To regulate the amount of posts regarding property that’s lost, found or stolen, posts will only be made for
items assumed to be of significant sentimental value e.g. engraved jewellery, or of monetary value
exceeding $300. Items such as cell phones and keys will not be posted.
Use of content regarding youths
Using imagery and video content of people under the age of 18 requires permission from a parent/guardian.
We must not post any content showing youths related to anything illegal, potentially illegal, or anything that
could cause harm to the person(s) in question, should they be identifiable. If in doubt, check with your
10/13
Social media policy
district legal staff. In these circumstances, no person under the age of 18 should have their image or video
posted on any of our social media pages (even with a blurred image).
The main exception to this would be when the person in question is a high risk (to the community or
themselves), finding them is of an urgent nature and all other options have been exhausted. Even in these
cases, the person should be ‘sought’ rather than ‘wanted’ and without reference to why they are sought. In
these situations, the need to post must be signed off within district.
District approvers must be one of the following: Detective Inspectors, Detective Senior Sergeants, Area
Prevention Managers; DCC Shift Managers, ISU Senior Sergeant; District Intelligence Manager and any
District Intelligence Supervisors.
Genuine (a matter of urgency) missing person posts can of course be made for people under the age of 18
with consent from a relevant parent or guardian.
Filming guidelines for social media
When filming (video) for social media use, there are a number of guidelines and risks associated with this
kind of content ‐ some due to legal requirements, some due to NZ Police Policy, and some based on best
practice (and what can be expected in the social media environment).
Please follow the Social media filming guidelines. These guidelines are largely based on information from
Response & Operations, Legal, and our reality TV involvement
Live streaming
Live streaming is not used as a tool for day‐to‐day engagement with followers. This is because Police have
no ability to moderate live streaming posts, therefore still imagery and pre‐recorded video is the preferred
engagement option.
There may be specific occasions or approved Police events where Facebook live can be used, but you must
get permission in advance from the Marketing & Brand Manager (Paul Halford).
In general, live streams will only be considered for events such as:
‑ high profile media conferences on a major critical incident involving Police
‑ high profile national events, e.g. significant award ceremony, graduations and Remembrance Day.
Use of music and soundtracks
Any music use in social media videos (or any video, in fact) needs to be royalty free or have copyright
clearance from the producer of the music. Getting permission for the use of (well‐known and recognisable)
music is likely to be expensive and will be a timely process. Use of music without permission from the
publisher can result in legal outcomes.
We have a paid subscription to Artlist and can get you music for videos if/when required.
Use of imagery
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Social media policy
Any imagery used that is not owned by NZ Police must always have permission for use from the owner of
the image (including staff and members of the public). Alternatively, the image needs to be purchased from
a licensed agency (e.g. Gettys). Wherever possible, however, we should always use images with the Police
brand/identity ‐ purchasing images should not be required often, due to the stock of our own imagery we
have available.
Branding and tone of voice
Branding, imagery and tone should be consistent, and as outlined in the Brand Style Guide and Social
Media Strategy. Items such as profile pictures, auto replies, usernames and any other settings should only
be by edited by the PNHQ social media team.
It is expected that all Police responses to questions and comments (including provision of advice and
guidance) are positive and supportive. Interactions online should be respectful ‐ never sarcastic or
argumentative.
Posts should not be attributable to individual staff members, this ensures the longevity of accounts,
protects staff privacy, and builds the NZ Police brand.
Posting photos of Police employees
Verbal consent must be sought before posting photos of Police staff on Police social media accounts. Check
that consent has been given by staff before sharing new social media posts featuring Police employees.
Posting photos of the public
Verbal or written consent must be sought before posting photos of members of the public on Police social
media accounts. There are talent forms available ‐ email [email address].
Privacy
‑ Comply with the Privacy Act 2020. Do not post personal information online without the individual's
consent unless it is necessary for a Police function (such as trying to locate an offender or identify a
person in an image for the purposes of an investigation). Make sure anything posted is accurate and
up to date.
‑ Treat information received through social media in the same way as you treat information provided
through traditional channels. For example, make sure it is stored appropriately, and retained (or
disposed of), in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020, the Public Records Act 2005, the Criminal
Disclosure Act 2008, and the Police records management policies.
Politically neutral/areas for comment
‑ Avoid posting content that could:
‑ conflict with our organisational messaging
‑ provide comment on national policies or our operating model
‑ bring Police into disrepute
‑ All posted content must be politically neutral.
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Social media policy
Using social media for overt and covert investigations
Social media provides useful open source intelligence. You can:
‑ confirm identities
‑ identify aliases
‑ identify associates
‑ identify vehicles
‑ identify locations of interest
‑ identify criminal offending.
Do not use personal social media profiles to contact witnesses or to search offenders’ accounts. Please
email [email address] if you wish to make contact with a member of the public via social
media. This is only to be done as an initial means of contact and should be a last resort.
High Tech Crime have developed some best practice around conversing with members of the public where
Facebook is the only means of contact. If you would like more information about this, please email
[email address].
Printed on : 30/06/2022
Printed from : https://tenone.police.govt.nz/pi/social‐media‐policy
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