Privacy and Confidentiality

 Privacy and Confidentiality 

Police Officers will only access, use and/or disclose confidential information if required and shall comply with all relevant legislation and Belize Police Department policy and procedures governing gathering, retention, use, and disclosure of information. 

i. A Police Officer shall not knowingly, while an investigation is ongoing, make any comment in public or otherwise, that might reasonably be expected to affect the outcome of such investigation.

 ii. The Department’s Public Relation officer must be utilized to make public statements unless it is extremely unavoidable

Accessing Information and Confidentiality 

Members shall not access, use or disclose any information relating to the BPD, for example, criminal records, vehicle details, personnel details, intelligence details, confidential material or information obtained in the course of duties or disclose the contents of any official documents obtained in the course of duties. Members must ensure that confidential, private, and sensitive information is handled in accordance with our Department’s Information Policy and in line with good practices and that the integrity of such information is maintained at all times. Unless specifically authorized by law or direction from a supervisor, members must not access or disclose any information other than is legitimately required to discharge your duties.

Media Releases 

This section is to be read in conjunction and adherence with the BPD Media Policy. Members are to be mindful of their legal obligations when releasing information to the media. Members are not to comment on issues where they have no specific knowledge or have no authority. Where members are approached by the media to make a comment, obtain details of an incident or a BPD policy position, details should be taken and the request referred to the Police Public Relations Office. Any media release should be compiled in liaison with the Public Relations Officer and should consider: 

i. Protection of individual rights to privacy; 

ii. Rights of victims of crime and their families; 

iii. The rights of an accused person to a fair trial; 

iv. Confidentiality, security, and operational effectiveness of policing activities; and 

v. His appropriateness of commenting on policy issues. 

Disrepute

Тhіѕ wееk а vіdео bеgаn сіrсulаtіng оf а роlісе оffісеr, іn unіfоrm, арраrеntlу tоо drunk tо ѕtаnd оn hіѕ оwn аnd bеіng аѕѕіѕtеd bу оthеr оffісеrѕ іntо а ѕtаtіоn. Аftеr ѕееіng thе vіdео, thе Соmmіѕѕіоnеr оf Роlісе ѕаіd thаt hе wаѕ еmbаrrаѕѕеd thаt thе ѕіtuаtіоn оссurrеd thе wау іt dіd.

https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2021/12/15/police-commissioner-embarrassed-over-video-of-drunken-police-officer-we-already-sent-him-to-rehab/

A vіdео bеgаn сіrсulаtіng оf а роlісе оffісеr, іn unіfоrm, арраrеntlу tоо drunk and sleeping a Belmopan Market.

Police drunk in belize - YouTube

Belize Police Commissioner feedback of unethical police behavior regardless of the department's efforts to assist stressed police officers.

https://ne-np.facebook.com/7NewsBelize/videos/drunken-cop-caught-on-tape-had-been-sent-to-rehab-before-and-another-cop-of-a-mu/3019873474996882/

Group

Code of Conduct

 Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to establish and maintain, ethical and professional standards, aligned to the department’s core values, common practices, and procedures for preventing, identifying, and managing unethical behavior within the Belize Police Department. 

This policy also provides a guide to police officers and special constables in conducting themselves ethically and professionally in the delivery of services to the community.

Scope:

This policy applies to all police officers and special constables employed by the Belize Police Department and civilian support staff, contractual officers, consultants, and any other person employed by the Belize Police Department

General  Policy:

The members of the Belize Police Department and Special Constables shall be guided and bounded by the values and principles listed below: 

I. Service-Oriented - a Police Officer or Special Constable shall seek to improve the quality of life by community involvement in policing.

II. Integrity - A Police Officer or Special Constable shall ensure that his or her conduct is above reproach in view of reasonable, fair-minded, and informed persons.

III. Impartiality - A Police Officer or Special Constable shall perform his or her duties without fear or favor, affection, or ill will. He or she shall ensure that his or her conduct, both on or off duty, maintains and enhances the confidence of the public in the Belize  Police Department.

IV. Equality - A police officer or special constable shall carry out his or her duties with appropriate consideration for all persons without unjust differentiation. He or she shall not be a member of nor associate with any society, group, or organization that practices unjust discrimination.

V. Competence and Diligence - A police officer or special constable shall take reasonable steps to maintain and enhance his or her knowledge, skills, and personal qualities necessary for the proper performance of his or her duties. A police officer or special constable shall not be swayed by partisan interests, public clamor, or fear of public criticism in carrying out any investigation or other police duties.

VI. Accountability - Police Officers shall use the resources of the Department in a responsible and accountable manner that ensures the efficient, effective, and appropriate use of human, natural, financial, and physical resources. A Police Officer’s activity shall be reflected consistency with established procedures that support result-based management. Transparency should be the hallmark of policing activities that strengthen public confidence in the Belize Police Department and thereby assure public safety

Social Media Policy

 POLICY:

Social media provides a new and potentially valuable means of assisting the department and its personnel in meeting community outreach, problem-solving, investigative, crime prevention, and related objectives. The department recognizes the personal use of these tools but it can equally have bearing on departmental personnel’s official capacity. As such, this policy provides information of a precautionary nature as well as prohibitions on certain manner in the use of social media by department personnel.

DEFINITIONS Social Media: A category of Internet-based resources that integrate user-generated content and user participation. This includes, but is not limited to, social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace), micro blogging sites (Twitter, Nixle), photo- and video-sharing sites (Flicker, YouTube), wikis (Wikipedia), blogs, and news sites (Digg, Reddit).

ON-THE-JOB USE (Department-Sanctioned Use):

 A. Department personnel representing the Department via social media outlets shall do the following: 

 i. Conduct themselves at all times as representatives of the department and, accordingly, shall adhere to all department standards of conduct and observe conventionally accepted protocols and proper decorum.

ii. Identify themselves as a member of the department. 

iii. Not make statements about the guilt or innocence of any suspect or arrestee, or comments concerning pending prosecutions, nor post, transmit, or otherwise disseminate confidential information, including photographs or videos, related to department training, activities, or work-related assignments without express or written permission from the Commissioner of Police. iv. Not to conduct political activities or private business through this means or use for personal gains or profit for himself, family members or friends. 

B. The use of department computers by department personnel to access social media is prohibited without authorization, whether on the Police Network or not. 

C. The use of personally owned devices by members of the department to manage the department’s social media activities or in the course of official duties is prohibited without express written permission from the Commissioner of Police.

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