GENERAL ORDERS LINCOLN POLICE DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: GENERAL OPERATIONS
TITLE: MEDIA RELATIONS
EFFECTIVE DATE: JUNE 1, 2025
REVISION DATE:
ACCREDITATION: ALABAMA ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE (AACOP)
APPROVAL: CHIEF DARREN E. BRITTON
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MEDIA RELATIONS
324.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This policy provides guidelines for the release of official department information to the media. It also addresses coordinating media access to scenes of disasters, criminal investigations, emergencies and other law enforcement activities.
324.2 POLICY
It is the policy of the Lincoln Police Department to protect the privacy rights of individuals, while releasing non-confidential information to the media regarding topics of public concern. Information that has the potential to negatively affect investigations will not be released.
324.3 RESPONSIBILITIES
The ultimate authority and responsibility for the release of information to the media shall remain with the Chief of Police. In situations not warranting immediate notice to the Chief of Police and in situations where the Chief of Police.has given prior approval, Designated Public Information Officers (PIOs) may prepare and release information to the media in accordance with this policy and applicable laws regarding confidentiality.
324.4 PROVIDING ADVANCE INFORMATION
To protect the safety and rights of department members and other persons, advance information about planned actions by law enforcement personnel, such as the movement of persons in custody or the execution of an arrest or search warrant, should not be disclosed to the media, nor should media representatives be invited to be present at such actions except with the prior approval of the Chief of Police.
Any exceptions to the above should only be considered for the furtherance of legitimate law enforcement purposes. Prior to approving any exception, the Chief of Police will consider, at a minimum, whether the release of information or the presence of the media would unreasonably endanger any individual or prejudice the rights of any person or is otherwise prohibited by law.
324.5 MEDIA REQUESTS
Any media request for information or access to a law enforcement incident shall be referred to the PIO, or Chief of Police. Prior to releasing any information to the media, the following shall be considered:
(a) At No time shall any member of this department make any comment or release any official information to the media without prior approval from the Chief of Police or the PIO.
(b) In situations involving multiple agencies or government departments, 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 should any member of this department make any comment to the media regarding any law enforcement incident not involving this department without prior approval of the Chief of Police. Under these circumstances, the member should direct the media to the agency handling the incident.
324.6 ACCESS
Authorized media representatives shall be provided access to scenes of disasters, criminal investigations, emergencies and other law enforcement activities as required by law.
Access by the media is subject to the following conditions:
(a) The media representative shall produce valid media credentials that shall be prominently displayed at all times while in areas otherwise closed to the public.
(b) Media representatives should be prevented from interfering and may be removed for interfering with emergency operations and criminal investigations.
Based upon available resources, reasonable effort should be made to provide a safe staging area for the media that is near the incident and that will not interfere with emergency or criminal investigation operations. All information released to the media should be coordinated through the PIO or other designated spokesperson.
(c) Media interviews with individuals who are in custody shall not be permitted without the approval of the Chief of Police and the express written consent of the person in custody.
(d) No member of this department who is under investigation shall be subjected to media visits or interviews without the consent of the involved member.
324.6.1 CRITICAL OPERATIONS
A critical incident or tactical operation should be handled in the same manner as a crime scene, except the media should not be permitted within the inner perimeter of the incident, subject to any restrictions as determined by the supervisor in charge. Department members shall not jeopardize a critical incident or tactical operation in order to accommodate the media. All comments to the media shall be coordinated through the Chief of Police or the PIO.
324.6.2 TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS
Whenever the presence of media or other aircraft pose a threat to the public or member safety or significantly hamper incident operations, the field supervisor should consider requesting a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR). All requests for a TFR should be routed through the Chief of Police or his or her designee. 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 Aviation Administration (FAA) should be contacted (14 CFR 91.137).
324.7 CONFIDENTIAL OR RESTRICTED INFORMATION
It shall be the responsibility of the PIO to ensure that confidential or restricted information is not inappropriately released to the media (see the Records Maintenance and Release and Personnel Records policies). When in doubt, authorized and available legal counsel should be consulted prior to releasing any information.
324.7.1 EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
The identities of officers involved in shootings or other critical incidents will not be released without the approval of the Chief of Police or a court order and a formal written request.
Any requests for copies of related reports or additional information not contained in the information log, including the identity of officers involved in shootings or other critical incidents, shall be referred to the Chief of Police or the PIO.
Requests should be reviewed and fulfilled by the Chief of Police or his or her designee. Such requests will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the Records Maintenance and Release Policy and Alabama Public Records Law (Ala. Code § 36-12-40; Ala. Code § 41-13-1).
324.8 RELEASE OF INFORMATION
The Department may routinely release information to the media without receiving a specific request. This may include media releases regarding critical incidents, information of public concern, updates regarding significant incidents or requests for public assistance in solving crimes or identifying suspects. This information may also be released through the department website or other electronic data sources.
These policies and operating procedures are not designed to cover every possible scenario or situation in society, but rather to define standard operating procedures for members of the Lincoln Police Department. These guidelines are subject to past, present and future judicial review. These guidelines can be amended and or repealed by the Chief of Police as necessary. The policies and procedures herein provided supersede all previous policies and orders.
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