98-08 CELLULAR/SMART TELEPHONE USAGE

Unit Order:   98-08

Subject:                          CELLULAR/SMART TELEPHONE USAGE                      

PURPOSE

The purpose of this unit order is to outline the policy for the use of TRAP owned cellular/smart telephones.

GUIDELINES

TRAP investigators shall be guided in the use of assigned cellular/smart telephones by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department MMP sections 3-07/100.25 - Cellular Phone Assignment, Usage, Maintenance and Management and MMP 3-01/090.10 Operations of Vehicles.  (See attachment)

These policies essentially provide guidance to each Sheriff’s Department unit in the necessity of providing cellular/smart telephones to Sheriff’s personnel, including investigators, and the responsibility of each user.

The Project Director, or his/her designee, will be responsible for reviewing each cellular/smart telephone bill to determine if chargers are appropriate.  TRAP cellular/smart telephones shall be used, and are intended for law enforcement purposes only. Calls to family members in case of extended duty are permitted, but common sense shall prevail.  Ring tones and other fee services provided by the cellular telephone carrier, are prohibited unless authorized on an individual basis by the area lieutenant.  All fees associated with unauthorized purchases will be forwarded to the responsible individual.

Cellular/smart telephones are essentially mini-computers.  As such, they will be used to access the Internet and allow the installation of a multitude of applications.  Unless expressly authorized by the area lieutenant, the cost associated with all applications installed on a cellular/smart telephone shall be the responsibility of the assigned individual.  All applications installed shall have a legitimate purpose in the furtherance of law enforcement activities and shall not negatively reflect on the task force.

If an employee shows any disregard for the use of a TRAP cellular/smart telephone, the team lieutenant, at his or her discretion, may disallow further use by that employee.

Note:  It is anticipated that, in time, applications will be available that will allow cellular/smart telephones to access official law enforcement databases.  When this occurs, individual access shall be regulated under TRAP Unit Order 98-07, entitled “TRAP Computer Systems, Access and Use Policy.”

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MARTIN L. RODRIGUEZ, CAPTAIN

PROJECT DIRECTOR