PRIVACY POLICY

The following La Porte County Sheriff Website Policy shall be applicable to any web content on the La Porte County Sheriff's public internet site(s).

Section 1 – Findings

The La Porte County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) hereby finds that these guidelines are necessary and intended to set forth the Sheriff's policy governing content and links to be permitted on the Sheriff's Website.

These guidelines are not intended to create any rights guaranteed by existing law, nor waive any defenses or rights available to the Sheriff's Office. In establishing and maintaining LCSO Website, the Sheriff does not intend in any manner to create or designate a Public Forum or other means by which unfiltered public discourse, exchange of opinions and ideas, or discussion on issues of any nature may occur.

Section 2 - Delegation of Authority

The LCSO hereby delegates its full authority to create, maintain, change, and/or abolish the Sheriff's Website on behalf of the Sheriff's office to be consistent with provisions of this policy.

Section 3 - County Website Limited Purpose

The limited purpose for the LCSO Website is to provide online government services, education and access to information regarding Sheriff services, meetings, programs, activities, policies, documents, and facilities provided by the Sheriff that promote the community's public health, safety and welfare. LCSO Website content and links shall be consistent with the LCSO Website's Limited Purpose.

Section 4 - Permitted Links

The Sheriff will provide an external link from the LCSO Website to another Website in accordance with the following guidelines:

1. a. Link shall assist the Sheriff in fulfilling its stated LCSO Website Limited Purpose and be consistent with this policy.

2. b. Link shall have a natural affinity and logical nexus to information provided on the LCSO Website and be consistent with Sheriff goals, policies and the LCSO Website Limited Purpose.

3. c. Link shall be to a Website that is managed in a professional manner (i.e., fully operational, and available most of the time).

4. d. Link shall be to a governmental agency or governmental organization, or special purpose district which provides information related to the LCSO Website Limited Purpose, or to professional associations that have a natural affinity and logical nexus to information provided on the Sheriff’s Website.

Section 5 - Permitted Content

The content of material placed on the Sheriff's Website shall be consistent with the Limited Purpose of the Website stated in Section 4 herein. All decisions on the content of material placed on the Sheriff's Website shall be made by the Sheriff's Administrator or his/her designee in strict compliance with the guidelines of this Policy.

Section 6 - Content Material

6.1 Role and Responsibilities of Content Manager

a. The County Administrator reserves the right to remove content material he/she concludes is not being properly maintained.

b. Authorized Content Managers shall have the authority and ability to change, add or delete content material for their respective departments using the content management software supported by the Sheriff. This excludes external links.

6.2 Blogs

Blogs where external users have uncensored access to post material directly to the County Website are prohibited in order to maintain the integrity and accuracy of content and to avoid creation of a public forum.

Section 7 - Accessibility Policy

The Sheriff is committed to providing a Website that is accessible to all visitors including those with disabilities such as vision, hearing and mobility impairments. If users have questions or difficulty accessing a certain page on www.laportecountysheriff.com, please contact us by email or by telephone at 219.326.7700.

The following summary of guidelines and goals are approved for Sheriff Website design:

Section 8 - Email Policy

8.1 SPAM

LCSO does not approve of SPAM also known as UCE (unsolicited commercial email). LCSO does not send SPAM and it does not act as a relay point for SPAM from other mail servers. To report SPAM problems related to LCSO, please send an email. Please attach the email in question in order to preserve all headers from the original message and send the message from an email account with a valid reply address.

8.2 Use of Email Addresses

On certain pages on its Website, LCSO requests email addresses. These email addresses are intended to be used for the requested purpose only.

8.3 Mailing Lists

If email addresses are requested for the purpose of being added to a mailing list, LCSO will follow these guidelines:

a. Each mailing list will describe what subscribers will receive and how often messages will be sent.

b. All new subscription requests will be verified either by sending an email message to the subscriber requesting a reply, or by visiting a webpage to complete the subscription.

c. Subscribers can request removal from a mailing list via a webpage or by sending an email to a specific address.

d. A contact telephone number will be provided for each mailing list.

e. If email cannot be delivered to an address, the address will be removed from the mailing list.

f. LCSO will not use a mailing list for any purpose other than what was originally intended.

g. LCSO will not sell mailing lists that it collects to any third party.

h. LCSO will not add an email address to another mailing list other than the one requested.

Section 9 - Use of LCSO Logos

If users wish to use LCSO's logos, requests must be submitted at

219.326.7700 or by email for further information. Permission must be obtained to use Sheriff logos.

Section 10 - Privacy Policy

LCSO is committed to protecting individual privacy. The Sheriff provides this policy to explain what information is collected from users and how it is used. To make this policy easy to find, it is available from a link on the homepage and most of the other enterprise pages on the Website.

This privacy policy only applies to LCSO's Website. If users leave LCSO's Website by clicking on a link, users are then subject to the privacy policy of that Website which is not reviewed, approved, or verified by LCSO.

10.1 Statistical Information Collected from Users

When users visit the LCSO Website, LCSO collects and stores statistical information about the visit. The information does not identify what an individual accesses on our website, but does enable us to produce summary statistical reports. We use the statistical information to help improve the design of our website and to analyze how web pages are being accessed.

10.2 Information Users Provide to LCSO

Some applications on our website allow users to enter information on forms so that the Sheriff can provide users with a customized response. In this case, the information user's supply is not recorded or tracked. Examples include forms that request search keywords in order to find specific information or forms where users enter their address or pin number to receive customized information. Other applications on our website ask for personal information so that we may respond to the request. This information may be stored in a database which will be accessed by authorized personnel in order to fulfill the request. Examples of personal information collected include: name, address, phone number and email address.

10.3 Use of Collected Information

Information collected from the user will be used for the purpose that was defined when the user made the request. The information may be given to another government agency in order to respond to the request. LCSO does not share the information collected with other outside parties unless the information is subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act or by court order or subpoena or it is deemed necessary to release it to an authorized law enforcement agency.

LCSO does not create personal profiles containing information from requests submitted on the Sheriff's Website. LCSO uses email addresses to respond to inquiries, when possible. The addresses are not used for any other purpose and are not shared with outside parties.

10.4 Use of Cookies

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on the user's computer. Cookies are used to keep track of important application specific information. If the user does not allow the use of cookies, there may be some applications on the LCSO's Website that will not function.

10.5 Security

LCSO protects user information. When a visitor is asked to supply certain information online, the web page is secured with the industry standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. LCSO also protects the personal information that is stored on its web servers. Web servers are kept in a locked room that is only accessible to authorized personnel. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on our Internet servers are strictly prohibited and are punishable under federal or state laws.

Section 11 - Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

The LCSO is committed to complying fully with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Accordingly, if you are under the age of 13, you are not authorized to provide us with personally identifying information. We appreciate your cooperation with this federally mandated requirement. Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information volunteered by children on-line or by e-mail will be treated the same as information given by an adult and may be subject to public access.

Section 12 - Terms of Use

Access to LCSO's website is provided subject to the following terms and conditions. Please read these terms carefully as use of these sites constitutes acceptance of all of the following terms and conditions:

12.1 Disclaimer of Liability

Neither LCSO, its employees, contractors, nor elected officials shall be responsible or held liable to users of LCSO Websites for any improper or incorrect use of the information described or contained on LCSO Websites. In no event shall LCSO or elected officials or its employees be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including, but not limited to, procurement or substitute goods or services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of this system, even if advised of the possibility of such damage. This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury, including but not limited to those caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, computer hacker, communication line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration of, or use of record, whether for breach of contract, tortuous behavior, negligence or under any other cause of action.

12.2 Disclaimer of Warranties and Accuracy of Data

Although the data found on LCSO Websites has been produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability, or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of the information. The LCSO and its elected officials provide this information on an "as is" basis. All warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, freedom from contamination by computer viruses or hackers and non-infringement of proprietary rights are disclaimed. Changes may be periodically made to the information herein; these changes may or may not be incorporated in any new version of the publication.

12.3 Disclaimer of Endorsement

LCSO Websites are a distributor of content sometimes supplied by third parties and users. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, links, or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, users, or others, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Sheriff or its elected officials and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the LCSO.

12.4 Disclaimer of External Links

LCSO Website contains links to other related World Wide Web Internet sites and resources. LCSO is not responsible for the contents or operation of any off-site pages referenced. The user specifically acknowledges that the LCSO is not liable for any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other users, links, or third parties and that the risk of injury from the foregoing rests entirely with the user. Links from LCSO web pages on the World Wide Web to other sites do not constitute an endorsement from the LCSO. These links are provided as an information service only. It is the responsibility of the web surfer to evaluate the content and usefulness of information obtained from other sites. Since LCSO Websites are not responsible for the availability of these outside resources or their contents, users shall direct any concerns regarding any external link to its site administrator or webmaster.

12.5 Disclaimer of Duty to Continue Provision of Data

Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, resources that are free and publicly available one day may require a fee or restricted access the next, and the location of items may change as menus, home pages, and files are reorganized. The user expressly agrees that use of the LCSO's Website is at the user's sole risk. The LCSO does not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted or error free. The documents and related graphics published could contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein. The LCSO and/or its programs may make improvements and/or changes in the information and/or programs described herein at any time.

12.6 Choice of Law

Construction of the disclaimers above and resolution of disputes thereof are governed by the laws of the State of Indiana. The laws of the State of Indiana, shall apply to all uses of this data and this system. By use of this system and any data contained therein, the user agrees that use shall conform to all applicable laws and regulations and user shall not violate the rights of any third parties.