General Disclaimer

In the preparation of this website, every effort has been made to offer the most current, correct and clearly expressed information possible. Nonetheless, inadvertent errors can occur, and applicable laws, rules, and regulations often change. Further, the content herein is intended to provide general guidelines and information on matters of interest. The application and impact of the laws can vary widely, however, from case to case, based upon the specific or unique facts involved. Accordingly, the information in this website is not intended to serve as legal, accounting or tax advice.

Users are encouraged to consult with appropriate and accredited professional advisors for advice concerning specific matters before making any decision, and the City of Hawthorne disclaims any responsibility for positions taken by individuals or corporations in their individual cases or for any misunderstanding and losses, directly or indirectly, on the part of users.

Information presented on this website is collected, maintained, and provided for the convenience of the reader. While every effort is made to keep such information accurate and up-to-date, the City of Hawthorne does not certify the authenticity of information that originates from third parties.

Under no circumstances shall the City of Hawthorne be liable for any actions taken or omissions made from reliance on any information contained herein from whatever source nor shall the City be liable for any other consequences from any such reliance.

All graphics, images and photos on this website are the property of the City of Hawthorne and reproduction without written permission is specifically prohibited.

Social Media Terms of Use

By posting or commenting on any social media platform used by the Hawthorne Police Department ,  you participate by your own choice, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information you provide therein. You further agree to the following terms of use:

The Hawthorne Police Department maintains a social media program for the purpose of engaging and interacting with our community, providing relevant and timely community news, information and events, distribution of crime prevention and public safety tips, for urgent notifications of critical incidents which may affect residents, business owners and visitors of the city of Hawthorne Police Department, and for those people having  an interest in the Hawthorne Police Department .  The Hawthorne Police Department also maintains and is responsible for the Coffee with a Cop Facebook, Twitter, and webpage.  In this Terms of Use, any mention of the Hawthorne Police Department also refers to the Coffee with a Cop accounts.  

Limited Public Forum

All social media platforms used by the Hawthorne Police Department are designated as Limited Public Forums. The department welcomes a person’s right to express his/her opinion and encourages posters to keep comments relevant to the topic in question . Posting of any content on any social media platform used by the Hawthorne Police Department , by any visitor, follower, subscriber or fan, constitutes acceptance of the terms of use described here in this policy. 

For purposes of this policy, a social media platform is the website or app offered to the public to provide audio, video, still-photo or written communication between other members of the public and/or representatives of certain groups, businesses, organizations or departments. Examples of social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, website blogs with commenting capabilities, forums and emergency notification services. 

The definition of content as used in this policy refers to any written copy, photos, graphics, videos, live-video streams, comments or any form of communicative content exchanged between parties. 

Emergency or Non-Emergency Requests for Police Assistance

The posting of requests for police assistance, regardless if it is of an emergency or non-emergency nature, is discouraged and will not guarantee a response by the Hawthorne Police Department or any emergency service provider. In case of an emergency, or if police assistance is needed, please dial 911. If you wish to report a crime or information relevant to a crime, please call 310-675-4444. You may remain anonymous if you wish. 

In the event you post information related to a crime, you may be placing yourself in a position of becoming a witness and subject to being subpoenaed into court.

Endorsements

“Friending” or “Liking” the Hawthorne Police Department , or an officer or employee of the Hawthorne Police Department , does not indicate an endorsement of that person’s actions or comments. 

A comment posted by a member of the public on any Hawthorne Police Department social media site is the opinion of the commentator or poster only, and publication of a comment does not imply endorsement of, or agreement by, the Hawthorne Police Department , nor do such comments necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Hawthorne Police Department.

Moderation of Content

The Hawthorne Police Department 's social media platforms are intended to be "family friendly," When applicable, the department uses platform provided content moderation/filtering options to limit foul or obscene content.  The Hawthorne Police Department does actively monitor the social media platforms used by the department, and will remove inappropriate content as defined below, without prior notice, and as soon as possible. The department shall reserve the right to remove and/or block anyone who posts inappropriate material as determined by the department.

This material may include, but is not limited to:

  1. Comments not related to the original topic, including random or unintelligible comments;

  2. Profane, obscene, or pornographic content and/or language;

  3. Content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, or national origin;

  4. Defamatory or personal attacks;

  5. Threats to any person or organization;

  6. Comments in support of, or in opposition to, any political campaigns or ballot measures;

  7. Solicitation of commerce, including but not limited to advertising of any business or product for sale;

  8. Conduct in violation of any federal, state or local law;

  9. Encouragement of illegal activity;

  10. Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems;

  11. Content that violates a legal ownership interest, such as a copyright, of any party;

  12. Harassment or content which constitutes and/or facilitates stalking;

  13. Content which violates the right to privacy;

  14. Encouragement of violence;

  15. Repetitive content;

  16. Comments which may reasonably interfere with, inhibit, or compromise law enforcement investigations, police tactics, police responses to incidents and/or the safety of police staff and officers.

  17. Posts or comments that contain any external links.

The department does not allow posting of photos or videos by anyone other than members of the department.

Denial of Access

The Hawthorne Police Department reserves the right to deny access to any Hawthorne Police Department social media sites for any individual, who violates the Hawthorne Police Department ’s Social Media Terms of Use, at any time and without prior notice.

If you wish to contest the removal or hiding of your content, or your denial of access ("banned") from our social media platforms, you may do so by send an EMAIL.

Facebook's Community of Standards

All comments posted to any Hawthorne Police Department Facebook site are bound by Facebook’s Community Standards, located at http://www.facebook.com/communitystandards, and the Hawthorne Police Department reserves the right to report any violation of Facebook’s Community Standards to Facebook with the intent of Facebook taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.

The Twitter Rules

When applicable, the Hawthorne Police Department reserves the right to report any violation of the Twitter Rules, located at https://support.twitter.com/articles/18311 with the intent of Twitter taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.

YouTube Community Guidelines

When applicable, the Hawthorne Police Department reserves the right to report any violation of the YouTube Community Guidelines, located at http://www.youtube.com/yt/policyandsafety/communityguidelines.html with the intent of YouTube taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.

Instagram Community Guidelines

When applicable, the Hawthorne Police Department reserves the right to report any violation of the Instagram Community Guidelines, located at https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119/ with the intent of Instagram taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.

LinkedIn User Agreement

When applicable, the Hawthorne Police Department reserves the right to report any violation of the LinkedIn User Agreement, located at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement with the intent of LinkedIn taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.

Vimeo User Agreement

When applicable, the Hawthorne Police Department reserves the right to report any violation of the Vimeo User Agreement, located at https://www.vimeo.com/terms with the intent of Vimeo taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.

Snapchat User Agreement

When applicable, the Hawthorne Police Department reserves the right to report any violation of the Snapchat User Agreement, located at https://www.snapchat.com/terms with the intent of Snapchat taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.

Periscope User Agreement

When applicable, the Hawthorne Police Department reserves the right to report any violation of the Periscope User Agreement, located at https://www.periscope.tv/tos with the intent of Periscope taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.

Nextdoor User Agreement

When applicable, the Hawthorne Police Department reserves the right to report any violation of the Nextdoor User Agreement, located at https://www.nextdoor.com/member_agreement with the intent of Nextdoor taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.

Questions

Should you have any questions in regards to items contained herein this Terms of Use, please contact the Hawthorne Police Department social media manager at hpdweb@hawthorneCA.gov.

About This Website

HPD's original website was long overdue for an update.  As we evolved and advanced as a Police Department, we wanted our website to best represent our vision of who we are today.  We set out to eliminate the clutter, stripped it down with a bold presentation, made it easy to find basic information, integrated a live chat feature to get you an immediate answer, and customized the site to automatically adjust to your tablet or cell phone.  

  • Website Design goals:

    • Bold, Clean, Uncluttered, Cohesive

    • User-friendly

    • Informational

    • Emphasis of content for the user rather than the organization 

    • Centralizing communication for the user (using Live Chat for immediate assistance). One location to send inquiries.

    • Adjusts to any device automatically without losing content (PC, Mac, Tablets, Phones, Etc.) 

  • Strengthening the Brand and Image of HPD:

    • Modern in the use of current technology

    • Willingness to take risks; be bold with innovative ideas

    • Open, Transparent, and Responsive

    • Engaged with the Community

    • Efficient, Organized, and Professional

    • Hard working and dedicated Staff

Website created by: Signals82 Consulting July 2013

Icons designed by Popcorns Arts from Flaticon