Miami-Dade Schools Police Department Correspondence Policy PDF

**I. POLICY** Preparation of official letters and memorandums by various departmental elements requires establishment of uniform procedures. Knowledge of and compliance with the procedures should result in a reduction of preparation costs and standardization of correspondence. Correspondence is ass...

**I. POLICY** Preparation of official letters and memorandums by various departmental elements requires establishment of uniform procedures. Knowledge of and compliance with the procedures should result in a reduction of preparation costs and standardization of correspondence. Correspondence is assigned by command staff to departmental elements for coordination, action, and response. **II. DEFINITIONS** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Routing | Correspondence routed through | | | departmental offices that are in | | Processing | the chain-of- command. | | | | | Returned Correspondence | Correspondence processed on or | | | before the due date. If | | Privacy and Security | circumstances dictate a delay in | | | compliance with a request for | | | correspondence, an extension will | | | verbally be requested through the | | | appropriate chain-of-command and | | | the reason for the delay. | | | | | | A letter or memorandum returned | | | to the signer/originator for | | | corrections. The individual who | | | rejected the correspondence will | | | collaborate with the | | | signer/originator, as necessary. | | | | | | Letters or memorandums that | | | cannot be damaged, lost, or | | | viewed by unauthorized personnel. | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **III. RULES AND PROCEDURES** A. Principles of Effective Writing 1. Brevity and Completeness- Address the essentials of the topic as briefly and accurately as possible. This requires careful analysis and, if necessary, explanatory data and facts affixed as enclosures or attachments. 2. Clarity- Select words and phrases that express the exact meaning that have only one interpretation. Sentences should be simple and free of vague, meaningless and ambiguous expression. 3. Coherence- Coherence is the logical development of subject material. This is achieved by arranging the various sentences in a logical and harmonious sequence. 4. Unity- The writing must adhere to a single major topic. 5. Verbiage- Omit unfamiliar words or those with three or more syllables. Avoid long and involved sentences. B. Stationary 6. Type Style - All documents will be printed in letter quality and utilize a type style equivalent to 12 Font, Arial. 7. Correspondence - An employee shall not use departmental stationery for private correspondence or correspond in the name of the Department, without permission from the Chief of Police. 8. Letters of recommendation are not to be written on Department stationary. All such letters are to be from the private individual and not from an official of the Department unless approved by Chief of Police. 9. Department Address - Except for official business and lawful purposes, an employee shall not use the Department as a mailing address. The Department address shall be entered on documents as the employee's business address only. 10. Forwarding Official Communications - An employee who receives an official communication directed to another shall forward such communication without delay. A supervisor who receives a written communication from a subordinate directed to a higher authority shall indicate approval, disapproval, or notation as to acknowledgement of content and forward to the next concerned person within 24 hours. C. Department Letterhead 11. Letters are prepared when corresponding with persons or organizations outside of the Miami-Dade Schools Police and contain: a. The first page of all official letters prepared for the Department will be prepared on Miami-Dade Schools Police Department (MDSPD) designated letterhead stationery, using block style lettering. Subsequent pages will be prepared on plain bond paper. b. The Chief of Police may send letters outside of the Department unless a person or unit is designated for a specific purpose ie: training scheduling, records notifications, property and evidence, etc. 12. Letters Prepared for Command Staff are prepared in draft form, and c. A date will not be entered, d. Letters in draft form will be emailed or prepared on non-letterhead plain paper, the body of the letter doubled-spaced, date omitted, and DRAFT watermark displayed on the page. D. Letter Format 13. Top and bottom margins should be 1 inch, 14. Right and left margins should be 1.25 inches unless the document is long and requires 1- inch margins and the document should be centered, 15. The date should start on line 15, 16. Two spaces should follow the inside address and salutation, 17. All letters should be justified. 18. Two spaces should follow the body and the complimentary closing. 19. The Chief's name should be in capital letters with the title "Chief" following on the same line. 20. Four spaces should follow the signature block. 21. Two spaces should follow the writer/typist's initials. 22. If there is an enclosure notation, it should follow one line below the writer/typist's initials. 23. Subsequent pages should reflect the name of the addressee with the page number indicated. 24. The remainder of the body should begin two lines below the page number. IV. MEMORANDA ============= Memoranda are any informational bulletins, notices or announcements of general interest issued at the Department or Division level or temporary directions given to a particular region or area of operation. Memoranda may also be for personnel purposes. These will disseminate information such as awards, transfers, promotions, discipline, separations and new hires. Memoranda are numbered by the author and the title shall be the subject of the memorandum. A. Memorandums are prepared when corresponding within the MDSPD and with other Miami-Dade County Public Schools departments or employees. Types and authority are discussed in SOP 1.06, [ *Written Directive System.*] 1. Formats a. Capitalize, bold, underline, and leave one space between the letters of the title b. The memorandum number, date, and telephone number should be right justified with the right margin. c. The salutation should begin on the fifth line. d. If a memorandum is written for the Chief's signature, allow three spaces between "TO" and "FROM" otherwise, allow two spaces. For signature, all memorandums shall have the signature of the originator affixed above their typed name. e. Leave three spaces after the subject. f. Two spaces between the body of the memorandum and the writer/typist's initials. g. The word attachment should follow the writer/typist's initials. h. Subsequent pages should reflect subject with the page number following. B. Memorandums Prepared for Command Staff 2. Memorandums prepared in draft form will be prepared on bond paper, narrative will be double-spaced, and DRAFT watermark displayed on the page. A memorandum may be e- mailed to conform with Florida Department of Education's mandate to become paperless while conducting official business. 3. Date will not be entered. C. Initials 4. Letters- Initials will be used on copies, but not on the original. Enclosures will be indicated on the original and copy. 5. Memorandums- At the left margin on the second line below the body of the memorandum the initials of the employee signing the memorandum are followed by a colon and then the initials of the typist. D. Action Memorandums 6. Requests made to the Command Staff for their approval, disapproval or other recommendations. Memorandums that request the approval of command staff are considered action memorandums and will reflect APPROVED, DATE, and DISAPPROVED captions. 7. The following topical paragraph headings are required i. Recommendation j. Cost & Budget General Ledger Costing k. Background l. Action m. Conclusion or summary 8. Body contents - Major topical paragraph headings will be reflected when possible. They may be of the writer's choice. However, if there is a recommendation heading, it will be listed first in the body followed by other appropriate headings; e.g., Action, Background, or Synopsis/Conclusion. 9. Recommendations - Recommendations reflected in a memorandum should be concisely stated in one paragraph. 10. Approval/disapproval blocks must appear in the order that the memorandum will be reviewed by the concerned elements. 11. Comments - When comments are made by command level personnel in reference to approval/disapproval of an action memorandum, a separate memorandum will be added to the original and all copies, detailing reasons for non-concurrence or other pertinent comments. The separate memorandum will become a permanent part of the package. E. Action Plans/Operational Plans 12. Action Plans/Operational Plans, if deemed necessary, shall be drafted for all appropriate departmental operations that require coordination, planning, supervision and leadership of department personnel and/or resources when requested by a MDSPD Command member. 13. Action Plans/Operational Plans shall be approved through the appropriate chain of command and shall always include the appropriate command staff member(s), with final approval by the Deputy Chief of Police. These plans must be completed and approved prior to the event taking place unless exigent circumstances exist. F. Signature 14. Correspondence Signature - An employee shall affix his signature in black/blue ink on correspondence exactly as it appears on departmental records; e.g., departmental identification card. 15. Signature "For" - If the individual whose name is typed does not sign personally, the employee authorized to sign for him will sign his own name and add the word "for." G. Page Numbers -The first page will be numbered and subsequent pages will be numbered consecutively. Periods, dashes, parentheses, or other punctuation will not be used. H. Enclosures and Attachments - Except pre-existing documents printed on 8 ½" X 14" paper, all enclosures and attachments will be printed on 8 ½" by 11" paper. Enclosures and attachments should be described briefly in the body of the document. If not, a brief description of each should be reflected after the notation. 16. Enclosure - Any item affixed to/or accompanies a letter. 17. Attachment - Any item affixed to/or accompanies a memorandum. 18. Numbering - When there is more than one enclosure/attachment, the total number will be reflected at the left margin on the first line below the signer/typist's initials. A complete document consisting of several pages is counted as one item. **V. DISTRIBUTION LISTS** A. When issuing memorandums such as personnel change memorandums, administrative directives, and standard operating procedures, a uniform method of distribution will be used to ensure consistency within the MDSPD. It is expected that the employees will check their email as required, on a daily basis, and save all documents transmitted to them. It remains each employee's responsibility to make regular inquires to ensure they have all generated documents that govern the mission of the MDSPD. B. The following are the various distribution lists that will manage how documents will be distributed to the various departmental entities: 1. Distribution A -- Command Staff Personnel a. Chief b. Deputy Chief c. Majors d. Captains e. Executive Officer 2. Distribution B- All supervisory personnel. This includes Distribution (A), plus Sergeants and Lieutenants. 3. Distribution C- All sworn members. This includes Distribution (A), (B), plus all sworn Officers. 4. Distribution D- All Department employees. This includes Distribution (A), (B), (C), and support personnel. 5. Specific Distribution Lists- By name and title, in ranking order and alphabetically. 6. When citing the appropriate distribution list, the originator of the document shall use the proper letter to identify the category of individuals who will be receiving the correspondence. VI. SHAREPOINT/TASK ELECTRONIC REFERRAL SYSTEM ============================================== A. MDSPD utilizes an electronic Sharepoint/task electronic referral system to improve communications, accountability, and to track the progress of assigned duties and tasks. B. Each assigned Sharepoint duty or task shall be memorialized in the appropriate Sharepoint folder by the designated departmental member. C. All Sharepoint duties or tasks are assigned specific timelines and deadlines by the Chief of Police or designee. Department members shall adhere to these timelines and deadlines unless advised otherwise by the Chief of Police or designee. D. The Sharepoint system utilizes an electronic timestamp submission protocol that records the appropriate department members' task, report, etc., to ensure adherence to timelines and deadlines. VII. WORK LOCATION E-MAIL AND INTERNET RESPONSIBILITIES & REQUIREMENTS ====================================================================== A. Each employee will be provided an e-mail address and [shall] use the District's e-mail service in accordance with School Board rules. All employees are required to check their email two times per day, in the earlier and later part of their shifts, to ensure all information disseminated by the Department is received. All department members shall include a signature block formatted as follows: 1. Title and Name of Department Member 2. Miami-Dade Schools Police Department 3. Name of assigned Division/Section or Unit 4. Street Address of Office/Site location 5. City, State, Zip Code 6. Office Number 305.xxx.xxxx 7. Fax Number 305.xxx.xxxx 8. Cellular Number 305.xxx.xxxx (optional) B. ELECTRONIC MAIL (e-mail) COMMUNICATION / INTERNET USE 9. District e-mail and Internet access will be used for official business only, although some moderate personal use is acceptable in accordance with below Section E. Personal Use. 10. Internet use is an official means of communication and MDSPD encourages the use of e-mail as a convenient, timely, and cost-effective medium. The purpose of providing an e-mail system to employees is to assist in the furtherance of District goals.  All messages [including e-mail], created, sent, or retrieved over the Internet by employees are the property of the District and should be considered public information. Employees who use [any] District [messaging service] are expected to do so responsibly, in compliance with Florida and Federal Laws, policies and procedures of the District and MDSPD, and with established standards of professional conduct and personal courtesy. 11. Any utilization of the District messaging system must be in support of, and consistent with, objectives of the District. These standards are fully delineated in, among other things, School Board Policy , *Standards of Ethical Conduct*; School Board Policy [4210.01], *Code of Ethics*; School Board Policy [7540.04], *Staff Responsible Use of Technology, Social Media, and District Network Systems*; School Board Policy [7540.05], *Staff Electronic Mail*; and M-DCPS Network Security Policy. Failure to be familiar with these guidelines will not be considered as a mitigating factor to a violation. C. UNACCEPTABLE USE OF DISTRICT E-MAIL, INTERNET, [OR] [MESSAGING] [SERVICES] 12. Authorized users of the e-mail and/or Internet system may not utilize the District e-mail to perform any action or transmit any communication that is otherwise prohibited. Unacceptable and prohibited uses of District e-mail and/or Internet services include, but are not limited to: f. Using profanity, obscenity, or other language that may be offensive to another   user or any matter deemed to be obscene. Obscene material is that material which: i. the average person, applying contemporary community standards, taken as a whole, would find it offensive. ii. Depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct as defined by state law; iii. Or taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. g. Transmitting any material that is in violation of federal, state, and local laws, or of M-DCPS Board rules, regulations, or guidelines. This includes, but is not limited to, material that contains statements that would tend to violate an individual's civil or constitutional rights or constitute harassment or trade secrets or copyrighted material without the consent of the owner or copyright holder. h. Spoofing, which is defined as the act of disguising the sender of an e-mail by replacing the name in the form or header fields; sending e-mails while signed on as a different user; or otherwise intentionally misleading the recipient as to the identity of the actual sender. i. Sending anonymous e-mail. j. Engaging in any activity designed to view the e-mails of other individuals without authority or permission, or randomly viewing individuals' emails for other than documented specific violations. k. Using the global distribution lists for purposes that are not work related. l. Blast e-mails or messages to Departmental personnel (personal or business related) must be previously approved by the Chief of Police or designee. m. Initiating or forwarding chain-letters or petitions. n. Utilizing the e-mail system for political activities. School Board Policy [7540.05], *Staff Electronic Mail*, governs the use of e-mail for political activities. In addition to the prohibition against using the District e-mail system to   provide publicity for any candidate for public office, users are forbidden from using the District's private network for lobbying, campaigning, or soliciting on behalf of any candidate for public office or using e-mail to support or oppose a political position or to engage in political activity. Please refer to this Board rule for a more detailed explanation of these prohibitions. o. Spamming, or the sending of unwanted, unsolicited and/or unnecessary messages to large numbers of people, usually with the purpose of advertising a product, event, service, or lobbying for a specific political position or promoting an individual's opinion.  In many cases, the sender is unknown to the recipients. p. Any other electronic correspondence that violates School Board rules. D. USER EXPECTATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF INAPPROPRIATE EMAIL USE 1. The District reserves the right to monitor the e-mail system for unacceptable use according to federal, state, local and district policy. Any employee who violates this rule may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal and possible criminal prosecution. 2. Work-site supervisors and District administrators are authorized to determine whether an employee is in compliance with this rule and is using the District e-mail and/or Internet system in an appropriate and acceptable manner. 3. In addition to checking for the above inappropriate uses, the District: n. Reserves the right to review e-mails and other electronic stored material in the network for the purpose of maintaining adequate and necessary file server space. o. Reserves the right to modify or delete e-mails, attachments, and/or other electronic stored material that may contain computer viruses or any other computer code that could damage or destroy any portion of the network. 19. Users of the District e-mail system should be aware that: p. Sensitive and confidential data, including data considered exempt from public disclosure, may be viewed by persons other than the intended recipient. Information that is exempt or confidential under state and federal law may need to be encrypted, blocked out, or not transmitted by e-mail. q. E-mail is legally discoverable and may be used in court proceedings. Employees are hereby notified that there is no individual right to privacy in the use of the District e-mail system. The District has an absolute right to monitor employee use   of the e-mail system at its discretion. Users are warned that although e-mail often has the feel of a private conversation, it is in fact, not private. Further, e-mail generated during the regular course of School Board business is subject to public disclosure, in accordance with Florida's Public Records Act, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. E. PERSONAL USE 1. The M-DCPS e-mail system is for District-related purposes, not for personal use. In limited instances, some personal use of the system may be permitted. This use is a privilege, not a right. Limited, incidental personal use of the M-DCPS e-mail system, such as sending short, brief e-mails is permissible so long as the user complies with the utilization policy outlined herein. Any abuse of this privilege will be handled in the same manner as described in Section C above. 2. Limited incidental personal use must not tie-up or otherwise obstruct system resources in any way, interfere with an individual's job performance and/or duties, advertise or promote a product or service, publicize unsanctioned, non-M-DCPS activities without approval, promote political candidates or positions as outlined in Section B above, including attachments that use excessive storage (multiple pictures, video clips, etc.), and/or be used in any way that is detrimental to M-DCPS. In addition, employees are prohibited from storing e-mail that is personal in nature. 3. Similarly, while the Internet is a valuable research tool, its use, with few exceptions, must be limited to business purposes. The use is a privilege, not a right. All Internet use must comply with Board rules. 4. All agency personnel utilizing agency issued technology resources funded by the Miami- Dade Schools Police Department acknowledge and agree that such service, whether for business or personal use, shall remove any expectation of privacy. Use of the Department's systems indicates consent to monitoring and recording. **Promulgated this [ 19^th^] day of [ September ,] 2024** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ [ ] \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_** **Ivan E. Silva** **Chief of Police**