Privacy Policy

Effective Date: November 23, 2024

The Buhl Police Department is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you visit our website. By accessing or using this site, you agree to the terms outlined below.

Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

  1. Personal Information:
    Information you voluntarily provide through forms or inquiries, such as:

    • Name
    • Email address
    • Phone number
    • Other contact details

  2. Non-Personal Information:
    Information automatically collected when you visit our website, such as:

    • IP address
    • Browser type and version
    • Device type
    • Pages visited and time spent on the site
    • Cookies and other tracking technologies

How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used to:

  • Respond to inquiries, reports, or requests submitted through our website.
  • Improve our website’s functionality and user experience.
  • Maintain the security and integrity of our systems.
  • Provide updates, alerts, or information about public safety, events, or community programs.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

The Buhl Police Department does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. However, we may share information:

  • With other law enforcement agencies or government entities as required by law.
  • To protect public safety, prevent crime, or address emergencies.
  • With authorized third parties who assist in maintaining or improving our website or services.

Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is entirely secure. By using our website, you acknowledge and accept these inherent risks.

Comments

Suggested text: When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

Suggested text: If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

Suggested text: If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Enhance site functionality and performance.
  • Analyze website traffic and user behavior.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may limit certain functionalities of our site.

Embedded content from other websites

Suggested text: Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Who we share your data with

Suggested text: If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

How long we retain your data

Suggested text: If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

What rights you have over your data

Suggested text: If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where your data is sent

Suggested text: Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

What User Data We Collect

  • When you visit the blog, we may collect the following data:
  • Your IP address.
  • Your contact information and email address.
  • Other information such as interests and preferences.
  • Data profile regarding your online behavior on our blog.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites not operated by the Buhl Police Department. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or security of those external websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. Updates will be posted on this page with the revised effective date.

Comments Policy

The Buhl Police Department values community engagement and welcomes comments, questions, and feedback from visitors to our website. To maintain a respectful and constructive environment, we have established the following guidelines for public comments:

Guidelines for Submitting Comments

  1. Respectful Communication:
    All comments must be respectful and free of offensive, defamatory, or discriminatory language. Inappropriate content will not be tolerated.

  2. Relevance:
    Comments should relate directly to the content of the page or topic being discussed. Off-topic or spam-like comments may be removed.

  3. No Personal Information:
    For your safety, please refrain from posting personal or sensitive information, such as addresses, phone numbers, or financial details. Any such information will be removed.

  4. No Promotion or Solicitation:
    Comments promoting commercial products, services, or political campaigns are prohibited and will be removed.

  5. Compliance with Laws:
    Comments must comply with all applicable laws, including the Idaho Public Records Act (Idaho Code § 74-101 et seq.) and regulations against harassment, hate speech, or threats.

Moderation of Comments

The Buhl Police Department reserves the right to monitor and moderate all comments submitted to the website. We may remove comments that violate the above guidelines or Idaho law. Additionally, repeated violations may result in the user being restricted from submitting further comments.

Public Records Disclosure

All comments submitted to the Buhl Police Department website are subject to the Idaho Public Records Act (Idaho Code § 74-101 et seq.) and may be disclosed as part of public records requests, unless exempt by law.

Embedded Content from Other Websites

Our website may include embedded content, such as videos, images, articles, or interactive tools, from external websites. Embedded content from other websites behaves in the same way as if you visited the external website directly.

How Embedded Content Affects You

  1. Data Collection:
    These external websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with their content.

  2. Interaction Tracking:
    If you are logged into an account on the external website (e.g., YouTube, Facebook), they may track your interactions with their embedded content, such as playing a video or clicking a link.

  3. Privacy Practices:
    The privacy policies of the external websites govern how they collect, use, and protect your data. The Buhl Police Department is not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites.

Examples of Embedded Content

  • Videos from platforms like YouTube or Vimeo.
  • Social media feeds or posts (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter).
  • Maps or location services (e.g., Google Maps).
  • Forms or surveys hosted by third-party providers.

Your Options

To protect your privacy:

  1. Review the privacy policies of the external websites before interacting with their content.
  2. Adjust your browser or device settings to manage cookies or tracking preferences.
  3. Log out of third-party accounts if you do not wish to be tracked while interacting with embedded content.

Disclaimer

The inclusion of embedded content on the Buhl Police Department website does not imply endorsement of the third-party websites or their content. Any interactions you have with embedded content are at your discretion. If you have concerns about specific embedded content, please contact us.

How to Report a Concern

If you believe a comment violates these guidelines or poses a security concern, please contact us immediately at:

Buhl Police Department
201 Broadway Ave. N.
Buhl, Idaho 83316
Phone: 208-543-4200
Email: jeremy.e@cityofbuhl.us

We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a respectful and constructive online environment. Thank you for engaging with the Buhl Police Department.