1. Introduction:

Nexus is committed to fostering safe, informative, and engaged communities by providing free public agency pages to organizations that play a crucial role in public service and community well-being. Our platform serves as a direct channel for public agencies—including local governments, emergency services, public safety departments, and special districts such as school districts—to communicate vital information to the communities they serve. Whether sharing crisis updates, public service announcements, event notifications, or recognizing outstanding contributions from community members, public agencies help build trust and connection through accurate and timely communication.

To maintain the integrity and inclusivity of Nexus, public agencies must adhere to our Community Guidelines, along with the Nexus Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. In addition to our general policies, we have developed specific guidelines for public agencies to ensure responsible use of the platform. These rules define the acceptable scope of communication and conduct, ensuring that agency interactions remain professional, lawful, and conducive to public trust.

Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in content removal, temporary restrictions, or account suspension, including for elected officials and agency representatives.

2. Public Safety Communications:

Public agencies must uphold the highest ethical standards when sharing information regarding public safety. To prevent misinformation and uphold privacy rights, agencies must follow these guidelines when posting about individuals in be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) alerts, arrests, or conviction notices:

Persons of Interest

To prevent discrimination and bias, agencies must focus on describing specific behaviors rather than using subjective or vague terminology such as "suspicious person." When posting about individuals of interest, agencies should include objective details such as:

• A clear description of the behavior that raised suspicion or was unlawful.

• Detailed descriptors such as age, height, weight, clothing, hair color, identifiable marks, and any associated vehicles.

• The specific location and direction of travel.

• Photos and videos, if available, to aid identification.

Arrest Notices

Arrest announcements should prioritize public safety concerns without compromising personal privacy. Agencies must:

• Limit identifying details unless required by law or necessary for public awareness.

• Avoid including photos or videos of the arrested person unless:

  • Additional victims or witnesses are being sought.

  • There is a legal mandate to notify the community.

  • The individual is connected to multiple ongoing investigations.

  • The arrested individual is deemed an ongoing public threat and has been released from custody.

Crimes that may warrant more detailed public notification include Criminal Homicide, Forcible Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Felony Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, or Arson.

Conviction Notices

When posting conviction-related updates, agencies may include the convicted person’s name but must exclude photos or videos unless the criteria above are met.

Missing or Endangered Persons

Posts regarding missing or endangered individuals will be honored unless a verified request for removal is submitted by the individual in question or their legal representative. Removed posts will remain archived for public record purposes.

3. Political Neutrality:

Public agencies and their representatives must refrain from using Nexus for political advertising, campaigning, or advocacy. All communication should maintain neutrality and avoid favoring any political ideology, party, or candidate. Agencies may share factual updates about governmental activities but must not:

• Endorse or oppose any candidate, policy, or ballot measure.

• Publish position statements on legislative matters before votes.

• Use Nexus to promote political campaign events, fundraising efforts, or rallies.

• Directly encourage or discourage voting for any candidate or initiative.

Elected officials may use their official agency accounts to discuss current governmental work but may not use Nexus as a campaign tool.

4. Professional Conduct:

Agency accounts, including those managed by elected officials or staff, must remain strictly professional. Representatives must not:

• Use agency pages for personal opinions, religious promotion, or non-official activities.

• Conduct agency business from personal accounts or sign up with an official government email on a personal Nexus account.

5. Moderation & Community Management:

Public agency representatives are responsible for managing comments on their posts and moderating discussions in alignment with Nexus’s Community Guidelines.

Content Reports

Residents may report agency posts or comments they believe violate Nexus’s guidelines. While agencies manage their comment sections, any reported post will be reviewed by Nexus’s moderation team. If a post is removed, it remains archived for public record purposes and is available in agency metrics.

Comment Moderation

Agency representatives must:

• Monitor and moderate discussions to ensure they remain civil and compliant with Nexus’s policies.

• Manage direct messages responsibly.

• Close discussions when necessary to prevent misinformation or inappropriate discourse.

Nexus will automatically close discussions that reach a threshold of reported comments. However, agencies may reopen discussions as needed.

6. Enforcement & Consequences for Violations:

Any violation of these guidelines may result in:

• Warnings or Content Removal – Posts that violate guidelines will be removed, with a record maintained in agency metrics.

• Temporary Restrictions – Repeated violations may result in posting restrictions for an agency or its representatives.

• Account Suspension – Egregious violations, including those involving misinformation, discrimination, or political misuse, may result in immediate suspension of the official account and all associated staff accounts.

For additional information, refer to the Nexus Agency Terms of Service.

7. Final Considerations & Policy Updates:

Nexus reserves the right to update these Public Agency Community Guidelines at any time based on platform developments, evolving legal requirements, and community feedback. Agencies will be notified of significant updates through official Nexus channels.

By following these guidelines, public agencies can contribute to a safer, more informed, and connected community experience on Nexus.