Terms and Conditions (7.3)

Revision Date: 21 March 2025

By using the Service, you are expressing your agreement to these terms and the processing of your data, including your personal information, in the manner provided in this Policy. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service.

Who can see my personal details and other information that I provide?

During the registration process you will be able to review and refine which Information Providers (IPs) and organisations may be able to access your data. The selection may vary based on your location but will include: The Police, Fire & Rescue, Neighbourhood Watch, PCC, The Local Authority, Utility Companies and VISAV (system administrators). When you have completed your registration, you will be able to login to your free, secure administration area at any time to instantly review your data sharing permissions.

A further description of the main organisations acting as IPs is as follows:

("The Police" as stated above is defined on this system as: Authorised and trained employees of your local Police force and a limited number of trained personnel from Police Forces or Constabularies in the UK. All of which have agreed to abide by the Neighbourhood Alert Rules and Conventions and limited to Forces and Constabularies who are bound under the terms of a current Neighbourhood Alert Licence)

("Fire & Rescue Service" as stated above is defined on this system as: Authorised and trained employees of your local Fire and Rescue service and a limited number of trained personnel from Fire and or Rescue service organisations in other areas in the UK. All of which have agreed to abide by the Neighbourhood Alert Rules and Conventions and limited to organisations that are bound under the terms of a current Neighbourhood Alert Licence)

("Neighbourhood Watch" as stated above is defined on this system as: The Police or Neighbourhood Watch Association APPROVED Coordinator for the mapped scheme area that you live within. Also, the authorised and trained employees, democratically elected representatives and trained volunteers on behalf of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland (Scotland) and the Neighbourhood Watch Network (England & Wales) who have signed a Neighbourhood Alert Information Provider licence and have agreed to abide by the Neighbourhood Alert Rules and Conventions.)

("PCC" as stated above is defined on this system as: Your current, local, elected Police and Crime Commissioner and authorised and trained employees of the Police and Crime Commissioners office where applicable, who have signed a Data Protection Act compliant Access Agreement and agree to conform to Neighbourhood Alert rules and conventions.

("The Local Authority" as stated above is defined on this system as: Trained, authorised employees of your local council or unitary authority who have signed a Data Protection Act compliant Access Agreement, a Neighbourhood Alert Licence and agree to conform to Neighbourhood Alert Rules and Conventions.)

("Utility companies" as stated above is defined as: Trained, authorised employees of Utility (Gas, Water and Electricity) providers who have signed a Data Protection Act compliant Access Agreement, a Neighbourhood Alert Licence and are specifically prohibited from removing your data from the system, using it for any other purpose or using it for any marketing messages or purposes. Utility companies will only use your data and the Alert system to send emergency and safety messages)

("VISAV" as stated above is defined by: trained and authorised employees of VISAV Limited, Sherwood Business Centre, Mansfield Road, Sherwood, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 2GA, Tel: 0115 9245517, email support@neighbourhoodalert.co.uk)

Each organisation has signed an Information Provider Licence with VISAV.

New Information Providers

New, non-commercial Information Providers may be licenced in the future to provide crime, safety and community focused information to you as long as they do not send direct marketing messages and their use of the Service is consistent with the purpose for which the system is provided.

How will you use my data?

Your details will be used for distribution and collection of community safety information, gathering opinion and for the management and growth of the Neighbourhood Watch and other active citizen-based communities.

Data analytics: Your data may be used by information providers to run analytics for performance and promotion purposes to help grow the platform.

For more information see our Privacy Policy www.neighbourhoodalert.co.uk/privacy

Who owns this website?

VISAV Limited (VISAV) is the data controller for the entire Neighbourhood Alert Network of sites and owns this website. Each organisation that can access your data does so under licence from VISAV and takes on the responsibilities of a joint Data Controller (with VISAV). VISAV ensures that each licensed Information Provider is aware of their responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and will pass on any complaints to the Information Provider concerned.

VISAV will, on behalf of the Information Providers and site administrators, lawfully and securely administrate all personal details submitted to this website. VISAV will not divulge to any of its partners or any other body or individual without your permission any personal details that you provide, unless it is essential to do so for the purpose of detecting or preventing crime, or if this is in the interests of public safety. VISAV Ltd cannot accept any responsibility for damage or loss to equipment, software or data caused by use of this site.

Receiving messages and accessing the system

You agree to receive Alerts from the Neighbourhood Alert message broadcast system, and accept that you may receive emails, text messages or voice messages from the above parties but will not incur any costs for receiving them. In some cases, you may incur a small cost for replying to a text message or dialling the voice delivery system. No guarantee or promise is made or should be assumed that messages will be sent on a regular or reliable basis, nor is a minimum number of emails, text messages, push messages or phone calls guaranteed.

The administrators and IPs make no promise or guarantee that you will be warned about imminent, past or present incidents or threats by using this Service and no guarantee should be implied.

Who is the Service for?

The Service is provided for the use of any resident who is at least THIRTEEN (13) years old, living within the UK. Persons under the age of thirteen should not register.

1. Applying to be a member

1.1 - To register with the Service, please click on the Join button.

1.2 - All applicants are required to acknowledge the Service terms and conditions when completing the application form. Registered members must adhere to the Service terms and conditions at all times.

1.3 - Not available for any person under the age of 13.

1.4 - You accept responsibility for ensuring that the details provided by you are kept up to date and accurate.

1.5 - The System Administrator can remove your account at any time.

2. System Security

2.1 - Passwords must be kept safe and not passed or loaned to anyone.

2.2 - Passwords should be a mixture of at least 8 characters and numbers.

2.3 - Avoid family names, pet names or a home postcode as a password.

2.4 - Although not compulsory, we recommend that passwords should be changed on a regular basis (at least every six months if possible)

2.5 - Any inappropriate use of the system by any member will result in their removal from the system.

3. Use of message information

3.1 - Information sent to you may be sensitive and you agree to use your best judgement to retain or distribute the information according to the interests of public safety and crime prevention.

3.2 - Information in messages can be used in local newsletters and publications providing it is copied accurately and not used in a misleading or misrepresenting context.

3.3 - Messages are sent to keep members of the public up-to-date with what is going on and must not be used in a manner as to unduly raise the fear of crime.

4. Communication with Information Providers

4.1 - Members may reply directly to the community messages.

4.2 - Any communication with Information Providers should not contain any racist, homophobic or otherwise discriminatory comments.

4.3 - Any communication with Information Providers should not include any comments that may be considered offensive or inappropriate.

5. Data Protection

5.1 - Personal data provided to Information Providers by users of this website will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR.

5.2 - Information will not be sold, loaned or disclosed to any other user unless required to by law.

5.3 - More information regarding GDPR can be found here.

6. Disclaimer

6.1- This site is one of many sites connected to the Neighbourhood Alert system, use of the system by Information Providers is under licence from VISAV Limited.

6.2 - VISAV accept no liability for any problems, defects or damage caused to hardware, software or data owned by the user accessing the Service.

6.3 - Any call charges or costs incurred accessing the web site or replying to messages is the responsibility of the bill payer, whose consent should be obtained before using the system.

6.4 - Information Providers are not responsible for the content or availability of any linked websites. Listing a site should not be seen as an endorsement of any kind.

Unsubscribing

Your permission to share your data with each Information Provider can be given and withdrawn at any time by emailing support@neighbourhoodalert.co.uk, calling VISAV Limited on 0115 9245517 (office hours) or by ticking/un-ticking the Information Provider's name in your message settings area. Every Alert email sent to you contains a "Settings" link which connects you to a secure web-page which will enable you to change who can see your information, send you messages and update what priority and types of message you are willing to accept. The subsequent deletion of your data will be in line with our Data Retention & Deletion Policy.

Website discussion areas

While the administrators and moderators of this Service will remove any objectionable material as quickly as possible, it is not possible to review every message. If you should see material that you find unacceptable, please contact the administrator via support@neighbourhoodalert.co.uk.

Discussion area posting - Conditions

You agree not to post any abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening, discriminatory or any other material that may contravene any laws or is likely to cause offence or distress to other users. Doing so may lead to you being immediately and permanently banned from this Service. You agree that the administrator and moderators of this Service have the right to remove or close any topic/message at any time should they see fit. The IP address of all messages is recorded to aid in enforcing these conditions. Any unlawful use of the Service may result in legal action being taken against you.

Please be aware that all messages sent using this Service express the views and opinions of the author and not the administrators, moderators, Information Providers or Webmaster and hence VISAV and members of the administration cannot be held liable for material posted on this site or information distributed by the Service.

By using the Service you undertake to indemnify VISAV and the administrators and its staff against any liability arising from any breach of confidentiality, copyright or other intellectual property right published by you on this Service and against any loss, damages, claims and costs arising from any such publication.

'Spam'

Sending 'spam' (marketing/sales material) via the Service is not acceptable and the sending of such information will result in being barred from the Service. The administrators and VISAV reserves the right to monitor this site, and any persons found abusing this Service can have their rights revoked without notice.

Disaster recovery contingency

To ensure continuity of the Service, police forces using the Service may periodically export and securely store the data they have added, included user information, for disaster recovery purposes.

This backup data has a limited scope of use and will only be used for analytical reporting (e.g. engagement trends, diversity monitoring) or to restore Service functionality in the event of a major outage.

Your data will not be used to contact you directly outside of the Service, nor shared with third parties or transferred to alternative platforms without your consent.

Who are we

VISAV Limited (VISAV), Sherwood Business Centre, 616a to 620a Mansfield Road, Sherwood, Nottingham, NG5 2GA. 0115 9245517, support@neighbourhoodalert.co.uk

More information regarding use of your data is in the full Privacy Policy www.neighbourhoodalert.co.uk/privacy

'Terms and conditions are subject to change. You will be notified by email of any changes.'