Privacy policy

Department News (“Department News,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website departmentnews.com and related email briefings for police, fire, and public works leaders.

This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using the site or subscribing to our emails, you agree to this policy.

Contact / mailing address
Department News
395 Circle of Progress Drive, Suite D
Pottstown, PA 19464
Privacy requests: news@departmentnews.com

What we collect

Information you provide. If you subscribe to an email briefing or otherwise contact us, we collect the information you give us. That typically includes your email address and any details you include in a message (for example, name, agency, or title).

Email engagement. When we send email, our email provider may record whether a message was delivered, opened, or clicked, and related technical details (such as approximate location inferred from an IP address, device or client type, and timestamps). We use this to understand what is useful and to keep the list healthy.

Website technical data. Like most sites, our servers and hosting provider may automatically log IP address, browser and device type, referring URL, pages visited, and timestamps. We may also use privacy-respecting analytics or similar tools that collect aggregated usage data.

Cookies and similar technologies. We may use cookies or similar technologies that are needed to run the site, remember preferences, or measure traffic. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect how the site works.

Public edition content. Our briefings may include publicly available information about agencies, officials, hiring, retirements, projects, industry news, and government surplus auction results or listings. That content is editorial or marketplace information, not a private profile we maintain about you as a subscriber.

We do not operate a public contact form on the site that collects personal submissions beyond what you choose to send by email.

How we use information

We use the information above to:

• Send and improve Department News email briefings and related notices
• Operate, secure, and troubleshoot the website
• Understand aggregate readership and which topics matter
• Respond to your requests
• Comply with law and enforce our terms

We do not sell your personal information.

How we share information

We share information only as needed to run the service, including with:

• Service providers who host the site, send email, provide analytics, or support operations, under agreements that limit their use of your data to providing those services
• Legal and safety recipients when required by law, to protect rights and safety, or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or asset transfer

We do not share your email address with third parties for their own marketing.

Retention

We keep subscriber and related records for as long as your subscription is active and for a reasonable period afterward for operational, legal, and backup purposes. Technical logs are kept for shorter periods unless needed for security or compliance. You can ask us to delete your subscriber record as described below.

Your choices and rights

• Unsubscribe. Every marketing or briefing email includes an unsubscribe link. You can also email news@departmentnews.com and ask to be removed.
• Access and correction. You may request a copy of the subscriber information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it.
• Deletion. You may request that we delete your subscriber information, subject to limited records we must keep for legal or operational reasons.
• Do not sell / share (where applicable). We do not sell personal information. If you have a request under a state privacy law that applies to you, email news@departmentnews.com with enough detail for us to verify and respond.

We will respond to reasonable requests within the time required by applicable law.

Children

Department News is intended for adults in professional roles. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

Security

We use reasonable administrative and technical measures to protect information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

Links to other sites

Our pages and emails may link to third-party websites (for example, agency sites, news sources, or auction listing pages). Their privacy practices are their own. Review their policies before providing information there.

Changes

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date will change when we do. Continued use of the site or emails after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact

Questions or privacy requests: news@departmentnews.com
Mail: Department News, 395 Circle of Progress Drive, Suite D, Pottstown, PA 19464