(Correction: A previous version of this story had the incorrect time of the upcoming Pride festival in Salisbury. The event takes place on Saturday a the Bell Tower Green, located at 120 S. Church Street, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.)

SALISBURY — While Salisbury, as a city, issued support for the upcoming Pride event, its police department pulled a social media post last week that showed similar support.

A city spokesperson cited impartiality and vehicle policy violations as the reasons for it coming down.

The Salisbury Police Department removed the Facebook post, which featured two officers, the department’s ice cream truck and a Pride flag, shortly after being shared on Friday. The post was shared on the Salisbury Police Department’s official Facebook page before being shared by other pages from Salisbury-based organizations.

The original post included a photo of Lt. Koula Black and Salisbury Police Recruiting Manager Shaneesha Smith standing by the department’s Neighborhood Ice Cream Express, an ice cream truck used to increase community engagement and visibility.

In the post, the officers could be seen at the intersection of Fisher and Main streets alongside the ice cream truck adorned with the rainbow-colored flag. The officers handed out ice cream on Friday afternoon.

Salisbury will be the site of a Pride event on Saturday. Rainbow Pride flags are visible throughout downtown, affixed to businesses supporting the upcoming event.

The post originated from the Salisbury Police Department. According to the Salisbury communications coordinator, Kaisha Brown, the photos and the post ran counter to the police department’s policy of fair and impartial policing leading to the post being removed and retained.

Brown indicated that Salisbury Interim Police Chief Brian Stallings decided to remove the post after determining it violated department policy.

Salisbury policy states that “officers and employees are to perform their official duties without prejudice for or against any racial, ethnic, religious, sexual or social group.”

The policy states that “officers must remain impartial toward all persons while providing vigorous enforcement of the law. Violations of the law should be considered offenses against the state and not against the individual officer. All citizens are guaranteed protection under the law, and partiality for or against any person is prohibited. Likewise, unwarranted interference in the private affairs of others not in the interest of justice is prohibited.”

An additional policy, which concerns police and city vehicles, was also cited to be in violation. No alterations are supposed to be made to police and city vehicles, including no modifications to the vehicles’ outside appearance.

Brown said on Monday that the city supports Salisbury Pride and that Salisbury representatives would be at the Pride event on Saturday.

Instances of harassment and threats of business owners that showed support for the Pride event have been made. The city would not comment on how the police department planned to address those communications but did offer that safety would be a top priority.

“Though our exact safety measures are not shared publicly, we do have security procedures in place,” Brown said.

The Salisbury Pride Festival will be held at Bell Tower Green in downtown Salisbury from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.