If you have an internet browser open right now, humor me and go to Google. Type in “Police officer fired over social media post”. How many results show up for you? For me, it’s about 46 million. Though not all of the results are relevant, a quick scroll through some of the first few pages give me enough reason to argue that those in law enforcement, and those in any public position, need to be cautious with social media.
Fifteen years ago law enforcement agencies did not have to worry about this—social media did not have the presence it has today. According to Pew Research, however, as recently as February of this year, seven-in-ten Americans use social media. My guess is that the majority of law enforcement officers have some form of social media, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat.
It’s certainly a controversial subject when officers get fired for posting insensitive, racially biased or inappropriate items, etc. on their personal social media. After all, it’s their personal, private social media, right? Wrong. Whether they are your colleagues or civilians, people can and will look you up on social media. This doesn’t apply to just law enforcement, the same goes for teachers, city officials and anyone with a public image.
Earlier this year the Des Moines Register reported that former Des Moines, Iowa police officer Christopher Hudrick would not be getting his job back after he took a picture of his MDT and posted it to his Facebook page. The image reportedly showed details of a couple’s call for assistance where a man had handcuffed his wrist to a woman’s ankle and lost the key. Though the officer reportedly used an app to blur part of the couple’s address, Hudrick was fired in Jan. 2017. Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert noted that the officer violated department policies, “…including standard of conduct and the release of public information,” according to the Des Moines Register.
This is just one example of many that follow similar plot lines. In August, the Orlando Police Department (Fla.) announced that it would make changes to its social media policy after an incident with one of its officers, now noting that a violation of the department’s social media policy could result in termination.
LEOs: Don’t let a social media post, “like” or comment force you out of a job. You have every right to believe what you believe, but as a law enforcement officer, you need to remember that you are in the public’s eye. Be selective with the people you accept to follow your accounts and set all of your accounts to private. Doing these things won’t be enough, though. When you do post, bear in mind the potential consequences. In some cases, fellow officers have seen their colleagues’ posts and reported them to the department. Keep in mind you are representatives of your city and your law enforcement agency. Don’t give anyone a reason to say you’re unfit to represent your employer.
Stay safe, readers.
Adrienne
Does your department have a social media policy? If not, it might be time to integrate one. A model policy can be found on the IACP’s website at www.theiacp.org/model-policy/html_policies/social-media-policy.
