Police Officer Social Media Policy

Official use of social media

Social media is becoming a more integral part of police enforcement operations. And then agencies need thorough guidelines for how to utilise it to communicate.

Many departments appoint a designated social media managing director. Some allow several unlike officers to post from official department accounts.

In any case, effective law enforcement social media policy volition clearly outline who is authorized to stand for the department on official agency profiles.

Think: official department social media is public record. Information technology'southward important for policies to include expectations for employee conduct while representing the section on social media.

IACP's model social media policy includes a broad provision that personnel representing the department should "Conduct themselves at all times as representatives of the section and, accordingly, shall adhere to all section standards of conduct and observe conventionally accustomed protocols and proper decorum."

Engaging with the community

Since social media posts can be shared so widely, your agency needs to be careful about what information you share on official accounts.

Your department can use social media to share safety tips, information about accidents, and relevant bureau updates and events.

Your department's social media policy should clearly outline acceptable and unacceptable content. Social media is a great place to engage with the community.

But for official uses, information technology's best to stick to facts and avoid weighing in on controversial bug. For example, policies may give social media managers some leeway on responding to questions from the customs.

However, policies should prohibit posts that comment on awaiting prosecutions, share confidential data, or make statements nigh the guilt or innocence of whatsoever doubtable.

Investigating and preventing crimes

Official department social media accounts tin exist helpful for soliciting tips well-nigh crimes or missing people. But individual officers can also employ social media for investigations.

In fact, a2014 study by LexisNexisfound that 73 per centum of officers believe that using social media can assist solve crimes faster. Co-ordinate to the report, 8 out of 10 police enforcement professionals actively used social media in investigations.

Notwithstanding, the study also found that 52 percent of agencies didn't have a formal process for doing so.

Without proper policies, evidence gathered via social media may non hold up in court. Social media policies can help officers navigate the legal and ethical issues of using social media to gather data.

All online investigations should comply with laws and require officers to receive adequate grooming.

Policies almost investigations should cover things such as when and how officers can apply false identities online and what equipment they can utilize for investigations.

It should outline procedures for documenting online investigations and establish provisions for accountability.

Monitoring comments and taking downward posts

Facebook and Twitter aren't always the almost friendly places for public conversations. Even if your department never posts anything controversial, you lot volition probably meet controversial or combative comments from users.

Your social media policy should include procedures on how to monitor comments. Inher mailon social media for law enforcement, consultant Lauri Stevens suggests that agencies post takedown policies on a split up tab on their Facebook page.

She encourages agencies to "protect your Facebook Folio every bit a 'express public forum,' have a takedown policy, and enforce information technology conservatively and consistently."

Personal apply of social media

In full general, police enforcement agencies should exist cautious about being too restrictive virtually officers' personal social media use. Your agency's social media policy has to respect officer's First Subpoena rights.

A court recently ruledthat 1 bureau'due south policy—which restricted "negative comments" well-nigh the department—was overly wide and violated officers' free spoken communication.

For the most part, your social media policy should specify that your officers have freedom of expression, simply it should outline a few exceptions.

Department affiliation

It's important that policies specify which individual accounts officially represent the department and which accounts don't.

For example: If your law principal has an private Twitter account, that account most likely represents the department.

Therefore, that account should align with the agency's official social media use. All the same, individual officers' personal accounts can't be held to the same standards.

ConnectedCOPSadvises agenciesto include the use of disclaimers in social media policies.

"Because you may be giving your personnel the authorization to comment on bug relating to the section, it's imperative to emphasize the importance that officers, especially, state that what they write is their own opinion and not that of the section."

Prohibited speech

Police force enforcement social media policy should institute what officers are prohibited from posting on their personal accounts.

This may include sharing sensitive department data; posting images of department personnel, logos, or cruisers; or posting evidence of themselves acting badly on or off duty.

Agency policies should clearly state that officers tin be disciplined for violating the department'due south lawmaking of comport on social media.

Privacy and perception

Most social media profiles aren't individual by default. In social media policy and training, police enforcement agencies should remind officers that their posts can be seen by customs members, department leaders, and even suspects.

Irresponsible posts could undermine their testimony in criminal proceedings or reflect negatively on the department. Sharing sensitive data or posting their location could even put them or other officers in danger.

Social media policies should remind officers that the department may review their social media accounts at any time.

As a full general rule, officers shouldn't post anything they wouldn't be comfy with their supervisors reading.

Your social media policy is merely one of the 12 police force enforcement policies every agency needs  to protect its customs, officers, and reputation in an era of increased scrutiny and litigation.

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