The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | April 2023
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There are other important factors public safety employees should consider . Once content is posted ( even to a private account ), you lose control of where that information goes . Others may take that content and publish or forward it through other online mediums . What appears to the author as an innocent post could suddenly change hands hundreds of times , and also change context .
For police officers , defense attorneys also monitor this information and can use it against you in court . It ’ s equally important to consider the
officer safety aspect of posting personal content about yourself or your family .
Finally , if you use social media , make sure you do so in a manner that conforms to your agency ’ s policy . Many organizations establish limitations on what content employees may post on their personal pages .
Consider whether anything in your accounts :
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Discloses your employment with the agency . |
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Displays agency logos , uniforms or other identifying items . |
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Displays any photo or similar means of personal recognition that may cause you or others to be identified as an employee |
of the agency . |
And just because you won ’ t get into trouble with the agency , doesn ’ t mean there aren ’ t civil considerations . As a general rule , public safety personnel should also avoid :
�� Publishing or posting false information that harms the reputation of another person , group or organization .
�� Publishing or posting private facts and personal information about someone without their permission that have not been previously revealed to the public , are not of legitimate public concern , and would be offensive to a reasonable person .
�� Using someone else ’ s name , likeness , or other personal attributes without that person ’ s permission for an exploitative purpose .
�� Publishing the creative work of another , trademarks , or certain confidential business information without the permission of the owner .
Engaging within the virtual realm is a personal decision . However , as a public safety employee , there are numerous strings attached and it ’ s important to be well-informed before posting content on your personal page . With high-profile positions come bigger responsibilities . The world is watching and it ’ s important to be
vigilant and selective on the content you post or support on all your social media accounts . Additionally , don ’ t forget that what goes on the internet typically remains there . You never know where life and the job will take you . What appears like an innocent post early in your career can certainly come back to haunt you later in life .
SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY We ’ ve focused on social media from a personal standpoint , but what about using this medium to
support organizational objectives ?
We know from experience our agencies can leverage social media to inform the public , bolster recruiting and even create a brand or image for the organization . Marketing guru Shane Barker once said , “ The goal of social media is to turn customers into your personal evangelists .”
Most public service agencies use these platforms to broadcast and announce public safety-related events , provide status updates , report notable actions by agency personnel , and solicit community input . The overall goal is to improve community relations while highlighting the valuable services public safety organizations provide .
Although many organizations already use social media ( and have been doing so for quite some time ), it ’ s important to review your conduct and the agency policies that support this effort . In 2015 , the International Association of Chiefs of Police ( IACP ) conducted a
social media survey of 553 law enforcement agencies . The survey found that over 96 % of the agencies used social media in some capacity , but only 89.5 % either had a policy or were in the process of drafting one that regulates how it ’ s used .
Agency policy should outline criteria for posting content , in addition to identifying responsible parties involved with approving material and / or responding to or removing , editing and posting content . Consider best practices and seek legal advice when conducting your assessment . If your agency uses social media across multiple platforms , it ’ s important to ensure consistency in messaging .
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