# Top 10 social networking tips for cops



## kwflatbed

*Weinblatt's Tips*
with Dr. Richard Weinblatt

In the wake of the widely-known "Texas waitress" photos which led to the firing of one Midland County Deputy and the suspension of three others, a look at how online technology has impacted the world of the law enforcement officer is warranted. This is not a new occurrence. Recall the Hoboken, N.J., SWAT team disbanded following "racy" Hooters girl pictures bearing weaponry on police vehicles. By virtue of the Internet's viral nature, everyone eventually saw the pictures in question.

Full Article:

Top 10 social networking tips for cops


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## Sentinel

Personally, I think cops who who have facebook (or myspace of whatever) pages that publicize themselves as LEO are flippin' crazy. Just wiat until you are investigated by IA and they subpoena your facebook identity... better hope there isn't even one thing than can be misconstrued...

Thanks but no thanks, I didn't become a cop for the recognition. And I certainly am not going to give any shitheal I arrested a way to find out about my family, my house or any other thing for that matter.


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## Guest

10 tips:

1) Don't use or have social webpages.
2) Don't use or have social webpages.
3) Don't use or have social webpages.
4) Don't use or have social webpages.
5) Don't use or have social webpages.
6) Don't use or have social webpages.
7) Don't use or have social webpages.
*8*) Don't use or have social webpages.
9) Don't use or have social webpages.
10) Don't use or have social webpages.


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## fra444

The same rules apply to FaceBook as to posting here. If you cant say it where you work avoid saying it at all.

I have several locks on my FB page that restricts people from seeing my page and I also have it set so that I have to invite people to befriend me on FB and they can not request me.

Like everything else you need to exercise some commonsense!!


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## pahapoika

_*10 tips:

1) Don't use or have social webpages.
2) Don't use or have social webpages.
3) Don't use or have social webpages.
4) Don't use or have social webpages.
5) Don't use or have social webpages.
6) Don't use or have social webpages.
7) Don't use or have social webpages.
8) Don't use or have social webpages.
9) Don't use or have social webpages.
10) Don't use or have social webpages.*_

good advice for new hires too ( or potential new hires )

back ground checks now include checks on web sites and even if it's not you, but maybe a crazy friend it's a problem.


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## Guest

I just got rid of mine... for various reasons. Anyone here that was on my FB can PM me for cell # or e-mail if you didn't have it.


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## Unit23

pahapoika said:


> back ground checks now include checks on web sites and even if it's not you, but maybe a crazy friend it's a problem.


Good advice, many peoples potential jobs have been lost by this. Great tool for investigators.


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## adroitcuffs

Just as in anything else you do, common sense prevails. Remember the Code of Ethics -- _"I shall keep my private life unsullied..."_


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## jedediah1

deny
deny
deny

by using a fake name on your FB ;-) nobody can look me up on the interweb


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## fra444

jedediah1 said:


> deny
> deny
> deny
> 
> by using a fake name on your FB ;-) nobody can look me up on the interweb


 No need for fake names unless your stalking someone. With FB you can set your privacy settings so high that noone can ever look you up. I had a friend on FB that was using a false name and they were launched. Apparently they were stalking another friend of mine.

Nice 5-0!! You had a FB page and as close as we are you never let me know!! LMFAO!


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## Air Force Cop

The news a-holes go onto facebook looking for pics to use when you get investigated. Last month a pic was pulled off facebook to use on the 6pm news when a officer was being investigated. Tell your friends not to put your name on any pics of you.

aND NEVER, NO MATTER HOW CUTE SHE IS, LET A CHICK TAKE A PIC OF YOU WHILE YOUR ON DUTY. IT WILL END UP ONLINE. as a few coworkers haev learned


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## Sentinel

I just think that it comes down to risk vs. reward. As LEO's we are under constant scrutiny and suspicion. The days when cops were universally held in high regard are long gone. Instead we live in a litigious society, and nobody paints a bigger bull's eye than police. Why provide ammo to be used against you? 


I just see too many ways that it can come back to haunt you, and very few where it is of benefit. My friends know how to contact me, its this ancient form of media called a telephone.

If you've ever been sued you know what a bitch it is, and believe me we are presumed guilty until proven innocent.

But hey I'm an antisocial cynical prick, so maybe its just me.


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## LGriffin

As with anything else, you must use common sense, and if you don't have that, you simply shouldn't be on the job.


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## Air Force Cop

Seemed like a good idea at the time! Im screwed.lol Captain, you see, ummmm, crap


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## jedediah1

leave this out of your picture collection boys and girls


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## fra444

> No need for fake names unless your stalking someone. With FB you can set your privacy settings so high that no one can ever look you up. I had a friend on FB that was using a false name and they were launched. Apparently they were stalking another friend of mine.


So everyone knows, I have NO problem with what I said here. I know who it is about and APPARENTLY so does someone else HERE. I did not name names here and did not intend to embarrass someone.

NOW! Apparently there is a flaming coward here who knows the story and has yet to confront me about my opinion. IF! said coward would like to let me know how or why I am wrong with this opinion feel free to MAN UP and post here or you can continue your wormy ways and PM me, OOOOORR! there is a third option and you can just stay in that sad cowardly little place your hiding and go back and report on me again.

Now to clarify, when you treat someone as a friend and confide in them about things that have happened in your life and then admit to LYING about the simplest of things, (who you actually are!) then its simple, YOU CANT BE TRUSTED!!!!

And for those of you who a ragging on FB! This shit all happened because of this place and the, "Veil of Secrecy" regarding your identity!


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## Guest

fra444 said:


> No need for fake names unless your stalking someone. With FB you can set your privacy settings so high that noone can ever look you up. I had a friend on FB that was using a false name and they were launched. Apparently they were stalking another friend of mine.
> 
> *Nice 5-0!! You had a FB page and as close as we are you never let me know!!* LMFAO!


I may reactivate it when I finally get wifey on it. It was only MC friends, LEO's and family.

edit: My new FB name is going to be 'douchebaggery'. You can look me up.


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## 7costanza

[QUOTEedit: My new FB name is going to be Anonymous McShenanigans. You can look me up][/QUOTE]

We were thinking something more like " douchebaggery" ....


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## LGriffin

fra444 said:


> So everyone knows, I have NO problem with what I said here. I know who it is about and APPARENTLY so does someone else HERE. I did not name names here and did not intend to embarrass someone.
> 
> NOW! Apparently there is a flaming coward here who knows the story and has yet to confront me about my opinion. IF! said coward would like to let me know how or why I am wrong with this opinion feel free to MAN UP and post here or you can continue your wormy ways and PM me, OOOOORR! there is a third option and you can just stay in that sad cowardly little place your hiding and go back and report on me again.
> 
> Now to clarify, when you treat someone as a friend and confide in them about things that have happened in your life and then admit to LYING about the simplest of things, (who you actually are!) then its simple, YOU CANT BE TRUSTED!!!!
> 
> And for those of you who a ragging on FB! This shit all happened because of this place and the, "Veil of Secrecy" regarding your identity!


LOL, please don't ask to see his balls. Balls are "like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."


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## Guest

WHOA. Social site point EXACTLY. hahahaha Go get em fra.


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## BobNorthShore

#1, trust everyone with your social security number.


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## Trifecta

Social Networking is a great tool. Since having facebook I have connected old friends I had in the service, who which I would have never been able to get in touch with again. It is nice to be able to see how friends and families are doing because of either distance or time constraints. Just be smart about what and who you post.


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## Hush

Just talked to a recent hire and he confirmed that facebook and myspace logins/passwords are requested.......something to think about!


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## 94c

Air Force Cop said:


> Seemed like a good idea at the time! Im screwed.lol Captain, you see, ummmm, crap


So now community policing is out the window? 
Or are we now discriminating against good looking women?

Community Policing works both ways. I see nothing offensive against any of these pics.


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## SinePari

LawMan3 said:


> When I met with a background investigator for a job I applied for, he requested login names and passwords for all social networking sites I was a part of. Just an FYI - don't be stupid.


Is that even legal? Screen names and links I can I understand that, but passwords and logins? Of course comply-or-go-somewhere-else is prevalent when you want the job, but wow. What's next, let them see your bank statement and ATM pin number?


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## fra444

Sniper said:


> WHOA. Social site point EXACTLY. hahahaha Go get em fra.


NO! Not your point AT ALL Snipe!! Someone HERE!! not from FB went back and informed the person I was referring to of what had been said. You obviously see what you want, but this only involves people on that account not anything that was said there.


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## fra444

LawMan3 said:


> I'm not sure if it is legal, but for one, I had nothing to hide, and two, I wanted the job, so I complied.


From this post LM it sounds like you would be willing to do ANYTHING........ for this job! 


LawMan3 said:


> What I found odd, though, is the fact he already had me log in to my account in front of him, in his office, so he could troll through everything. A couple weeks later, I get the phone call for passwords.


 Thats because he found bikini pics of HOTT womens in your pics he wanted to downLOAD!!!!! :HS:


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## frapmpd24

LawMan3 said:


> *When I met with a background investigator for a job I applied for, he requested login names and passwords for all social networking sites I was a part of*. Just an FYI - don't be stupid.





SinePari said:


> *Is that even legal?* Screen names and links I can I understand that, but passwords and logins? Of course comply-or-go-somewhere-else is prevalent when you want the job, but wow. What's next, let them see your bank statement and ATM pin number?





LawMan3 said:


> I'm not sure if it is legal, but for one, I had nothing to hide, and two, I wanted the job, so I complied. What I found odd, though, is the fact he already had me log in to my account in front of him, in his office, so he could troll through everything. A couple weeks later, I get the phone call for passwords.


If your practicing good technological safeguards you would (as normal practice) change your passwords frequently, (like the minute you left the interview). That is when that FB app would really come in handy...

I can just see it now with the younger police candidates having two social pages. The cleaned up one and normal one. Geez what does that sound like... every kid in from the 4th grade up keeping two profiles, one to show their parents and the other that is not so sanitized. Any new recruits out of college have been doing this for quite some time.

Not sure if it is legal, but it does seem a little far reaching though. It's probably a Terms of Service (TOS) violation between the social network provider and account holder (password security, etc). Wait until the first instance of a BI changing something on a profile of an applicant, looking further into a cute gal on the applicants page, etc... . After a lawsuit the practice of asking for passwords will stop.

A quick Google search yeilded a some recent articles about municipalities requiring user names and passwords. Check out the link below for an article from Bozeman Montana. Although I am not a fan of the ACLU's body of work as a whole, their Montana Executive Director stated, "It's like saying, 'Let me look through your e-mails."

If there was a case of first impression in front of the courts it may likely be argued for the applicant that an "electronic account with a password" is analogous to a "file cabinet/lock box with a combination" (or something similar). Where the government is requiring the usernames and password, (even for employment), it would not be a surprise for the courts to rule there is a 4th ammendment protection from unreasonable searches. Especially in Massachusetts where a polygraph cannot be used in hiring, requiring user names and passwords might very well be out of bounds. Ofcourse they could rule that employment is at will so if you don't want to provide it, look for a job elsewhere. We'll just have to wait for the first lawsuit.

It will take either misconduct by an investigator (not out of the rehlm of possibilities) or a disgruntled applicant who has an axe to grind. Either way, would be an interesting case.

*Bozman Daily Chronicle Article*
_City Requires Facebook passwords from job applicants_
By: Amanda Ricker
June 18th, 2009


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## Sentinel

See where all this is going? Cops are not only being held to higher standards, but in some cases unreasonable standards. As I posted earlier in this thread, I don't do social network sites for my stated reasons. But if I did and some dickwad asked me for my user names and passwords I'd ask to see the court order.

I'd also question the legality of being required to provide that info for a background check for a LE job. 

It's like freedom of speech, apparently there are some who think you should be able to tell a cop to go fuck himself without repercussion (not advisable in my presence btw) and yet they also believe that a cop should be disciplined for using any profanity (called command presence when I write my report or testify in court). Shouldn't then a social network profile be freedom of speech?

Like I posted earlier, its all about liability. We have enough of that shit already as cops, I'm not giving anyone another weapon to try and take my job away.

In closing remember happiness is a belt fed weapon..

Stay safe


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## SinePari

Sentinel said:


> It's like freedom of speech, apparently there are some who think you should be able to tell a cop to go fuck himself without repercussion (not advisable in my presence btw) and yet they also believe that a cop should be disciplined for using any profanity (*called command presence* when I write my report or testify in court).


It's called using a _proportionate level of force_, aka speaking their language.


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## OfficerObie59

Sentinel said:


> See where all this is going? Cops are not only being held to higher standards, but in some cases unreasonable standards.


What's next? The paralells abound...

"Ah yes, Mr. Applicant, we just ah, want to make sure that you're not smuggling drugs internally, so we'll need to look inside your anal cavity just to make sure you don't have any signs that it's a place you like to hide illegal narcotics..."


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## fra444

OfficerObie59 said:


> What's next? The paralells abound...
> 
> "Ah yes, Mr. Applicant, we just ah, want to make sure that you're not smuggling drugs internally, so we'll need to look inside your anal cavity just to make sure you don't have any signs that it's a place you like to hide illegal narcotics..."


 Come on Obie! You know in this state that requires a Search Warrant. Now if they told the liberal judges that this was to infringe on the rights of a possible future LEO then it would be granted in a heartbeat! But its still required! :-s


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## OfficerObie59

fra444 said:


> Come on Obie! You know in this state that requires a Search Warrant.


Hey, if you really want the job...higher standard...?

fra, what type of court document would you need to not only find out who a myspace account belongs to, and then be able to log on to it?

Again...paralells abound...


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## Rock

I'm on the same page as you Sentinal. All set with any social pages. As for reconecting and keeping in touch.....what ever. I talk to the people I want to talk to and if I want to look someone up I will AND THEN I'LL CALL THEM! All these sites do is allow people to post comments and pics that say, "Hey, look at me! I climbed a mountian or my kid ate a snot!" Get over yourself. The people that really care will ask and the people you really care about you should already be in touch with.


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## SinePari

Facebook and MySpace...if you're showing pictures of anything other than your kids and doggies, you're a narcissist.


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## 94c

Sentinel said:


> I'd also question the legality of being required to provide that info for a background check for a LE job.


Did you ever think that maybe they already have the information and are looking for the response?


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## Macop

There is nothing worng with the social pages, just use common sense, its not hard.


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## Air Force Cop

This one's fantastic.....

Nothing cooler than handing your duty weapon at your moms house.
Is that a Halifax patch? go facebook!!!


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## 7costanza

Nice....atleast the kid next to him is excercising good muzzle management .


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## Air Force Cop

Im still thinking they will shoot each other in the foot


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## OfficerObie59

I'm not saying this guy was all that smart to post such a picture, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess he doesn't need us showcasing his stupidity for him.


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## Sam1974

well, it is the internet. if you don't want people ragging on you, why put it up there?

I have facebook.. there isn't one single thing that people can rag on me about, up on my facebook.. have some common sense.. people are stupid..

the other guy in the picture looks like he could possibly shoot off his friend's package.. 

don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that you should point a loaded or unloaded gun in the general or specific direction of any living creature.... duh! lol


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## fra444

Why is it everyone is like Tackleberry?! I mean I love to go shooting but when I got this job I had absolutely no urge to have my pic taken molesting my gun! 

OH WAIT!! This is my weapon.........

OK I DID molest my GUN! Its my WEAPON I didn't take pics molesting.......


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## Lights-Out!

*Re: Top 10*



Rock said:


> I'm on the same page as you Sentinal. All set with any social pages. As for reconecting and keeping in touch.....what ever. I talk to the people I want to talk to and if I want to look someone up I will AND THEN I'LL CALL THEM! All these sites do is allow people to post comments and pics that say, "Hey, look at me! I climbed a mountian or my kid ate a snot!" Get over yourself. The people that really care will ask and the people you really care about you should already be in touch with.


Reminds me of this episode of South Park.

 

Click on the Pic to view the clip.


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## Irish Wampanoag

There will be an opening in Halifax soon I hear!








We all know what happen to these two!


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