No matter who I’m writing for I usually have a topic in mind, write the article or post and then determine the title. Not this post…the title came first and that is actually going to present a problem.
Ethics. Where do you begin on that one and how do you truly determine the ethical use of social media by law enforcement? I mean really; should that even be a consideration? Why would that be something to write about? With all our training, governance, rules, procedures, oaths, guidelines, etc, etc, etc, ethical use shouldn’t be an issue.
Sadly, it is. Hey we’re humans. We make mistakes. We have different judgements. We are influenced by our own experiences. We lack knowledge. The list goes on and on.
There are some really simple things that everyone using social media should recognize immediately.
- Always give credit for anything that is not your own original idea, thought, post, or point
- Reference and source information
- Share openly
- Be respectful
- Create for the common good
- Never have ulterior motives
- Consider who you represent
These are the simples…no thought required. Hey, are they different from real life? NO!!
But every now and again, we see glaring examples of people going against every one of those.
The reasons are many. Personal agenda, failing to recognize who you are posting for, lack of knowledge or understanding of the tools. Then there are the real bad offences…things that have nothing to do with errors in judgement…malicious posts, breaking simple common sense rules of policing, rights violations and the false sense of anonymity.
But come on…some of the recent examples that have made the news are just out to lunch!
Public shaming. Political statements. Personal opinions in the wrong forum or manner. Grandstanding and just plain stupidity.
You have a great tool at your finger tips. Use it for greatness.
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About Tim Burrows
Tim Burrows was a sworn police officer for 25 years with experience in front line operations, primary response, traffic, detective operations and supervision. He has training in a broad spectrum of policing responsibilities including, IMS, Emergency Management, computer assisted technology investigations, leadership, community policing and crisis communications. Tim is available to assist you with your social media program and communication. Click here to contact him http://bit.ly/ContactTimBurrows
Quick, clear and concise Tim. Don’t muddy the waters with additional reflections when it can be summed up so simply.
I’m still waiting for my first “big” mistake, but hope to continually reduce the likelihood by reading and learning from your experiences.
My biggest battle is constantly striking the fine balance between being professional yet approachable. I strongly believe we need to be showing our human side more often, that we are not faceless minions that others would like to portray us as.
Yet when you start to make that connection it’s very easy to become complacent, let one’s guard down and then make a personal remark that isn’t reflective of your organization’s values.
To me this is where Social Media in Law Enforcement is so simple yet insanely difficult all at the same time.
Thanks for the comment Steve.
Professional yet approachable while showing our human side more often. Magical balance to strike there. I think that no matter how human we attempt to portray ourselves, a focus always on professionalism will always show the public where we stand and they will never be confused by how we show ourselves.