Social Media Policy to Regulate Employee Usage
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Date
2018
Authors
James, Jason
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT)
Abstract
Description
Technology is advancing at an astonishing rate. Social media sites are at the fingertips of every individual with a computer or a smartphone. It is estimated that over three billion users are on social media on a daily basis (as cited by Williams, 2017). The general public is using social media sites to obtain all kinds of information. That information could be true or false and is not regulated by an authoritative agency. People can post anything on the internet, and it is distributed across the internet at a rapid rate. Law enforcement agencies are embracing the concept of utilizing social media to get their message out to the general public.
Using common sense while using social media sites is important on many different levels. Social media is not just used for staying in touch with friends and family members; it’s used to spread information out to others. Information distributed by employees could be degrading to the department, used against the officer or be harmful to the partnerships in the community. Law enforcement agencies have a right to regulate what employees say on social media. Employees speaking for or about the agency cause misinformation to be shared. It is important that the information related to the agency or community is being distributed on the “one voice-one mission” philosophy.
Law enforcement administration cannot assume that their employees will use common sense while using social media. Law enforcement administrations should have a clear written policy outlining what is an acceptable usage of social media sites. It is vital to the law enforcement agency and to the community they serve to have boundaries set and followed by all employees.
Keywords
Police and Mass media, Social Media, Police-community relations