A New Police Career And Social Media

By Detective Christian Cory

In previous articles, I have discussed the police oral board and its importance in the law enforcement hiring process. There is an ancillary aspect in the hiring practice that is often taken for granted and overlooked by candidates. The ramifications for you, as a law enforcement applicant or a new law enforcement officer will be devastating. Worse yet, if you overlook it, you will not make it to your oral board. The issue is social media, and its impact grows by the day.

Social media includes popular sites such as Facebook, Xanga, MySpace, and Bebo, to name a few. Facebook is the most popular so I will highlight it. According to Facebook’s website, there are more than 500 million active users, 50% of those active users log on in any given day, and there are more than 30 billion pieces of content. In addition, Facebook users have an average of 130 friends and create 90 pieces of content each month. These numbers are staggering and the law of averages comes into play. There is no doubt many future police officers are online now.

We have all heard the story of the employee who was terminated after sending an offensive email. Maybe you knew of a colleague who got into trouble for having inappropriate materials on their computer or visiting distasteful websites. Over the last decade, many people forgot that their email, and to a larger extent the internet, is not private. Facebook is no exception.

Many employers, including law enforcement pre-employment sections, are reviewing the social media sites of prospective candidates. Social media has become another resource for pre-employment sections to do a background check on their applicants. If a recruiter is seeing racy photos, provocative comments, and reading posts about alcohol and/or recreational drug use, not only are these a sign of immaturity but they are red flags. Whether or not this is just bravado or posturing, you can flush your chance with this agency. Ask yourself these questions:

— Do you have content on any social media site that is embarrassing, inappropriate, or immature (photos included)?

— Have you made comments/jokes on your page or another’s that may offend another?

— Would anything on your social media site keep you from being hired?

— Will anything on this social media site effect my credibility as a law enforcement officer?

— How could a defense attorney turn my comments, pictures, or activities nto a veracity issue (attack your credibility)?

To protect your future self take action now. Set security settings on social media sites to the most private settings. These include actions such as: ‘untagging’ photos, deleting posts/photos/videos, remove ‘check in’ abilities, remove yourself from public searches, disabling posts, and setting ‘friends only,’ on applicable categories. Some of these items may seem harmless to you. Do not let someone else decide for you. Protect yourself and future career now. Get rid of them. Do not forget they may ask to review any social media you utilize at any time during the hiring process.

If you are not completely familiar with how the privacy function on your favorite social media site works, it is just one search away. As social media sites add features and redesign, run a frequent search on ‘privacy,’ as they change frequently. Keep your settings up to date and your site locked down.

Social media sites continue to hinder unknowing candidates and surprise the unprepared job seeker, both in, and outside of law enforcement. Technology is more infused in our workplace and personal life. This trend will continue. Do not let a silly social media comment hinder your chance at a rewarding career in law enforcement. Start the hiring process right and make it to your police oral board.

About the Author: Detective Christian Cory invites you to learn

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Source:

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