Social Media Safety

Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Today’s Tip is for law enforcement and corrections.

It is amazing how much personal information can be found on social media. Just a few minutes on social media and the bad guys can learn a lot about you.  

I’ve talked about social media several times over the years, but it continues to be a problem. So we’re going to talk about it again.  

Did I see a picture of you on the internet today? If I did, you probably looked great. There’s a slight chance, however, that you might have been wearing your uniform. Let me guess, you’ve been working hard and doing everything right. Your family couldn’t be more proud of you, so they posted a picture of you, standing next to your patrol car or looking sharp in uniform. This photograph is now on a social media site for just about everyone to see. Everyone you know has probably seen it, and they’re proud of you too. 

But what about those few people who want to harm law enforcement officers or our families?  

Sure, you would never post anything like this on your own social media page. You know that would not be a good idea. It’s probably prohibited by your agency’s policy too.  

Our department’s policies do not restrict what our families post. But, we can have our own family “policies” about social media. Have you discussed these issues with your friends and family? Have you told them that posting pictures of your house, your car or your children could be dangerous? This is especially true when these images are posted alongside images of you in uniform or alongside pro-law enforcement comments, articles or “likes.”  

It is amazing how much personal information can be found on social media. Consider how this information could be used against you by someone who wanted to bring you harm. Just a few minutes on social media and the bad guys can learn a lot about you.  

Please talk to your friends and family about safety on social media.  

That’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Gordon Graham, signing off. 

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