Law Enforcement Applicants Face Social Media Scrutiny
More than a third of police agencies are now closely reviewing applicants’ use of social media and requiring waivers to allow investigators access to those accounts, according the first-ever social media report by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
Some agencies are also demanding that applicants provide private passwords, Internet pseudonyms, text messages and e-mail logs for sites including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and MySpace.
To produce the report, which was released in September, the IACP surveyed 728 agencies in 48 states and the District of Columbia. The report was produced by the newly created Center for Social Media.
The survey also covered social media use by current officers and agencies. Here are a few highlights:
- 81.1% of agencies surveyed use social media.
- 66.8% of agencies surveyed have a Facebook page.
- 35.2% of agencies surveyed have a social media policy and an additional 23.2% are in the process of crafting a policy.
- Of the agencies not currently using social media, 61.6% are considering its adoption.
- Resource constraints (time and personnel) were the most cited barrier to social media use by surveyed agencies.
Read the full report at IACPsocialmedia.org.
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