What Is Robert D. Stuart Social Medi Establishing Criteria For Law Enforcement

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In Robert D. Stuart’s “Social Media: Establishing Criteria for Law Enforcement Use,” Stuart effectively argues that guidelines and training need to be put into place for law enforcement’s use of social media. Although he believes that social media can be exceptionally useful in investigations, it can also be detrimental in some cases. He states it can “endanger the safety of officers and compromise criminal cases, resulting not only in embarrassment to departments but exposure to civil and criminal liability” (Stuart, 2013). With social media usage on the rise, Stuart strongly believes that clear rules need to be implemented in order to clarify what is ethical and able to be posted. To give readers a clear perspective on how social media …show more content…

He said there needs to be a clear distinction between “protected free expression and the speech that could impact departments or officers” (Stuart, 2013). He thinks that if law enforcement officers’ posts go against the agencies’ mission, then that speech should be restricted. Implementing specific rules and regulations will give guidance on not only what is acceptable to post, but what to do if an officer posts unacceptable content. A few of the content Stuart wants law enforcement to clarify includes: “Photos or videos of officers, suspects, evidence, police facilities, equipment, uniforms, or weapons. Public or nonpublic information regarding police reports, criminal history, arrests, or calls for police service. Work-related matters or other named officers in posts, blogs, or microblogs” (Stuart, 2013). These are arguably the biggest concerns that need to be addressed. In order to teach law enforcement the guidelines that should be followed for social media, Stuart argues that training will also need to be implemented. This training would need to be “frequently updated and repeated to keep up with evolving technology and ensure the information remains fresh in officers’ minds” (Stuart, 2013). Stuart believes that there would be two necessary steps in this training. The first step would discuss general usage of social media, privacy, and security. The second would look at how social media applies to law enforcement