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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/oct/02/police-warned-treat-tweeters-with-care
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| Police forces warned to treat their tweeters with care | Police forces warned to treat their tweeters with care |
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| Police forces risk looking "out of touch and heavy-handed" if they overreact to mistakes made by officers using social media, a senior officer has warned. | Police forces risk looking "out of touch and heavy-handed" if they overreact to mistakes made by officers using social media, a senior officer has warned. |
| Gordon Scobbie, who speaks for the police on social media, spoke out after two officers were disciplined for "misuse" of Twitter in the past fortnight. | Gordon Scobbie, who speaks for the police on social media, spoke out after two officers were disciplined for "misuse" of Twitter in the past fortnight. |
| In Devon and Cornwall, a police community support officer who had built a following in the area has been told not to use Twitter again following a complaint from Exeter University over a series of tweets about the policing of students during freshers' week. | In Devon and Cornwall, a police community support officer who had built a following in the area has been told not to use Twitter again following a complaint from Exeter University over a series of tweets about the policing of students during freshers' week. |
| In her last tweet, the officer said: "Thank you all for following and banter over the last year – I have been instructed to cease tweeting. My apologies." | In her last tweet, the officer said: "Thank you all for following and banter over the last year – I have been instructed to cease tweeting. My apologies." |
| In the West Midlands, an acting inspector has been demoted to sergeant and is the subject of a disciplinary investigation over his "misuse" of Twitter, the force said. Sources with knowledge of the case said the officer was disciplined for his use of Twitter as a means to generate support for Greater Manchester police officers who wished to attend the funerals this week of the constables Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, who were killed in Manchester last month. | In the West Midlands, an acting inspector has been demoted to sergeant and is the subject of a disciplinary investigation over his "misuse" of Twitter, the force said. Sources with knowledge of the case said the officer was disciplined for his use of Twitter as a means to generate support for Greater Manchester police officers who wished to attend the funerals this week of the constables Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, who were killed in Manchester last month. |
| Under the hashtag coverforgmp, the officer was one of a number who called for police across the country to offer to provide cover for Greater Manchester colleagues in order that they could attend the services. | Under the hashtag coverforgmp, the officer was one of a number who called for police across the country to offer to provide cover for Greater Manchester colleagues in order that they could attend the services. |
| West Midlands police denied this was the reason for the disciplinary action. A spokesman said it related to other issues involving his use of Twitter. These are understood to include the posting of images of a second world war weapon and grenade found in a property search. | West Midlands police denied this was the reason for the disciplinary action. A spokesman said it related to other issues involving his use of Twitter. These are understood to include the posting of images of a second world war weapon and grenade found in a property search. |
| Scobbie, who is deputy chief constable of Tayside police, said he was watching developments in the two cases. | Scobbie, who is deputy chief constable of Tayside police, said he was watching developments in the two cases. |
| "There is a fine balance to be struck," he said. "Social media is a positive tool if used properly and forces need to be careful about the amount of control they have. | "There is a fine balance to be struck," he said. "Social media is a positive tool if used properly and forces need to be careful about the amount of control they have. |
| "It comes down to the culture of an organisation and the degree of trust you have in your frontline officers. You have to allow them to make mistakes and deal with them as a mistake, rather than coming down heavily on them. People who make mistakes should be supported, otherwise we are in danger of looking out of touch and heavy-handed." | "It comes down to the culture of an organisation and the degree of trust you have in your frontline officers. You have to allow them to make mistakes and deal with them as a mistake, rather than coming down heavily on them. People who make mistakes should be supported, otherwise we are in danger of looking out of touch and heavy-handed." |
| There are 1,000 approved police tweeters – who operate from force-accredited accounts – and are doing so with the approval of their senior officers. | There are 1,000 approved police tweeters – who operate from force-accredited accounts – and are doing so with the approval of their senior officers. |
| Many other officers tweet under pseudonyms believing they can speak more freely as result. | Many other officers tweet under pseudonyms believing they can speak more freely as result. |
| One of the first police tweeters was PC Ed Rogerson, who tweets about his life as a community officer in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. He started tweeting after being repeatedly told by members of the public when he was on the beat that he was the first officer they had seen in months. "It used to annoy me really and I wanted to use Twitter as a way to increase my visibility," said Rogerson. | One of the first police tweeters was PC Ed Rogerson, who tweets about his life as a community officer in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. He started tweeting after being repeatedly told by members of the public when he was on the beat that he was the first officer they had seen in months. "It used to annoy me really and I wanted to use Twitter as a way to increase my visibility," said Rogerson. |
| "I was the first frontline cop to be doing it and I've had an amazing response. The benefits of doing this outweigh the negatives. We have to trust police officers to use their common sense. You can have lists and lists of things you cannot say online but it all comes down to common sense. You need to understand the online culture and I don't think every police officer should be doing it. | "I was the first frontline cop to be doing it and I've had an amazing response. The benefits of doing this outweigh the negatives. We have to trust police officers to use their common sense. You can have lists and lists of things you cannot say online but it all comes down to common sense. You need to understand the online culture and I don't think every police officer should be doing it. |
| "Social media and what you should and shouldn't do is something you need to understand before you start it." | "Social media and what you should and shouldn't do is something you need to understand before you start it." |
| Scobbie said different forces had different policies on the use of social media. | Scobbie said different forces had different policies on the use of social media. |
| "Some corporate communications departments in forces are uneasy because they feel they are the professionals and they don't want to give away that power," he said. "There is obviously a role for corporate communications departments but I think that engagement is important, and engagement is something which I think you push down to the very lowest level possible. | "Some corporate communications departments in forces are uneasy because they feel they are the professionals and they don't want to give away that power," he said. "There is obviously a role for corporate communications departments but I think that engagement is important, and engagement is something which I think you push down to the very lowest level possible. |
| "Frontline officers and PCSOs [community support officers] who have already got a relationship with the community can use social media to communicate what they are doing in a way that feels human. The feedback from the public is that they like it. | "Frontline officers and PCSOs [community support officers] who have already got a relationship with the community can use social media to communicate what they are doing in a way that feels human. The feedback from the public is that they like it. |
| "The message has to be: 'We trust you with a baton and with the right to take away someone's liberty, I think we can trust you with a Twitter account.' " | "The message has to be: 'We trust you with a baton and with the right to take away someone's liberty, I think we can trust you with a Twitter account.' " |
| Scobbie said officers needed to be supported and given the skills to use social media and said there was always a need to safeguard the police's reputation. | Scobbie said officers needed to be supported and given the skills to use social media and said there was always a need to safeguard the police's reputation. |
| But he said the use of social media was a tool for openness and transparency. "If there are officers who are saying things which are critical then we need to engage with them and look at the allegations they are making, and turn it into a constructive dialogue," he said. | But he said the use of social media was a tool for openness and transparency. "If there are officers who are saying things which are critical then we need to engage with them and look at the allegations they are making, and turn it into a constructive dialogue," he said. |
| "If you are too prescriptive and controlling, you are in danger of driving the whole thing underground and you will get individuals just attacking everything from internal spoof accounts. | "If you are too prescriptive and controlling, you are in danger of driving the whole thing underground and you will get individuals just attacking everything from internal spoof accounts. |
| "It is far better to encourage social media use within an organisation, have a proper strategy that makes it clear to people why you are doing this, the kind of things you want officers to be using Twitter for and the fact that you will support them if they make mistakes." | "It is far better to encourage social media use within an organisation, have a proper strategy that makes it clear to people why you are doing this, the kind of things you want officers to be using Twitter for and the fact that you will support them if they make mistakes." |
| A spokesman for the West Midlands force said the suspended officer was being investigated over alleged misuse of social media, against force policy. "Any breaches of force policy are taken extremely seriously," the spokesman said. | A spokesman for the West Midlands force said the suspended officer was being investigated over alleged misuse of social media, against force policy. "Any breaches of force policy are taken extremely seriously," the spokesman said. |
| A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police said: "Devon and Cornwall police embraces social media and all staff's responsible use of it. | A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police said: "Devon and Cornwall police embraces social media and all staff's responsible use of it. |
| "The force's main Twitter account has more than 11,500 followers and we value it greatly as a way of communicating with communities and the wider public. | "The force's main Twitter account has more than 11,500 followers and we value it greatly as a way of communicating with communities and the wider public. |
| "The PCSO concerned has been given words of advice around the content of tweets, but has not been banned or stopped from tweeting. | "The PCSO concerned has been given words of advice around the content of tweets, but has not been banned or stopped from tweeting. |
| "The force has a social media policy which gives clear guidance to all staff on what is deemed appropriate, and in this case, training will now be given to the PCSO so she can better use social media in the future as an innovative communication tool. | "The force has a social media policy which gives clear guidance to all staff on what is deemed appropriate, and in this case, training will now be given to the PCSO so she can better use social media in the future as an innovative communication tool. |
| "There is no doubt that social media is a very quick and effective means which can have pitfalls, but we are committed to ensuring staff have the knowledge and expertise wherever possible to use it properly." | "There is no doubt that social media is a very quick and effective means which can have pitfalls, but we are committed to ensuring staff have the knowledge and expertise wherever possible to use it properly." |
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