Does your agency have a “Social Media” policy?
We all know that social media can be a great tool for law enforcement. However; it does have it’s dark side. In order to offset the risks of this dark side, it is good to have a policy regarding it’s acceptable usage, etc… Dictionary.com defines policy as: a definite course of action adopted for the sake of expediency, facility, etc.
Managing risk is one thing, but for accreditation purposes, you may be required to have a social media policy. And last but not least, is the preservation of the image and trust of your department.
So where does one start? Well, I’m glad you asked! Try Law & Order Magazine’s website. Here you will find an example of a social media policy. This example is a great starting place. Is easy to think about Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. However; how many of us consider Gowalla, Usenet groups, blogs, mobile applications, etc…?
Now that you have a little more knowledge, set your mind in gear and plan a definite course of action for your agency!
** UPDATE ** For additional social media policies —> Click here.
