I’ve never really been one to bag on cops. Yes, there are bad ones, but most lay their lives on the line every day for little pay, so it makes me cringe at times when I hear people rip on them with broad “F*ck cops” brushes.
With that said, here’s another reminder that some really are truly awful: NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly issued his department’s first ever list of what officers can and can’t post to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. after a number of officers were found posting “racist and offensive comments” to Facebook.
Reports the Daily News:
The tough new edict bans the creation of any site by precincts or units, and sternly warns individual cops “not to disclose or allude to their status as members of the department” on the Internet.
“Members of the service should be aware that activities on personal social media sites may be used against them to undermine their credibility as members of the department,” reads the three-page internal order obtained by the Daily News.
…
Capt. Jeffrey Schiff, commanding officer of the 76th Precinct in Brooklyn, recently left the department vulnerable to litigation by tweeting the names and mug shots of paroled convicts.
Last August, 17 cops were disciplined for posting racist and offensive comments on a Facebook page called “No More West Indian Day Detail.” About 150 comments were posted — some calling revelers “savages” and “animals.” Investigators found that about 20 of the people who posted matched the names of NYPD officers.
Well, okay then.
(Pic via Shutterstock)