Cops On Facebook

The internet has changed the way we deal with information. While the credibility of on-line sources may be more difficult to judge than printed sources, the fact is that information is much more accessible than in the past. And this change came about because sometimes even the most obscure details of our everyday lives are now archived and shared with the entire world. Some of these details were placed there by ourselves, some by others, sometimes without our consent and perhaps even without our knowledge. Particularly troublesome, when dealing with sensitive issues, is the fact that we usually don’t know who is viewing this information, or how they intend to use it.

People sometimes place information on what they believe is a secure location. But I have found that many search engines find ways to break through the locks, taking you directly to specific pages which the site administrator mistakenly thought would require entry through the pass coded home page. And the electronic imprint is very durable. Some things leave echoes which can be seen long after they have been deleted. The fact is, once our information is placed on the internet, we have usually lost control of it forever.

Each individual must determine for themselves what their desired privacy threshold will be. On my own blog, I have posted my name, address, e-mail, photos of my house, a map of my neighborhood, and photos of myself. And while I have been questioned by many people about the wisdom of doing this, my justification was quite simple. Anyone who would seek to harm me for what I’ve said here would most likely be either a drug dealer, or a cop. And since they already know who I am and where I’m at, I have nothing to lose.

It is this same frame of mind (thinking that there may be people who want to harm you) that I would suggest police officers use when determining their own privacy threshold. I know that most police officers take great pride in what they do. And I expect that they would be greatly offended if I were to suggest that they should alter their lifestyle in any way to accommodate their criminal adversaries. But remember, you guys kill people for a living, and that’s bound to make at least a few enemies, so perhaps you ought to rethink whether pasting your photo on Facebook is really a good idea.

I know the police are aware that criminals are internet savvy, because they have sometimes used information found there to prosecute them. But do the local police understand how connected the local criminals are? Remember the young man who was murdered in December of last year, the same young man who made his money standing on the corner in front of my home? After his funeral, it was revealed that he had a Myspace page with several photos of him and his friends. I also know that people in this neighborhood have been reading my blog.

The point I am trying to make to every single Fort Wayne police officer is this. It really is a small world after all. Do you actually want these guys to see photos of you, your families, your homes, your vacation spots, etc? On Facebook alone, I have discovered the photos of over one hundred current Fort Wayne police officers. Many others have been found on other locations. I know that at least a couple of the photos I have are of undercover vice & narcotics officers, which makes it seem particularly odd that they would want to publicly advertise their identity.

I expect that most of these officers only set up their pages in order to communicate with their family, friends and co-workers. In fact, many of them appear to have purposely not advertised the fact that they work for FWPD. But if I can figure it out, so can others. So if you’re a Fort Wayne police officer, and you don’t want everybody to know too much about your business, you might start by restricting what information you place on web-sites like Facebook.

Click here to see some photos of Fort Wayne cops on Facebook.