Police officer quits over Twitter comments about Thatcher

A police officer who reportedly wrote on Twitter that he hoped Baroness Thatcher's death was "painful and degrading" has resigned.

Sgt Jeremy Scott of the Metropolitan Police is understood to have published a number of offensive messages since the former prime minister's death.

Sgt Scott is said to have claimed her death was "87 years too late" and added that the world was a "better place"...

 

For more details see Thatcher 'death Tweet' policeman Jeremy Scott quits (BBC News).

Sexist Brazilian police officer fired for Twittering

According to the BBC News website, a Brazilian police inspector has lost his job after using Twitter to criticise women who worked for him.

 

Some more details:

 

Pedro Paulo Pinho tweeted that out of the 14 women staff of a Rio de Janeiro police station "only one had the talent, courage and determination needed for police work".

 

For more details see Rio policeman loses job after tweet 'offensive' to women.

Police officer sacked because of Facebook use

Looks like a police officer was not following the advice of the article detailed below.

Some details:

A police constable has been sacked for posting offensive messages about a colleague on Facebook and harassing a female colleague.

The 35-year-old Met officer, who was based in Islington, referred to another officer as a "grass" and a "liar" on the social networking site last year.

See Metropolitan Police officer sacked over Facebook posts (BBC News) for more details.

Police use of Twitter

According to BBC News website, Greater Manchester Police have set up a 24-hour Twitter feed so every call it receives can be made public.

More details:

The feed has revealed the extremely varied nature of emergency calls the force receives.

One minute someone is calling about a baby being dangled over a bridge - although later it turns out that it was a dog.

Shortly afterwards, the force receives another 999 call about fireworks being set off in a local park.

Then another call is received about a missing mother and son, and at the same time another operator is taking down details of a missing person who has been found.

Another tweet from a member of the public congratulates the police on the finding the missing woman, then a second later there's a robbery in Salford to attend to.

For more details see Greater Manchester Police tweets sparking interest.

Policework and Twitter

The police force in the UK doesn't have a good record when it comes to officers blogging about the jobs that they do.

Yet, for some reason, some police have been allowed to "tweet" about such matters.

I suspect it will all be above board and anyone caught doing anything suspect will be heavily disciplined.

See extract from BBC News article:

PC Ed Rogerson is like many other beat bobbies.

He patrols his patch, fights crime and gives out crime prevention advice.

But in one respect he is different to almost every other copper walking a beat.

PC Ed Rogerson is on Twitter.

He is one of about 20 or so police officers that have turned to the micro-blogging service.

He started using Twitter in October in a bid to reach more of the people that live along the streets he patrols in Starbeck, Harrogate.

For more details see Police open up to social media (BBC News: Technology).

Facebook faux pas

First in was bloggers getting into trouble with what they put on-line, now it's social networking sites that are posing problems for employers.

A story on this very issue appeared last night on the BBC News web-site.

In short it involves: A police inspector who put graphic personal details on the social networking site Facebook has a job offer withdrawn.

See 'Facebook' lost policeman top job for more details.

This short news clip from BBC News channel expands far more on how social networking sites often comes into conflict with the objectives of employers and employees.