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Police officers' Twitter accounts closed after watchdog raises concerns Police officers' Twitter accounts closed after watchdog raises concerns
(about 2 hours later)
Four police officers have had their Twitter accounts closed down by their force after Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) raised concerns about the content of their tweets. A police force has closed down the Twitter accounts of four officers after Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) raised concerns about the content of their tweets.
The move comes after a warning in the Guardian this week by a senior police officer that the service risked looking "out of touch and heavy-handed" by coming down too hard on officers who made mistakes using the social media forum, instead of providing more support and training. The move comes after a warning in the Guardian this week by a senior police officer that the service risked looking "out of touch and heavy-handed" by coming down too hard on officers who made mistakes using social media , instead of providing more support and training.
The move by Northamptonshire police against four unnamed officers could be replicated in other forces across England and Wales. HMIC said it was visiting forces as part of a piece of follow-up work to its report earlier this year into police relations with the media, Without Fear or Favour, and would highlight any issues that had come up as part of this work with the forces concerned. Northamptonshire police's action against four unnamed officers could be replicated in other forces across England and Wales. HMIC said it was visiting forces to follow up on its Without Fear or Favour report last year on police relations with the media, and would highlight any issues that had come up with the forces concerned.
HMIC refused to flesh out what issues it had highlighted to the Northamptonshire force which led its directorate of professional standards to take action and close down the accounts. The police monitoring body said it could not comment until the publication of its follow-up report in a few months' time. It said that as an inspectorate it was entitled to raise issues it came across while carrying out a review and to raise them with the force concerned. HMIC refused to flesh out what issues it had highlighted to the Northamptonshire force that had led its directorate of professional standards to close down the accounts. It said it could not comment until the publication of its follow-up report in a few months' time.
The accounts were closed on Tuesday, Northamptonshire police said, following a meeting with the HMIC. The Guardian has highlighted the cases of two officers who have been disciplined in the last fortnight over their use of Twitter. In Devon and Cornwall, a police community safety officer in Topsham – tweeting as @topshampolice – said she was ordered off Twitter for comments she made about the policing of Exeter University students.
The shutting down of the police tweeters comes after the Guardian highlighted the case of two officers who have been disciplined in the last fortnight over their use of Twitter. Her force denied she had been banned from using the medium. This week after the Guardian article, the assistant chief constable of the force, Chris Boarland, said the officer was now undergoing training and it was more than "entirely possible in the relatively near future" that she would be allowed to tweet about her work again.
In Devon and Cornwall, a police community safety officer in Topsham – tweeting as @topshampolice – said she was ordered off Twitter for comments she made about the policing of Exeter University students. Her force denied she had been banned from using the medium. This week after the Guardian article, the assistant chief constable of the force, Chris Boarland, said the officer was now undergoing training and it was more than "entirely possible in the relatively near future" that she would be allowed to tweet about her work again. "No one is going to be banned from using social media, but there obviously need to be guidelines around it," Boarland said. "She was doing a fantastic job on Twitter, and, hopefully, that will be continuing shortly."
Boarland said: "No one is going to be banned from using social media, but there obviously need to be guidelines around it. An acting inspector in the West Midlands is being disciplined by his force over his Twitter account.
"She was doing a fantastic job on Twitter, and, hopefully, that will be continuing shortly." Northamptonshire police said its directorate of professional standards had taken action on Tuesday to close down the Twitter accounts of four out of its 45 accredited tweeters. A spokeswoman said HMIC had raised issues about certain tweets it deemed inappropriate. Reasons given, it is understood, were that some tweets might breach the Data Protection Act, for investigative and legal reasons.
An acting inspector in the West Midlands is also being disciplined by his force over the "misuse" of his Twitter account. The force said its Facebook and Twitter pages were very popular. "We aim to provide a real sense of policing in Northamptonshire and to share local policing activities with local people," the force said in a statement.
Northamptonshire police said its directorate of professional standards had taken action on Tuesday to close down the Twitter accounts of four out of its 45 accredited police tweeters. A spokeswoman said HMIC had raised issues about certain tweets which they deemed inappropriate. Reasons given, it is understood, were that the tweets might breach the data protection act, for investigative and legal reasons.
But neither the force nor the HMIC would release details of exactly what the issues of concern were in each case.
The Northampstonshire force said its Facebook and Twitter pages were very popular. "We aim to provide a real sense of policing in Northamptonshire and to share local policing activities with local people," the force said in a statement.
"We expect the highest standards from our officers and staff at all times and this is reflected in procedures regarding the use of social media across the force. This may be with regard to data protection, appropriateness of message and for investigative or legal reasons. We monitor the use of social media and at times it is necessary to ask for messages to be removed, adapted or indeed for an account to be closed.""We expect the highest standards from our officers and staff at all times and this is reflected in procedures regarding the use of social media across the force. This may be with regard to data protection, appropriateness of message and for investigative or legal reasons. We monitor the use of social media and at times it is necessary to ask for messages to be removed, adapted or indeed for an account to be closed."
HMIC said it was following up issues raised in its Without Fear or Favour report published last December. HMIC said it was following up issues raised in its Without Fear or Favour report published last December. "We are currently in the process of carrying out this follow-up inspection," a spokeswoman said. "As part of this process we provide feedback – we have highlighted some issues to the force and we understand they have taken action. We haven't yet made any recommendations in relation to this follow-up inspection."
"We are currently in the process of carrying out this follow-up inspection," a spokeswoman said.
"As part of this process we provide feedback – we have highlighted some issues to the force and we understand they have taken action.
"We haven't yet made any recommendations in relation to this follow-up inspection."
Gordon Scobbie, deputy chief constable of Tayside police, who speaks for the service on social media, told the Guardian this week that forces needed to be careful in the way they responded to mistakes made by officers.Gordon Scobbie, deputy chief constable of Tayside police, who speaks for the service on social media, told the Guardian this week that forces needed to be careful in the way they responded to mistakes made by officers.
"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 with the approval of their senior officers. Many other officers tweet under pseudonyms, believing they can speak more freely as result.
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.