Introduction
The rapid growth of social media urges law enforcement to reevaluate its benefits and disadvantages in society today. In the article “Social Media: Establishing Criteria for Law Enforcement Use,” Robert Douglas Stuart focuses on how law enforcement should adequately use social media. Stuart pleads with government agencies and officers to design a conceptual framework for social media usage concerning its possible advantages and disadvantages.
Analysis of Stuart’s Arguments in the “Social Media” Article
Tone, Rhetorical Tools, and Message
The author appeals to the targeted audience using a formal tone and persuasively by relying on emotional and moral appeals and logical thinking. He demonstrates several significant facts about the importance of law enforcement departments in creating social media policies. Stuart illustrates the necessity for procedures to protect the public image and the department’s safety. State institutions may aid police officers in comprehending what kinds of information are to be shared on social networks. The article describes the importance of understanding social media, its application by law enforcement, challenges experienced by police officers in their daily use of social media, and the leading solutions to address these problems.
Main Points of the Article
Proper Use of Social Media by Law Enforcement Officers
With the extensive development of social media, law enforcement agencies need to reexamine its usage’s positive and negative consequences. In the first paragraph, Stuart (2013) sheds light on the importance of learning how to use social media properly by law enforcers. He continues to explain the necessity of comprehending social networks, limitations on the execution of legislation on social media use, problems caused and experienced by the officials, and the respective resolution development. Stuart (2013) argues that almost everyone globally, including law enforcement officials, uses social media. He also maintains that “78% of law enforcement defendants use social platforms, and about 38% identify as police officials” (p. 138).
Risks and Security Threats Facing Law Enforcement Officers Who Use Social Media
The central theme of Stuart’s article is to let the reader understand the specific risks and security threats that a law enforcement officer and the whole department may face. Consequently, police officers should know the harms and dangers before posting any information on their accounts and profiles. Furthermore, the safety of law enforcement officers may be endangered when the officials make missteps in social media. According to Stuart (2013), that may trouble the entire agency owing to the causal risk of exposure to criminal and civil liability (p. 137).
Recommendations for Preventing Social Media Dangers
In addition, the author recommends that police captains and officers keep their public and professional lives separate. They must be cautious and never expose their lives when posting on social networks. Stuart (2013) further argues that “officers posting information about how sleepy they are on duty can call into question their fitness for duty in the event of a deadly force situation or a serious traffic accident” (p. 139). By embracing this strategy, the personal and professional lives of the law enforcers will remain secure, and no individual may cause harm or dishonor to them.
Benefits of Using Social Media in Law Enforcement
Stuart’s efforts in his article are appreciable since they show the risk factors linked to the use of social media. The author further maintains that it is good for the officers to use social media since it is part of their benefits as it aids in keeping relations public to date knowledge about multiple offenses and strategies used across the globe. Stuart (2013) also argues that social media helps in criminal investigation, but a law enforcement officer should take care of personal information while sharing it on social platforms. As a result, a criminal may also become a spy and access their public information for misuse and interpretation.
Regulation of Social Media Use
The author claims that law enforcement agencies should enforce legislation and policies to control the use of social media. Alleviating officers’ misuse of social media may increase its advantages in the respective agencies. Stuart (2013) further claims that training officers on social media usage will help address the official’s fair and beneficial use of social media (p. 93). The training should be based on the general use of the internet, computers, and the practical use of social media in the officers’ lives. s
Moreover, Stuart has emphasized that enforcing social media usage laws and restricting how criminals may use information posted on social platforms is essential. The effectiveness of this argument is admirable since it defines the line between the positive and negative effects associated with the use of social media. This is helpful to police officials since they now understand that a single mistake or misuse of social media can cause devastating impacts. The above arguments elaborate on Stuart’s article and effectively describe the negative consequences that social media may bring to officers and the entire department.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Stuart’s central message is to inform law enforcement about social media’s potential advantages and risks. Stuart’s arguments in his article remain relevant and practical because they encourage police officers not to refrain from maintaining their presence on social media but to use it with care. Thus, a balancing criterion should be adopted that aids in safeguarding the constitutional rights of the law enforcement officers and the integrity of the investigation and the entire department.
Ordinary people may reach the police departments easily through social media and air their problems and complaints. Law administrators should create and implement appropriate policies to control social media use to produce accumulative benefits. Implementing the recommendations made by Stuart in his article can result in the excellent application of social media. Finally, law enforcement agencies can use this knowledge to help their officers and departments serve the public in the authorized way.
Reference
Stuart, R. D. (2013). Social media: Establishing criteria for law enforcement use. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 82(2), 1-3. Web.