Cops warned over social media security threat

WESTERN BUREAU

The Jamaica Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), is claiming to have detected what it calls a “security threat” in the force.

Sergeant Arlene McBean, the federation’s recently elected chairman, argued that the current use of the social media space by members of the police force is morphing into a threat to the security landscape.

“Not every time you are doing your operational duties out there it must be advertised. And sometimes we realise that we are on social media advertising everything. And I think it is a threat to the security landscape. It makes the job of the police harder,” declared McBean.

In seeking to help mitigate that security threat, the federation chairman cautioned that a more strategic and transparent approach should be employed in the exposure of police force technology competence.

“It is not everything we are going to share as a JCF (about) what we have technological-wise because the criminals will sit one side and try to map out what is happening,” McBean warned.

“Sometimes when you say this is what we do, where we hide, how precise we are, these are the technological devices we use – sometimes the criminals try to plot ahead of us,” she explained, while calling for all members at varying levels of the JCF to be wise in the use of social media.

In the same breath, the federation chairman, who was speaking at the half-yearly conference and pre-Father’s Day luncheon of the St Elizabeth Police Division, held at the All American Institute of Medical Science (AAIMS) in Black River, rebuked members of the force for the unauthorised use of government resources while urging greater responsibility in relation to how they use social media while on duty.

“Members of the JCF, if you are going on social media, go in your personal capacity, but guess what, remember who you are, and do not use the Government’s resources, clothes, vehicle, anything,” McBean rebuked.

Guns on social media

She noted that some of the policemen and women use their guns to show off on social media.

“Let us project ourselves as law-enforcement leaders out there. We can’t expect the citizens to respect us when we pose a particular way that becomes concerning. We have to guide the younger minds,” the federation boss charged.

She said some of these social media posts are being put on their Tik Tok accounts, showing, for example, critical spaces such as the guardroom, where police personnel are supposed to at all times be on the alert.

“Where you are supposed to be answering the phone, but yet you find time to put your phone to one side, look at your hair, look at this, play a song. Listen, wait until you reach your bedroom or your living room or your dining room or when you’re off duty in your car. Don’t use the grounds as the physical space to do those things,” McBean said.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com