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If you’re a police officer and you have a Facebook account you might want to think about deleting it. That goes for the top cops out there as well. In a recent case of a cop getting jammed up by social media content, a chief in Oklahoma has been forced to apologize after his Facebook posting caused a “minor stir,” according to the Oklahoman newspaper.
Matthew Mattheyer, police chief in Chandler since 2010, told The Oklahoman recently that the posting on the social site was taken out of context and was not intended to be threatening.
“But I'm sorry I said it, and I wish I could take it back,” Mattheyer told reporters.
In the Facebook post, which is no longer viewable by the public, Mattheyer calls on an unidentified individual to “keep on talking your trash about the police on Facebook. Cause We all know you don't have the guts to talk it to our faces … .” Mattheyer ends the post with “#gameonsuckers!!!!!”
Mattheyer said the remark was made in response to a Chandler resident, who had complained on Facebook of squad cars driving too fast down his road without emergency lights.
Mattheyer said he took the comment personally. He said he prefers that citizens bring their problems or complaints directly to him as opposed to posting critiques online.
“Or if they don't want to talk to me they can talk to our city manager or the city council or the mayor — at least give me a chance to solve the problem they're talking about,” Mattheyer said.
Mattheyer said he met with Chandler City Manager James Melson and is also working to develop a social media policy for himself and the department.
Despite the sheer volume of incidents where cops and Facebook have put agencies in a bad light, less than half of local law enforcement agencies have an official social media policy. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        
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