AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: SEPTEMBER 2017 17 GREGORY JULIA JIM DONOHUE OPINION/EDITORIAL T en years ago, Facebook was just being in- troduced to the public. Later would come Twitter, You- Tube, Instagram, Linkedin and more. New sites, tech- nology and changes are coming so fast it’s hard to keep up. Just a few years ago, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were considered electronic playgrounds for kids. No more. Job applicants now have their web post- ings thoroughly investi- gated prior to getting a job offer. We’ve seen young cops post pictures of scantily clad women holding a duty weapon in a provocative pose. We see gory pictures of crime scenes sent to others. But before posting, think how you would like some slick defense attorney revealing your indiscretion when you’re on the stand. Always think about the risks before you press “send.” In this writer’s humble opinion, too many of us are focusing too much on the technology instead of on the problem it promised to solve. And we fail to see the real-life, painful damage that occurs as the techno- pursuit unfolds. People get hurt. Careers and relationships are ru- ined. It may not have been the intent, but it does hap- pen. Years ago, I had a buddy who was a sheriff’s deputy working mids. He was married, with a wife and two kids at home. He took a shine to one of the female dispatchers on his shift. The in-car computer was a very convenient (and pri- vate) method for the two to exchange sexually explicit messages. The message frequen- cy increased over the months. Ultimately, divorce pa- pers were filed. But things got even worse when the soon-to-be ex-wife’s at- torney sent a subpoena to the sheriff seeking a copy of all her husband’s hot message exchanges with the dispatcher. There was a recent court case where the criminal de- fense lawyer sought – and obtained – complete re- cords of cell phone logs and text messages sent to/ from the arresting LEO on his personal cell phone. How, you ask? The lawyer successfully argued that the LEO car- ried the cell phone when he was on duty. He occasionally used it to communicate with other officers or the bosses about work-related topics. Like a pocket notebook referenced on the witness stand, the judge decided it was subject to discovery. That means everything not just the messages or calls related to the case. I recall the cop who wrote on Facebook about how he finds great pleasure in arresting and taking black folks to jail. Then there was the young cop who posed his girlfriend on the hood of his take-home patrol car in a skimpy bathing suit while she held an array of his duty weapons. She tried to keep a mean coun- tenance, but I don’t think that much mattered to this cop’s bosses. Once it’s out there on the web, it’s probably there for- ever. If you have any other notion, forget it. Always take a moment to think before you hit send. Bad judgment may last until you die. If you’re a dinosaur like me, resist knee-jerk re- sponses and replies. I once overheard a sheriff complaining about seeing his young deputies paying too much attention to their phones or computers while driving. He directed staff to write a policy forbidding the use of either when the car is in motion. Just turning off all the computers won’t work ei- ther. Years ago, when the Detroit PD first got in-car radios from Motorola, one of their cops was involved in a crash while using the radio. The ensuing policy: pull over to the curb before us- ing the radio. You and I both know how that worked out for them. If you’re the boss, en- courage the use of tech- nology that is considered, careful and deliberate. Remind your cops that is is vital to engage the brain before firing up the tech- nology. Show them how. Be an example. Remind them often and reward good performance. Jim Donahue served as an LEO in the Detroit area in full-time and part-time positions. He has been a law enforcement instructor for over twenty years and has taught a “Technology and Tactics” class to thousands of cops both at the academy and in-service training. A widely published author, Jim now publishes a weekly blog at: www.Cop- Blue.com. APB readers are welcome to a free subscrip- tion. Go to www.CopBlue. com/join. Jim can be reached at: jim@CopBlue.com. Forget about IAB, worry about Facebook M urder,kidnap- ping, assault, child abuse – these are just a few of the things cops see daily. This leads to stress. It builds up, affecting us phys- ically and mentally. It af- fects our relationships with our families and friends. But even though this is understood, to this day there is a stigma associated with cops seeking mental health treatment. Many dismiss going for help as a sign of weakness when the opposite is true. Seeking help when you need it is a strength and knowing and realizing you don’t have all the answers is a sign of maturity and self-awareness. When dealing with the aftermath of critical in- cidents it’s important for people to know that the second-guessing, the fear, not sleeping, sleeping too much etc. are all normal reactions. Ideally there would be plenty of mental health services available to law enforcement officers who could use them without feeling guilt, shame or em- barrassment. But not everyone is com- fortable talking to people outside law enforcement about stuff that happens inside. For these officers it’s helpful to talk about these things with someone who understands. Peer Support programs are a part of mental health services provided by many law enforcement agencies. Basically the idea is to have officers talk to other officers that are trained by counselors. Peer supporters can also be used to assist counsel- ors in a debriefing session so that officers feel more comfortable. These debriefings aren’t part of an investigation. Rather they are designed to help those affected to express their thoughts in a safe, confidential environ- ment. Follow up is impor- tant and this is where peer supporters are particularly valuable. Some people may have a delayed reaction to a critical incident and develop PSTD. This can occur some time after the event and must be considered for follow up care. People gener- ally don’t like to talk about suicide but we know it’s a serious concern. We lose far too many officers by their own hand when help is out there. Stress and depression are huge problems for law enforcement, but the good news is that help is out there. If we’re serious about doing something on police suicides and metal health in general, the time is now. Peer Support programs are an invaluable resource in addition to professional counseling for maintaining good mental health for law enforcement officers. Gregory Julia is a 20 year vet- eran police officer in Nashville, TN. You know all that crap’s admissable and subject to discovery, right? Talking to someone who understands can help