My GF has a nephew that is a great guy, pro 2A, former army, etc. His Facebook posts are often controversial. He says what he wants and I can see some snowflakes being easily offended. He is scheduled to start police academy in a month or so. He's already passed all the other hurdles, got the job offer, etc.

I mentioned on one of his posts that it was time to ditch social media. His response was something like, fuck that I do what I want. Okay, I tried. Well today he posted asking who has a 3D printer because he wants to basically print a bump stock (or some device that works like one). They are illegal in our state. WTF, gonna lose the job before he gets it.

Bigger mouth than a brain, it seems.

We likely don't need him as a cop with that attitude, so it looks like a win for freedom in my book.

I am surprised he got an academy slot. Most background checks these days include social media.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
Bigger mouth than a brain, it seems.

We likely don't need him as a cop with that attitude, so it looks like a win for freedom in my book.

I gotta agree. If you don’t know by now to be extremely careful about what you post on social media, then maybe you’re too dim to be trusted as a cop. “Fuck it I do what I want” is NOT a good attitude for someone with a gun, cuffs, and a badge.

A high % of LE recruits don't make it through the academy because of their attitudes. A hard lesson learned if that's his dream career.

I feel bad. He is really a good guy, heart of gold. Just seems to make bad social media choices. His old posts aren't things that would necessarily keep him from the job, just political stuff that we might say here on the forum. Today was the first one that I was thinking, uh oh, huge mistake. All I did was reply, "illegal in MA". I won't get involved more than that.

quote:

Originally posted by az4783054:
A high % of LE recruits don't make it through the academy because of their attitudes. A hard lesson learned if that's his dream career.

Yep. Gung-ho Type A loudmouths tend to be drawn towards LE. But being a gung-ho Type A loudmouth also tends to sink quite a few LE careers early on (or beforehand).

He'll either learn and mature (quickly) or he'll find another job.

Facebook has ruined more LE/Military/Fire/EMS careers in the short time that it has been around.

I am glad it was not around when I was growing up, and I never caught/understood the fascination with it.

Heck, even officers that has been on the job for years and years still haven't learn not to post stuff on the site. These are not young guys either some are my age (a newly 48).

It is a shame because there are a ton of people I know that are fighting to get a LE job and a shot at an academy. (Heck I am one of them).

quote:

Originally posted by mrapteam666:
Facebook has ruined more LE/Military/Fire/EMS careers in the short time that it has been around.

Have to disagree with that. FB is not unlike a gun, if you use it incorrectly it can hurt you.

quote:

Originally posted by SR:

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
All I did was reply, "illegal in MA". I won't get involved more than that.

suggestion - perhaps erase your reply to his posting. If the issue comes up at work - you don't want the agency to be able to say - see, even your friends and family knew the rules.

Hopefully he'll take down the post.

Good point. I deleted my comment.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:

...I mentioned on one of his posts that it was time to ditch social media. His response was something like, fuck that I do what I want. Okay, I tried. Well today he posted asking who has a 3D printer because he wants to basically print a bump stock (or some device that works like one). They are illegal in our state. WTF, gonna lose the job before he gets it.

Hopefully he'll like being a Fireman

Day one at the academy the very first speaker said anyone lacking common sense should quit that day and find another line of work.

Retired police chief here. I have hired a few guys with that kind of attitude, and I have hired others who grew into that kind of attitude as soon as they occupied a position of some little authority (in their minds, at least).

I also fired a lot of them.

quote:

Hopefully he'll like being a Fireman

^^^^^^^^
Or maybe a talk show host on alternatve radio.

This advice comes from the local FOP President (me).... Get rid of social media. You will get fired for your posts.

Courts have already upheld these firings. Not a first amendment issue to them

Yep. Prosecutors even ask about your social media for Giglio and other reasons. Got to play it smart. Most of the time just shut up in social media or get rid of it.

”Fuck that I do what I want” seems to indicate that a career in law enforcement isn’t really high on his list of wants, which is probably for the best since he’d likely get jammed up before pension time anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by P210:
”Fuck that I do what I want” seems to indicate that a career in law enforcement isn’t really high on his list of wants, which is probably for the best since he’d likely get jammed up before pension time anyway.

It strikes me as completely antithetical to the whole idea of the job of enforcing the law. I was raised by, and around cops, so while I haven’t worked the job, I 100% support law enforcement and want the best and brightest, who are willing, to be the ones to do it. This attitude is not one I would like to encounter with a hot-to-trot chickenshit rookie with something to prove, and yeah, I’ve met a couple.

Got good and jammed up one night by a Brevard County Sherriff’s Officer who stopped me for not having a light on my bicycle. I mean screeching brakes, lights, a siren chirp, the spotlight and shouting “STOP!” through the loudspeakers and “show me your hands!” stopped. He had a pin under his nameplate that read “Proudly serving since [the same year]” and this was about the the first week of May. Gung-ho and chickenshit as it gets, wrote me for everything he could, searched me, the whole nine yards. Power-tripping jackass. I hope he’s not wearing a badge anymore.

My thought is this will be for the best, if he doesn't understand this then he does not need to go into law enforcement.

Let's create a new term:

Social Network Darwinism....

So I had to look back at what his actual reply was. It wasn't as bad as "fuck that I do what I want." But he did blow off my comment. He is a great nice guy and definitely not some blow hard. This stuff is literally just on social media and it will hurt him at some point. Here is the initial exchange when he posted that he was going to Police Academy...



Me:
Oh and if you are going to be a cop, probably time to delete all social media stuff. Get new accounts with a fake name and just let close friends know and that's all.

Him:
look im a future cop not a pussy jeesh


Me:
Gotta be careful. Easy to lose a job as a public servant with one post that some whiney jerk doesn't like.