Question re background investigation for LEO position

[DavidRSA]

[CaptMike]

yes, most departments require it. If you are not wiling to open up your accounts, then the news reported that California created a whole bunch of new jobs. You should apply for one of those jobs. As a peace officer, I am expected to keep my on duty life and off duty life unsullied. I should not be afraid of anything I have done on or off duty. My department even requires this process for promotions as well. If you are not comfortable, apply to a non LEO organization.

[DavidRSA]

yes, most departments require it. If you are not wiling to open up your accounts, then the news reported that California created a whole bunch of new jobs. You should apply for one of those jobs. As a peace officer, I am expected to keep my on duty life and off duty life unsullied. I should not be afraid of anything I have done on or off duty. My department even requires this process for promotions as well. If you are not comfortable, apply to a non LEO organization.

Its not a matter of being afraid off anything done off duty or - as I would call it - anything done in my private life. I have nothing to be ashamed of in my facebook or emails, but I do want to have some semblance of a private life. And the people I communicate with via email or facebook would also not like to have their private thoughts looked at by an investigator especially without their knowledge.

But what you said is food for thought, for sure. I have to ask myself, how much do I value my own privacy (and that of my wife, parents sister, etc) and ability to have communications with friends and family without it being monitored by the government agency I work for or want to work for. Is giving up one's basic right to privacy for an LEO job or a promotion worth it?

Right now - and my thoughts are still swirling about on this - my answer is trending towards a "no".

[CaptMike]

being a LEO requires a lot of sacrifice. You no longer have a "private life", you are "off duty" but can be ordered back on duty with a simple phone call. If I refuse to report when ordered, I can loose my career. I've missed holiday parties, family get togethers, birthday parties, worked may a weekend and I don't get paid an enormouse salary for all those missed family events. Opening up our social networking accounts is just another sacrifice that we must make to let the public know that we are maintaining our lives the way they expect us too. I know several deputies that were discharged due to some of their activities on facebook. That's just the way it is. Good luck.

[Spyder]

If keeping your facebook private and blocked so people on your friends list can't see it is worth not getting a career, there are PLENTY of other people who will gladly take your spot.

[DavidRSA]

If keeping your facebook private and blocked so people on your friends list can't see it is worth not getting a career, there are PLENTY of other people who will gladly take your spot.

I am not talking about blocking. I am talking about giving up my login credentials. To me my privacy and that of the friends and family I communicate are very important to me. I am prepared for the hard and dangerous work and unusual hours and being away from family. It is giving up my privacy on an ongoing basis that is not good for me.

But you and LtMike are absolutely right. It is all a matter of choice. Lots of other guys will be there to take my spot. And i just made mine. I just emailed by B.I. to withdraw from the process. No point in wasting his time and mine.

I guess I'll have to use my patent law license to find work..

[triplestack3]

I am in the recruitment process right now. I ditched all my facebook/myspace stuff a while back, so it's not an issue.

[cacop]

Our PD just asks the applicant to "friend" the background investigator and not block them. They do it right there are the BI's office.

I personally think it is a little much to have to give up user info to get the job. Does that mean that until that officer leaves that agency their employer can check their accounts at will?

Why don't we ask people for their online banking info while we are at it? That way we can examine their spending down to the last dime. Also later on we can examine their accounts at will. No search warrant or court order needed. Ask for them to bring all their mail for the last 6 months to the office to read? We could always just make them send all their mail to the PD to be read prior to giving to the officer. Make them record all personal phonecalls made off duty? Make sure that conversation with the wife doesn't get "embarrassing for the department." Hand over their cell phone to be forensically examined? Who knows they could have said something bad about their current employer to a friend via a text that was deleted.

You really need to read POST's "Recruiting and Retention: Best Practices" before you get up on your high horses. This kind of stuff is what is turning away good candidates.

Besides look at what gets us bad press. Very little of it is facebook or other social media stuff.

Maybe its just me and what crap our managers have pulled on and off duty that makes me think it is bad to start opening up a recruit's off duty life more than their manager's. Maybe I have seen too many people get promoted after having torrid affiars. Some in their offices while on duty. It just strikes me as hypocritical to have chief (or other hiring person) to demand full access to an applicant's life when they might be banging their mistress on lunch breaks and hiding it from their wife.

[oddjob]

Give up passwords?? No...

Log on in the Background Investigators Office so he can look at Facebook & etc? Yes

Its that simple.

[dskell]

When I went through backgrounds with a department in southern CA, the investigator had me sit down at a computer, log into my facebook account and then stand up so he could check everything out.

I was more than willing. haha.

[Watchur6]

I had no idea they asked for your e-mail account password, seems weird to me. If that is the way it is going then I will not look to get into another department. I have nothing to hide, I just don't agree with that at all. Facebook, twitter, I understand but no you cannot go through my personal e-mails and nor can my employer without going through the proper channels.

[Databyter]

You don't need to give up passwords or logins.

Just "friend" the agency investigating, or the agent investigating and they can see what a "friend" would see, which is virtually everything.

Then you can unfriend them after the checks.

[SoCalDep]

The amount of trouble cops can/have gotten into with social media is serious. Like getting brought up by the defense in court serious. I'm not on any of it, and haven't been. It's not worth it.

[Watchur6]

^^copy that

[cacop]

The amount of trouble cops can/have gotten into with social media is serious. Like getting brought up by the defense in court serious. I'm not on any of it, and haven't been. It's not worth it.

It's all about what you say on it. If you are showing pics of you latest vacation on it or talking about how the rain cancelled your plans for a bike ride you will be okay.

Talking about being a "human waste collector" or some other silliness will get your pee-pee in a ringer.

Also even posting here or other forums could get you in trouble too. It all depends on how much info you put out and how much someone wants to get you.