CCSO deputies told to stay away from Online Sites

Collier County sheriff’s deputies are being told to zip their lips — or at least quiet their keyboards — when it comes to commenting on public Internet messaging boards and posting agency-related information on their personal Web pages.

The Sheriff’s Office unveiled its new non-agency Web site policy in early June. Around the same time, Cpl. Paul Boliek, a 20-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was referred to Sheriff Kevin Rambosk for discipline after officials say he posted a derogatory comment on a public Web site and identified himself as an agency member.

Chief Greg Smith said the two are not related.

“It had nothing to do with the Paul Boliek situation,” Smith said of the new policy. “This was completely independent of that, and foreran that by a good three months.”

The policy, which was issued on June 5, states that agency members have a right, as private citizens, to have personal Web sites. However, the agency prohibits employees from posting “references to or about” the Sheriff’s Office, agency staff or agency information obtained in a member’s official capacity without permission from Rambosk or “his designee.”

Sheriff’s Office employees are barred from posting images of the agency’s uniforms, badges, patches or vehicles, and are not allowed to identify themselves online as Sheriff’s Office members.

Smith said the policy applies to social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube, public messaging sites like the popular LEOAffairs.com, and news sites like naplesnews.com. The Sheriff’s Office’s public information staff currently comments on naplesnews.com under the moniker “CCSO_Star.”

Sheriff’s Office attorney Mike Hedberg said the policy does not abridge free speech. Previous policies already addressed issues like writing letters to newspapers. The only difference now is the online format, Hedberg said.

“What’s protected speech is speech of a private citizen on public concern,” Hedberg said. “It is not an absolute right if it is a speech of a member that interferes with the efficient operation of the agency. It can be regulated.”

After being sent a copy of the new policy, Brandon Hensler, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said it appeared to be “vague and overbroad.”

“Furthermore, officers need advance notice of precisely what is expected of them, and this policy is not clear,” Hensler said. “Will officers be prohibited from posting their employer information on their Facebook page? What about family photos? The answer will depend on how the policy is interpreted, communicated to officers and staff, and most importantly — how it is implemented — to know whether it is a constitutional overstep.”

In Boliek’s case, Smith said Boliek, 41, made a “specific comment, which was derogatory, and he identified himself in an official manner.” Smith said he wasn’t sure on which site Boliek made the comment.

When asked about commenting on sites like LEOAffairs.com, Smith said, “For me, personally, I wouldn’t do it.” But he said the agency doesn’t have time to police sites like that and attempt to track down anonymous bloggers.

In an egregious case, violators could be terminated, Smith said.

“It is against the Sheriff’s policy as an agency representative and member to blog about anything without having the proper clearance,” Smith said. “If they identify themselves on that site or any other site, they would be held responsible for their content. ... If they didn’t sign their name and there’s no way to identify them, then there’s not much we can do about that.”

Regarding the new policy, one blogger on LEOAffairs.com, identified only as “Curious George,” said deputies will continue posting on public messaging boards if agency leaders fail to address problems.

“This site is a way to vent, like it or not, so if you do not want your dirty little secrets to be posted on a public site then CORRECT the problem when it is brought to your attention!” Curious George wrote. “This is how you keep stuff off of this board. Deputies will continue to post about problems that affect their job and (are) not corrected by staff; they will just do it under an assumed name instead of their real name.”

Chris Jordan, president of the Fraternal Order of Police organization representing Collier deputies, called the new policy appropriate. He described LEOAffairs.com as a “comic book-type Web page with bloggers hiding behind a keyboard to humiliate fellow brothers and sisters.”

“We understand that social networking is without doubt the way of the future, but we also believe there are limitations about what we can say and cannot say in public forums,” Jordan said.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office’s “Internet Usage Policy” does not address personal Web sites, social networking sites or public message board comments. Naples police spokesman Michael Herman said his department does not have a specific policy regarding personal Web sites, but does have policies concerning the dissemination of confidential information.

“We do not have a policy concerning individuals voicing their own opinions,” Herman said. “If someone were to do something that were to put the department in a bad light or bring discredit to the department, instances like that could be looked at on a case-by-case basis.”

Is hard to proof and irrelevant. Can not proof who is really writting the coments even if it comes from the same register user, it can always be somebody else. Is crazy what they are doing up there, a total violation of civil liberties. All they have is reasonable suspicion to believe that such individual is the one writting the coments. :cop:

Just remember that Moderators are sometimes members of agencies and the agency can find out IP information about who posted what.

I don't believe the moderators can trace back an IPS. They may be able to see the origins such as AOL or Hotmail but that is all they have access to. If I'm wrong, will MOD 1 please correct me?

I also think Lee County is showing better restraint against criticism. To take such an aggressive stance makes Collier County look vindictive.

[mod 167]

As A Moderator, we do not have access to IP addresses. The only rights granted to Moderators is the ability to edit or delete a post; and then it is only for the board we moderate. Only Mod 1 and Sysop have full control of the boards.

Regarding the new policy, here are the facts:

A deputy used his radio identifier number to post a comment on a debated thread. When his supervisor asked if he was the one who made the comment, he told the truth and admittted it. Although his supervisor wrote paper on him asking that he be disciplined, it DID NOT HAPPEN.

The Sheriff removed him from the unit because there are problems in the unit and the Sheriff did not believe that allowing him to work in that unit would benefit anyone at this point in time. The deputy was not punished nor is there anything in his personnel file to indicate a problem. The Sheriff and Command staff handled the problem very professionaly which the end result benifited each party involved. If you ask the deputy that was involved you will hear it from his mouth that he is very pleased at how the Sheriff addressed the problem.

As for the new policy:

All it states is that as a deputy of CCSO you may not post a comment using your real name or agency ID number or photo identifying yourself as a member of the agency without approval from the Sheriff first. This is reasonable and understandable. It does not say that we cannot blog on LeoAffairs or on any other site if we use an annonymous screen name. The Sheriff will not invest the time or money to investigate posts that are made by annonymous persons.

Simply put; if you work for CCSO and want to blog then you better use an annonymous name and not use anything that could identify you as a member of the agency without getting the Sheriff's approval first or acting in an official capacity.

Hope this helps,

Mod 167

[Mod 100]

I don't believe the moderators can trace back an IPS. They may be able to see the origins such as AOL or Hotmail but that is all they have access to. If I'm wrong, will MOD 1 please correct me?

I also think Lee County is showing better restraint against criticism. To take such an aggressive stance makes Collier County look vindictive.

Moderators do not have access to IP addresses, nor do they have access to ISPs. The only ones that have access to any of that information is Mod 1 and the 2 owners of the Message Boards, Chip Deblock aka Sysop, and Jim Preston aka Admin1.

Mod 100

[jackiechiles]

Post Removed

Asere que fula es eso. Tu sabes lo que es salir de cuba=guatemala pa entrar en guatapeor chamaco eso es casy un comunismo el no poder expresarte libremente. Que mal se portan alla arriba los gringos esos. Mientras no se ofenda ni se falte el respeto todo lo demas esta bien. Al consortico polizon le bajaron pa bajo de igual, eso no se vale. Nosotros los monarcas somos los principales defensores de los derechos humanos pa que venga un dichavao de estos y nos viole el nuestro. Eso esta mas caliente que el sol!!!!!!! 8)

[Paradise]

Asere que fula es eso. Tu sabes lo que es salir de cuba=guatemala pa entrar en guatapeor chamaco eso es casy un comunismo el no poder expresarte libremente. Que mal se portan alla arriba los gringos esos. Mientras no se ofenda ni se falte el respeto todo lo demas esta bien. Al consortico polizon le bajaron pa bajo de igual, eso no se vale. Nosotros los monarcas somos los principales defensores de los derechos humanos pa que venga un dichavao de estos y nos viole el nuestro. Eso esta mas caliente que el sol!!!!!!! 8)

You are kidding me right?

Do I now have to push #1 for english on this board too? :x

Wrong is #1 for spanish and #2 for english :snicker: :snicker: :snicker: :snicker: :snicker: :snicker: :snicker: