Police Officers' MySpace Sites Under Fire
Controversy is brewing over some Florida officers who have profiles on MySpace.com.
Last week, a Marion County Deputy Brian Quinn, 26, lost his job because of what he'd posted on MySpace.
Six additional police officers in Volusia County are under scrutiny for the same reason.
The chief said he hasn't talked to all the officers yet. He's reviewing the information to decide if any policies were violated or if the MySpace postings should lead to an internal investigation.
Police officers can have Web sites, but there are some things they can't do.
Florida Police Officer John Conley's MySpace site features the officer in full uniform pointing his gun. Information on the site about Conley is not suggestive or racy, but if he posed for the picture, the chief said he has a problem with it.
Horseplay is a violation of police policies and procedures. They'll look at every photo to see if it depicts horseplay on duty.
Officer Marti Miles said a picture of her was posted on another officer's site without her knowledge. She called it unprofessional and disturbing.
"I will not allow anyone in this department to take another photograph of me on duty or off duty because at this point you never know where they're going to end up," she said.
The chief said he takes particular issue with a picture on one of the officers' sites that shows a man in uniform who is not an Edgewater cop -- a clear violation of policy.
It's their city signature. It's their emblem. It's the police department. It's a sworn law enforcement officer and who are you letting wear this uniform.
The police chief will likely make a decision on whether any of the officers with MySpace sites face punishment by the end of the week.
Photo: Deputies' MySpace Controversy
"A handgun should not be taken out unless you know you're going to have to use it or for training purposes," said Chief John Taves.
Some of Conley's pictures are clearly the officer on the job. It's not yet clear if they were innocently sent to him and posted. The chief said his concern is whether Conley's pictures or those he's seen on other officers' sites are professionals behaving badly.
The police have also circulated a new memo warning officers not to post anything on a Web site relevant to the police department or the city without the written approval of the chief.
