Article Review Sample on Social Media: Establishing Criteria for Law Enforcement

In the article, Social Media: Establishing Criteria for Law Enforcement Use Robert D. Stuart shows some essential idea that social media has affected law enforcement agencies significantly. For instance, the article describes significant growth in the use of social media platforms in society. The introduction of social media platforms has improved the value of how the public interacts and relates to their daily activities. However, Stuart (2013) indicates that law enforcement officers' application of social media platforms attracts both rewards and risks. When used in the wrong way, social media can expose possible criminal liability or embarrassment to the departments (Stuart, 2013). Therefore, the risks associated with social media can be managed by adapting to some outlets that affect the officers' lives daily when in operation. Thus, this paper presents the correct claims of value response used to evaluate Stuart's article's effectiveness.

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Stuart (2013) presents adequate information for the understanding of social media. The media is described as a communication means used to address significant groups of the audience. The traditional social media platforms included the use of televisions and newspapers. However, social media has advanced into the use of social networking platforms to interact with a large group of audience (Stuart, 2013). The leading form of social media is social networking, allowing people to share information extensively with one another. It includes Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube which are leading social media platforms. The number of users for such platforms has increased significantly, including the law enforcement agencies involvement that is determined to involve the public to check on their ultimate daily operations.

In the article, Social Media: Establishing Criteria for Law Enforcement Use, Stuart (2013) presented the exact details of how law enforcement agencies have actively participated in the use of social media platforms in their daily operations. Stuart (2013) explains that law enforcement organizations are instrumental in encouraging social media to benefit their operations in crime prevention, public relations, and criminal investigation activities. The law enforcement departments that embrace social media users are active in creating new methods that they would use extensively in interacting with the general public (Stuart, 2013). Therefore, the engagement of social media by law enforcement organizations helps citizens to be actively involved and updated on real-time information.

Also, Stuart argues that law enforcement agencies would use social media platforms to provide an invaluable source of information used by the investigators. Active involvement of law enforcement agencies in the social media platform operation would allow them to engage with the criminal users, thus getting some evidence and information ware bouts of the criminals. The criminals would use social media platforms to record their illegal activities will make it easier for the security agencies to follow up. The records are presented in the videos and photos recorded of criminal events (Stuart, 2013). Therefore, the electronic information recorded is used by law enforcement to single out the associated suspects, apprehend the fugitives, and provide shreds of evidence for criminal activity.

In the article, Social Media: Establishing Criteria for Law Enforcement Use by Stuart (2013), he argues that law enforcement agencies' use of social media platforms is also disadvantageous to some extent. The officers might mix their social and private lives, resulting in discredits to them and the departments involved. The public would even criticize the content presented by law enforcement bodies as they are very sensitive to the public. Social media platforms might be used to identify underperforming law enforcement officers, thus relying on the conduct unbecoming regulations to solve the developing case of improper actions by the officers (Stuart, 2013). Imperatively, this phenomenon suggests that when officers expose their personal and social life experiences, inappropriate information might result in unwanted attention.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Stuart (2013) argues that law enforcement officers can actively realize some practical solutions to solve emerging challenges. Officers should also make social appearances on the internet. Instead, law enforcement agencies can actively engage social media platforms to promote service delivery and interaction with the public by establishing proper criteria. The developed standards should be applied by creating social media usage that balances the law enforcement officers' constitutional rights when on the duty of protecting the integrity of the investigation and the department. The author also argues that law enforcement agencies should also consider offering adequate training to dictate how they use social media platforms to promote a proper work schedule. Also, establishing appropriate policies would influence the officer's use of social media currently and in the future. Law enforcement administrators are encouraged to dictate a standard control of how the agency uses social media. The regulation should however concentrate on improving the benefits of using social media in the departments. The idea of setting criteria for the use of social media is applicable in controlling the possible misuse by the officers. Stuart (2013) also encourages the initiation of specific policies that would help dictate the use of social media as a law enforcement tool that can help the department to serve the public better.

Reference

Stuart, R. D. (2013, February 5). Social Media: Establishing Criteria for Law Enforcement Use. Retrieved from LEB ARTICLES: https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/social-media-establishing-criteria-for-law-enforcement-use