Officers get web warning

Staffordshire's police officers have been warned not to harm their force's image through websites such as Facebook, MySpace and Friends Reunited.

The force believes its officers' safety could be compromised if they give away too many personal details on the internet. The warning was issued in the latest edition of Staffordshire Police newsletter Informer as a sign of the problems caused by the increasing popularity of social networking websites.

An article says that the force's head of professional standards, Superintendent Stephan Popadynec, is concerned that officers could "compromise themselves, their families or the organisation".

He is quoted as saying: "Staff must consider the implications of putting personal details into the public domain.

"It could compromise their own privacy and might, for example, affect their vetting status or ability to be deployed in certain types of police roles.

"Such websites do have a place when it comes to social networking and they provide a useful forum for discussion and debate. The last thing we want to do is to restrict free speech, but we all have a responsibility to safeguard and maintain our integrity."

He added: "A good rule of thumb is not even to consider publishing details on-line which you wouldn't disclose as you go about your work."