The police watchdog for England and Wales has hit out at officers who use social media and blogs as having “time on their hands”.
Tom Winsor, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, told the Public Administration Select Committee, that police officers who use social media such as Twitter or Facebook were not a “representative sample”.
Mr Winsor, the first chief inspector of constabulary to come from a non-policing background, made the comments as he discussed a social media poll conducted on the integrity of crime statistics.
Committee chair Bernard Jenkin MP asked Mr Winsor if he was aware the poll had revealed that 90% of police officers do not believe police-recorded crime figures.
Mr Jenkin asked: “Do you recognise that there is at least a degree of concern about the faith of officers themselves in the information that they are providing to their superiors?
“I’m certain there’s a degree of concern. I’d be astonished if every police officer were asked that 90% mark would be attained,” Mr Winsor replied. “My experience of social media and the police is that those who participate in it are not necessarily a representative sample.”
Mr Jenkin asked if the chief inspector accepted that there was a “deep cynicism” among officers about their own command chain.
Mr Winsor replied: “I’ve met many police officers who have a deep cynicism about their command chain, not just in the Met.
“But the vast majority of police officers do not spend their time complaining about their bosses. They spend their time preventing crime, looking after the safety of the public and catching criminals which is why they joined.
“Those who participate in social media and blogs and so on are people who’ve got time on their hands.”
Police chiefs have issued guidance on safe use of social media to officers and staff.
Social networking sites have offered “significant new opportunities” to make contact or consult with communities, the guidance says.
Neighbourhood officers can access hard-to-reach groups, forces can respond “live-time” to incidents of public concern and and rumours and speculation can be countered, it adds.