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A police community support officer (PCSO) in the UK has been slammed for uploading pictures of herself to an official police social media account while on duty.
Anna Jenkinson, from Cheshire in northwest England, has been uploading selfies – some posing with speed guns and others using Snapchat filters – to the official Prestbury & Alderley Edge Police Facebook page since April last year, Metro UK reports.
According to news.com.au, the snaps started out as a light-hearted attempt to show the “human side” of being a policewoman but her selfies have since attracted backlash, with social media users accusing Jenkinson of trivialising police work.
“Who thought this was a good way to promote Cheshire Police!” Andrea Jones commented. “It looks like you are not only laughing at motorists and belittling the offence of speeding but you’re also making a joke of what should be a disciplined organisation. There’s a time and a place for fun and banter and I’m afraid this isn’t one of them.”
Shirley Carter, another Facebook user commented, “I’m staggered that they think she’s acceptable, funny and professional. It just goes to show how far standards have dropped these days.”
Jane Cashinella-Vaughan added, “What an embarrassment to the job”.
Others have come to the officer’s defence, with one
person writing, “I think we are of a different generation from these young
ones.”
“She wasn’t parading as a unicorn when engaged on speeding enforcement (I hope) and I have no reason to think she was anything other than a model of professionalism.”
Jenkinson previously wrote on one post, “If I can’t pout then I ain’t having a picture taken . . . those are my rules. So don’t let it put you off joining. I am so going to be using #thepoutingpcso.”
According to The Sun, Cheshire Police responded to some of the comments, writing, “Hi everyone, thanks for the feedback! When we give officers access to social media we allow them the freedom to be themselves, show that they are human, and try to get messages out in creative ways. Some people will appreciate the informal messages and others won’t, but until we try it we’ll never know.
“We appreciate your concerns and will use any feedback to improve the service we provide.”
In a statement, a Cheshire Police spokesperson added: “We’ve recently given all of our PCSOs their own social media accounts and they’re encouraged to use them in a way that’s both engaging and informative to reach out across all their communities.”
Sources: Metro UK, The Sun, news.com.au
