New Policy Lays Down The Law for Connecticut State Police

By Gary Jeanfaivre:

New tattoos are a no-no forConnecticut State Police officers, and their social media posts are now also under greater scrutiny.

Those are but two elements of a new policy that was shared with officers Wednesday, according to a report by the Register Citizen.

Under the policy (a copy of which has been embedded with this article), existing tattoos are grandfathered in, but new ones are not allowed.

The policy also warns officers that "speech, on or off duty, made pursuant to their official duties, is not protected speech and may form the basis for discipline.” 

The dissemination of that speech includes social network sites like Facebook, Twitter, and several others, as well as through the media.

In response, the Register Citizen reports that a state police officer told Connecticut Magazine, “It is a good thing the [social media policy] wasn’t in place when [Col. Danny Stebbins] was in New Orleans.”

That was a reference to remarks Stebbins reportedly made at a law enforcement conference in March. There, he disclosed previously unreleased information about Connecticut State Police investigation of the shooting at Sandy Hook School on Dec. 14, 2012 — that the gunman had a "sickeningly thorough" plan for the massacre, which claimed the life of 20 children and six adults.

The unauthorized release of information came despite state lawmakers pleas for that same information as they debated new laws relating to gun control, school safety and mental health.

And, in light of those revelations, state lawmakers lambasted Stebbins and one, who represents part of Newtown, called his remarks "incredibly insensitive."

The Register Citizen report does not specify whether the new policy is a result of Stebbins' statements, and the newspaper wrote that representatives from Connecticut State Police were not immediately available for comment.

The policy is attached to this article. You can also read theRegister Citizen's article on its website.