Everyone watches your social media profile. Everyone is always told that they should be careful about what they post on sites like Facebook, but they never seem to worry about it until the inevitable happens as it did with officer Mytric a former police officer of the Savannah police force. Social media is a powerful tool and it can help your social status or it can break you, as in the case of Edwin Myrick a police officer who lost his job as a result of a social media post.
The Savannah police department let him go because of a message he posted. The message related to the department directives ethics and use of the internet. Worse, the post came when racism and politically incorrect messages are a hot issue. He insists that the post had nothing to do with racism and is astounded that anyone could think of him as racist. But it did not save him from being sacked. The post came to the attention of the police department when police chief Roy Minter sent him a screenshot of the post and wanted to know if he had posted it. This is when he realized his job was at stake. Myrick tried to defend himself but to no avail. The police directive knew that he had to have a talk of intent before terminating them, otherwise it is deemed an injustice to the city. The department’s decision was not revoked and there are reports where Myrick is trying to clarify his actions. During his clarification, he said he did not mean anything by it only to communicate something of himself. He mentioned where he was the director of emergency management for Effingham County and was privileged to care for his family through the position.
Mytrick also said he did not write the post himself but actually only copied and pasted it in his social account. However, the chief of police felt he had violated policies relating to no racism and the rule that states that an officer should be disciplined when he has racist behavior. The department takes racism seriously and means for no employee to speak disrespectfully of race or any other derogatory mention of another person. Mytrick lost his job because he violated this one all-important rule. Mytrick has also been accused of using the internet to mock others. Another rule of the department states that employees are forbidden to use the internet to bother or belittle any other person.
Men in uniform represent the department even when they are off duty. They are responsible for their actions. So posting on your profile also reflects the department. People know you work for the police department. All in all, Mytrick still lost his job and will no longer be a part of the police department of the city of Savannah.
