An An Exploratory Study of How Police Background Investigators Use Social Media Screening to Identify Extremism Among Applicants

The institution of policing in the United States cannot function effectively unless the public has adequate confidence in the institution and trusts that officers are vetted for past criminal activity and extremism. Police background investigators thoroughly investigate each applicant's character, creditworthiness, social interactions, education, drug use, honesty, and integrity. Copies of credit scores are obtained, driving history records are examined, national and state criminal history checks are performed, and each applicant's personal history statement (PHS) is taken. Since the rise of social media, investigators have been challenged to gain access to and adequately screen applicant's social media posts to determine extremist memberships or tendencies, as well as past criminal activity. First Amendment protections for applicants in the United States can further hinder an investigator's access to private social media accounts. Past research focuses on ways social media posts can affect workplace hiring and screening of applicants in private industry and government agencies. This study seeks to fill the gap in research by focusing on the unique expectations of the public for law enforcement to screen their applicants at a higher level of scrutiny than private employers and the ethical and legal contexts in which they can accomplish this task effectively.