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February 28, 2013

KSN News

A Wichita man felt the lasting effects of what he posted on his Facebook page in jail. It was the 28 year-old’s Facebook page that got him arrested.

A complaint from the public alerted Wichita police the man was impersonating a police officer online. An investigation revealed he was clearly posing as a police officer. The man was arrested and his Facebook page has since been removed. The incident reveals some of the effects of what we post online.

Social media has evolved into a field of work in itself, where people are always watching what others are saying. These days it’s harder to find someone who’s not on Facebook.

“I’m sure those college students thought this is a great way to stay in touch with each other,” says the Greteman Group’s Associate Vice-President Jennifer Szambecki.

But Facebook and social media sites like Twitter and YouTube have evolved beyond staying in touch. Just like the complaint that revealed a Wichita man using his Facebook page to impersonate a police officer, people on social media are always watching.

“We have our client’s social media feeds up all the time, we’re constantly monitoring, constantly listening because it has changed the expectation of the customer and the community for the response time that they’re going to get for whatever they want to know,” explains Szambecki.

Szambecki isn’t looking for police impersonators. But she is always watching the buzz on social media and how it might impact her clients.

“Some hire us simply to monitor and listen with them to what others are saying about their brand and advise them about how they can speak about their own brand thru social media,” says Szambecki.

Proving what you say on Facebook, “He was clearly representing himself as a police officer. That is a crime. He was arrested,” says Lieutenant Doug Nolte. can have lasting effects.

Szambecki says, “It’s made marketing more immediate everyone has to be so nimble, so aware all the time.”

As for the man arrested, police say Facebook was the only place they believe he used to pose as a police officer.

© KSN News, 2013