Gordon Graham
Category: Law Enforcement

Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol.

Today’s Tip is for my law enforcement friends. I want to talk about discretion. Can you keep a secret? It can be difficult. Some people just can’t. That’s a problem lying in wait. I want to borrow from our military here. They know the importance of keeping secrets. The U.S. Army calls it OPSEC, or operational security.

Exposing who you are and what you do for a living increases risk while you’re off-duty. Using good discretion and thinking about your off-duty safety could help you avoid problems. It can keep yourself and your family safe.

Operational security involves sharing information on a need to know basis. So, what does that have to do with police work? As professionals, we are pretty good at keeping our cards close to the vest. In our private lives, we often share too much information about ourselves and what we do for a living.

Consider this. How are you advertising what you do for a living? Does your social media show your affiliation with law enforcement? Do you have stickers on your car that identify your profession? What about clothing with logos or badges? These things violate operational security.

Police work is dangerous enough when we are on-duty. Exposing who you are and what you do for a living increases the risk while you’re off-duty. It might even cause problems when you’re out with family. I’m talking about 24/7 officer safety.

Discuss the importance of operational security and discretion with family and friends. Using good discretion and thinking about your off-duty safety could help you avoid problems. It can keep yourself and your family safe.

And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Until next time, Gordon Graham signing off.