The Metropolitan police has investigated 75 officers for potentially misusing Facebook and other social networks in the past five years, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.
Three officers and four police officials have been dismissed following disciplinary investigations since 2009. A further six officers and two staff resigned or retired after facing complaints about their misuse of social media.
The figures emerged days after Britain's first youth crime commissioner, Paris Brown, resigned from her £15,000-a-year post following a row over her past comments on Twitter.
Of the 75 officers investigated by the Metropolitan police, 38 had complaints proven against them and 25 were cleared. A further six are still being investigated.
Of those 38 officers, three were sacked, 18 were given a written warning, six received some form of management action, six retired or resigned and a further five received "management advice".
Out of 12 police civilian staff investigated, four were sacked, two resigned, four received written warnings and two were formally reprimanded over their use of social media. The FoI shows that a Scotland Yard civilian worker was sacked earlier this year over "inappropriate comments" on Facebook.
Source: https://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/apr/12/met-police-investigate-75-officers-facebook