06/22/2026
Do you guys realize that it’s not even about your phone getting examined?
The real problem is when one of your “friends” has their phone examined, turns it over to Internal Affairs to prove a point, signs consent for a search, or becomes involved in an investigation. Suddenly, the text messages you sent are sitting in front of investigators.
Maybe it was a joke. Maybe it was sarcasm. Maybe it was harmless banter that everyone involved understood at the time. Maybe you didn’t mean any of it literally.
It doesn’t matter.
When you’re a police officer, everything that gets recorded has the potential to become evidence. Text messages, screenshots, social media posts, comments, direct messages—once it’s documented, you no longer control where it goes or how it’s interpreted.
And let’s be honest: a lot of officers routinely text things that would violate department policy if they were read aloud in a briefing room. Not because they’re bad cops, but because people get comfortable, forget who’s reading, and assume private conversations stay private.
In modern policing, there are few faster ways to damage or end a career than a stupid text message.
So stop texting dumb s**t.
And while we’re on the topic, stop posting dumb s**t on social media. Stop commenting your emotions online. Stop putting things in writing that you wouldn’t want displayed on a projector in front of your chief, Internal Affairs, a prosecutor, a defense attorney, a jury, or the evening news.
Anything that’s recorded can come back and bite you.
You are not like everybody else. Whether you agree with that reality or not, it’s the reality.
The sooner you understand that, the sooner you’ll keep yourself out of Internal Affairs, disciplinary hearings, and the unemployment line.