We know you think of cops as robots behind mirrored aviators but if you've ever read Joseph Wambaugh you know they're real people with all the needs, emotions and, yes, urges the rest of us have. (Although LAPD Chief Charlie Beck really is a robo-cop).

With that in mind the union that represents LAPD officers is warning its members not to get too post-happy on Facebook, Twitter and other social-media sites.

You see, the bad guys are online too, and we don't want them to find out too much about you.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League states on its blog:

It's important to remember that anything we post on a MySpace or Facebook account, or any video we upload to YouTube, could be readily accessed by people we wouldn't normally share things with – no matter how uninteresting or insignificant we think the posting might be. Many criminals have firsthand knowledge of social media sites. These individuals are sophisticated and proficient in locating people through internet websites. We urge our members to make any and all of their social networking accounts private and accessible only to your most trusted associates. Be extra careful, and don't post anything that you wouldn't want a criminal or prospective employer (or your mom!) to see.

The union also notes that many departments now monitor social-networking sites and check them out before hiring … so posting video of that kegger after academy graduation is not advisable, officer.

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