Commission Agrees with Firing of Police Officer Because of Misuse of Facebook

***Editor's Note: It was incorrectly reported that former Shrewsbury Police Officer Peter Kinnas posted a sexually explicit comment under a photo of the police chief. Kinnas posted the sexually explicit comment under a photo of a fellow police officer.***

Facebook cost Officer Peter Kinnas his job last June. His subsequent appeal was denied last week by the Civil Service Commission.

Kinnas, 28, of Worcester, was terminated as a police officer for conduct unbecoming an officer, untruthfulness and violating the town's sexual harassment policy in June 2010.

The incident, which happened May 22, 2010, involved Kinnas accessing the Facebook account of a fellow officer's wife on a shared computer in the roll call room at the Shrewsbury Police Station, according to the Civil Service Commission's written decision.

According to the report, the Shrewsbury Police had allowed police officers to use town computers to access personal e-mail accounts during their shift. Another police officer, whose shift ended at 11 p.m. the night before, had used his wife's Facebook account to e-mail his daughter.

When that officer left for the night, he realized on his way home that neglected to turn off the computer, and decided he was too tired to turn back after a double shift to close down the computer, which was still logged into his wife's Facebook account. The officer testified that he believed someone on the next shift would log out of the account for him.

But no one did. Because of that, the following seven actions by Kinnas contributed to his termination:

• Kinnas sent negative instant messages through Facebook from the police officer's wife to two people, including the officer's mother-in-law.
• Kinnas posted on another Shrewsbury police officer's wall.
• Kinnas posted to Shrewsbury firefighter's wall.
• Kinnas posted sexually explicit comments under a photo of another police officer.
• Kinnas posted a negative comment under a photo of a police sergeant.
• Kinnas posted a birthday message on another person's Facebook wall with a sexually explicit request involving three women, wives and girlfriends of other police officers.
• Kinnas and other officers were asked if they had posted the messages. He lied to superior officers and other police officers numerous times, until he realized a forensic specialist was inspecting the computer.

"We are pleased with the commission's decision to dismiss the appeal," Shrewsbury Police Chief Jay Hester said. "It is the policy of the Shrewsbury Police Department not to publicly discuss personnel issues."

"I think the commission's decision speaks for itself," said Town Manager Daniel Morgado. When asked if the town will implement a policy about town computers and personal use, he said, "I'll have to look into that."

Attorney Andrew J. Gambaccini, of Reardon, Joyce & Akerson, P.C., of Worcester did not return calls regarding this decision.

To read the decision by the state's Civil Service Commission, visit the commission's Web site.