To think my police complaint wasn't kept confidential?

[sowsomeseeds]

Name changed as v v outing.
A few months back I made a complaint against a Police Officer
PC was a friend of mine
They were making comments which made fun of people with disabilities on social media and I couldn’t do with the drama of confronting them directly.
Basically just jokes and memes etc on their social media.
Rightly or wrongly I filled in an online crime report form anonymously, with dates things had happened, which social media platforms etc.
I didn’t think they should be in a position of authority if they were happy to belittle the most vulnerable members of society.
Within 3 weeks the PC and 3 of their closest friends (who were mutual friends) have all deleted and blocked me on social media and refuse to talk to me.
Do you think that my details were given from the complaint (IP address maybe?) or could they tell it was me from my mobile phone.
I 100% made the complaint anonymously.
Have they just guessed or presumed it was me?
I’m worried that my details have been given even though I reported it anonymously and asked to stay anonymous and it is going to cause repercussions for me.

I’ve not told a single soul that I made this report.
Not even family. So it hasn’t been leaked that way.

It does sound like they knew you made a complaint. That's not acceptable.

Could they not have guessed? If someone complained at something on my social media I'd go through my friends list first.

They have probably just guessed and are deleting anyone who they consider “untrustworthy” on fb. It will be dealt with though and I’ve known officers sacked/disciplined for similar.

They had around 400 friends.
What would make them suspect me?
And I think there must have been definite proof for 3 mutual friends to cut contact with me too.

Slim chance they might all have learnt a lesson from the PC (who would undoubtedly have had slapped wrists at least by now) and locked down their social media/deleted anyone they're not 100% close to. If the PC told their friends what happened to them, even not knowing who made the report, that could have sparked them all going on lock down at once.

How close friends were you with them all?

So you were going to continue being friends with them and watch this all unfold while knowing it was you that had reported them?

If you feel strongly about something, have the courage of your convictions and own it. Don't anonymously risk a friends job (whether that is right or not) because you wanted to avoid challenging them directly.

I suspect they got told to observe the social media guidelines and check their privacy settings.

Do you know if you are the only one blocked?

I would doubt they were able to know it was specifically from you if you didn't add any information like your e mail address or phone number. Police can trace IP addresses but only in the specialist teams which deal with looking at phones and computers. Unless this PC is in such a team i doubt he would be able to access that info.

I am thinking he has been asked at work about the info you submitted and has guessed it came from you. Have you ever challenged him at all or told anyone you don't like what he posts?

What would make them suspect me?
And I think there must have been definite proof for 3 mutual friends to cut contact with me too.

Maybe they all just culled a load of people all at once.

It could be that they culled their friend list of anyone it could be or tied down their social media more tightly.

I would imagine this person spoke to the others and by a process of elimination worked out who you were. As you had such a low opinion of him (not condoning his actions) it seems right that you are no longer ‘friends’ on Facebook and as you didn’t even speak to the mutual friends about your ‘friends’ insensitive posts they probably don’t see you as much of a friend either.
Presumably you checked first how ‘open’ their profile was?

Agree with Star Wars. Why do you care? You didn’t agree with what they were doing. Fuck em.

OP didn't risk their jobs. I wonder if it's worth contacting the ICO about this. It should have been anonymous. Also consider a further complaint.

Thinking about it though, I am surprised you were still social media friends with this person after making the report anyway; first thing I do when someone posts abhorrent shit on social media is unfriend them!

I’m not sure what info would be passed on surely it would focus around their conduct rather than who reported them?

Well done for doing the right thing. Horrible attitude for someone in authority to have towards vulnerable people.

They might have cut contact with a lot of people.

I had unfollowed them as I didn’t want to see the posts.
We hadn’t really been in contact for around 6 months as I didn’t agree with it.
They are all still friends with my husband on social media. Just not me.
The reason I stayed friends but just unfollowed them, as is I had decided to make a complain and didn’t want them to realise I had reported them.
My husband knows nothing about this.

well done OP for making the complaint. you are well rid of them.
I would not worry. they most likely just culled people.

I have a a few police officer friends on social media. I've noticed they've all removed their surnames, only have people they know well, never say what the do as a job and have their profiles locked up. The fact a few have blocked you too would make me think they at least suspect, unless they've all deleted their profiles.

Why didn't you just confront them in person. What they do out of work is different to their actions and opinions in work. Would you like it if someone contacted your employer and complained about what you did out of work?

If it bothered you that much forget all about it now. You got one over on them, so you won.

Really we should all be careful what we put on SM as any employer would not like 'extremists' working for them and bringing the company into disrepute.

You sound like a nasty little sneak. If this were my friend then I’d talk to them and say how inappropriate it was, not squeal and watch it unfold like some tv drama.

I wouldn’t risk them losing their job and ruining their lives and that of their families too.

Not all of the people that deleted and blocked me are police officers. It’s as though the police officer has named me, they then are all annoyed that I’ve grassed our “friend” up, and they’ve cut all contact.
And they have kept my husband.
The more I think about it the more I think my details have been found out and passed on.
I gave them no reason to suspect it was me who reported them.
I’d really like to find out.

Did you include screenshots from Facebook. A very stupid woman I know reported friends for something not against their workplace social media rules and when showing them the posts that she had reported the HR department forgot to/didn’t bother blacking out things like her friends sidebar etc, from there it was easy to work out who had reported them

I do n’t think anyone emerges with any credit.

Obviously they should n’t be making fun of people with disabilities, but telling on them anonymously is n’t mature either.

Why did n’t you just ignore them ?