Actually he is an ‘ordinary’ Viennese police officer. Someone who loves his job. So much so that he wants to inspire others with it. The Styrian native created an Instagram account under his pseudonym ‘Officer Nixon’. This is now followed by 29,700 people.
It all started at the end of 2019. The police officer with more than ten years of service was out of action due to an injury. “We were looking for someone. “My left thumb was broken when he was arrested,” “Officer Nixon” recalled. ‘That took two months of healing time. In the meantime, I was so bored that I created an Instagram account.”
At the same time, the officer and his friends developed a video game that simulates the daily nature of the police. “A kind of GTA especially for police officers. I then uploaded streams of it to YouTube,” the police officer said. When the pandemic hit Austria in the spring of 2020, his YouTube account and his presence on Instagram as “Officer Nixon” benefited from each other.
Since then, social media work has developed into a second job for the district inspector. “I want to inspire young people to become police officers.” The Viennese with Styrian roots tries to do this with police content in the style of an influencer. “Even though I don’t actually like the word influencer.”
On his account on the online platform you will find, among other things, explanatory videos about license plates, blue light controls or emergency belts, snapshots of rescued cats or view photos of the WEGA climbing tower in Vienna’s Rossauer Kaserne. However, he ‘obviously’ does not post images or videos that endanger activities or people or violate data protection. “I do this from a private cell phone and make sure the service is not disrupted.”
Social media as a dangerous place for police officers
The use of social media by police officers on duty is actually a gray area. Besides ‘Officer Nixon’, only a handful of other officers across Austria allow followers on Instagram to take a look behind the scenes of police work. “Colleagues must of course be careful when expressing themselves on social media,” said Dominik Grabner, head of social media at the Vienna State Police Directorate. In this context, he also refers to the Civil Servants Act, which stipulates that one’s own behavior may not damage the “confidence of the general public”.
“Of course we keep an eye on these colleagues and you can see what they are doing.” There is no cooperation between the PR department and officials with private social media accounts.
Nevertheless, the police are aware of the added value of ‘Officer Nixon’, as about 10,000 more people follow him than the official report of the Vienna State Police Directorate. “Of course, colleagues like him, when they do well, are an asset to the police. They do it all with passion,” Grabner told the APA.
With his posts he has now ensured that the police have more staff. “People write to me: ‘Thank you Nixon for motivating me to get my dream job’ and send me a photo of confirmation of admission to the police academy.” He has now received about 40 such photos across Austria. “I am now regularly asked to take part in recruitment events,” he says. “I always wanted someone to give me insight into the police profession.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
