Putnam County Sheriff’s Office back in control of Facebook page

Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Having recently recovered access to the agency Facebook page, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Scott Ducker displays the page. Along with Facebook’s law enforcement division, Ducker has been working to restore the page to what it was before hackers took it over more than a month ago.
Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

It had been on to Plan B for Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Scott Ducker.

Through frequent posts employing a combination of information and tongue-in-cheek humor, the PCSO corporal had built the department’s Facebook following to more than 20,000.

And then in a moment it was gone.

On Nov. 18, the page was hacked by a gaming platform and Ducker no longer had control over the page, which had soon turned on monetization and had changed the name from “Putnam County Sheriffs Office Indiana” to “Street Boxing.”

As documented by the Banner Graphic at the time, Ducker initially got no support when he appealed to the tech giant.

So the sheriff’s office moved on, starting a Twitter feed (@PutCoSheriff) and a new Facebook page (Putnam County Sheriff Indiana), but with not nearly the followers.

Even with an initial push to garner new followers, the new Facebook page’s approximately 3,200 followers pales in comparison to the old, not to mention a paltry 135 followers on Twitter.

But the story wasn’t over at that point.

The Banner Graphic article got the attention of WISH-TV in Indianapolis. The ensuing WISH-TV video got the attention of Facebook.

On Dec. 13, Ducker got a call from Bridgette Arnold, who is the law enforcement outreach manager for Meta, Facebook’s recently rebranded parent company. The reception from Arnold was 180 degrees from what Ducker had gotten dealing with the business management side of Facebook’s customer service team.

“When Bridgette Arnold saw the video she wanted to speak to me about it,” Ducker said. “Right off the bat, she was super apologetic. She said, ‘You shouldn’t have been treated this way. It’s a big deal if law enforcement is hacked.’”

Ducker concurs, as it could have been a much more dangerous situation if, rather than turning the feed into a gaming page, the hackers had begun sending out fake public safety alerts or contacting, harassing or even scamming people under the guise of being a law enforcement agency.

After the initial conversation with Arnold, things moved quickly.

“She put me in contact with her team, and later that night they had restored access,” Ducker said.

The work has been ongoing, as the team from Facebook attempts to scrub all remnants of the takeover from the site. This has proven difficult with some of the livestreams posted by the hackers, but the efforts have continued.

Ducker has nothing but good things to say about the law enforcement division team.

“They’ve been incredibly helpful,” Ducker said. “Bridgette Arnold and the law enforcement division have kind of changed my outlook on it. She’s even said if I have problems, I can just email them and they’ll address the problems.”

With access back, Ducker is “trying to get it as normalized as I can,” while temporarily maintaining two department Facebook pages.

That won’t last long, though, as Ducker is attempting to slowly merge the two pages in the coming weeks.

Content is being posted to both, but Ducker has been using the new page (Putnam County Sheriff Indiana) to repost things from the older page (Putnam County Sheriffs Office Indiana) in an effort to funnel followers back to the original.

Anyone who unfollowed, unliked or blocked the old page is being encouraged to reverse that action at this point.

“In a couple of weeks, we’re going to start tearing the new one down,” Ducker said.

Even with his good experiences recently, Ducker still has frustration over the initial interactions with Facebook regarding the issue and knows it’s a black eye for the tech giant.

“Both articles reached a lot of people. It just doesn’t look good on Facebook,” Ducker said. “I still stand by what I said before, but I do give them credit that they have a law enforcement division. They were willing to reach out. They took care of us.”

Now his hope is that Facebook can do more to let police agencies know about this team that can help them address such issues.

“For smaller agencies, I think it would be very prudent to have that outreach and let them know there’s a division that can help them,” Ducker said.

He said Facebook officials have expressed the same desire to promote the service among law enforcement agencies.

Ducker, who also manages the Roachdale Police Department Facebook page, was also working through an issue on that front, as the page was also hacked and had been streaming “South Park” episodes.

Both issues have arisen despite Ducker using two-factor authentication and all the other recommended security steps.

He said he’s been told to change passwords often, follow other security recommendations and to reach out if any problems arise anyway.

“I’m actually pretty happy with the way they treated us on this one,” Ducker said. “It’s a learning experience for me. I had no idea they had a law enforcement outreach program.”

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  • Meh, tbh I'm not a fan of law enforcement agencies, really any govt agency for that matter, using their official social media to make jokes all the time. After reading about this a few weeks ago I went to their facebook page to check out some of these posts. Apparently Corporal Ducker's got an urge to try to get a laugh, writing salacious details of the most interesting arrest of the day for everyone's entertainment like it's a local gossip column. But I think it's just a matter of time before there's a post that's offensive or inappropriate, if it hasn't already happened. or just bone-headed. Like a few weeks ago, posting the meme about "those people" who wait to the last minute to get over when two lanes merge because of construction. The only construction I could only think of is I-70 west that's merging both lanes west of Plainfield. It literally has a sign that says to use both lanes and zipper merge at the end! I think it's because it's supposed to be better for traffic and safer? Hahaha, funny meme, good thing this isn't an official sherriff's department message. Oh, wait...

    Plus I know this guy's got to be spending quite the hours every week just to post every day and write all these true crime stories. Man I'm a little jealous, wish I had that much free time at work!

    -- Posted by Raker on Thu, Dec 23, 2021, at 9:10 AM
  • Raker. What this world needs is a lot of laughter and humor. I for one enjoy Officer Ducker’s posts. What a sad world one must live in not to be able to enjoy humor and laughter. If you don’t care for his posts, don’t read them. Thank you Officer Ducker.

    -- Posted by Nit on Thu, Dec 23, 2021, at 10:57 AM
  • I don’t agree with Raker often. Well, ever. But I don’t think the sheriff’s office or any law enforcement agency should make jokes about alleged crimes. Any communication about alleged crimes and perpetrators should be in a professional manner, statements of facts. Sensationalized press conferences are what gets innocent people locked up in prison, which has happened time and time again. Jokes at the expense of a presumed innocent person are unprofessional and possibly harmful to their defense.

    -- Posted by techphcy on Thu, Dec 23, 2021, at 12:01 PM
  • This world is so full of hate and negativity! I have enjoyed the entertaining posts by the police Department and hope it continues. I know working in a stressful environment it certainly has made me laugh when I read his posts. Officer Ducker never loose your sense of humor! Merry Christmas and have a safe New Year!

    -- Posted by Nurse4life!! on Fri, Dec 24, 2021, at 9:14 AM
  • Officer Ducker, we appreciate your hard work, dedication, and sense of humor. Keep up the good work and enjoy the holidays! Thank you.

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Fri, Dec 24, 2021, at 9:46 AM
  • DTS!

    -- Posted by beg on Fri, Dec 24, 2021, at 9:54 AM
  • *

    The sound you are about to hear is me in severe pain... (lol)

    I agree with Raker.

    I am not a fan of law enforcement paying someone (using tax-payer dollars) to play on social media.

    And as described, it is not professional.

    Just the facts, sir.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Fri, Dec 24, 2021, at 11:57 AM
  • You guys better watch it, or else you're gonna get labeled as "not friendly to law enforcement" like Ducker keeps saying! And you know what that means...

    That's the only reason I even commented in the first place, was the fact that he seems upset if you're not patting him on the back or treating him like the superhero he wants to be seen as, but instead hold him to standards and treat like regular people then he's going to say you're "not friendly to law enforcement", which in today's climate is a pretty serious label to put on someone. I think he's just creating more division with his "us versus them" coded comments. Facebook probably looked at what was he's posting and gave it low priority, lol. They're probably one of many law enforcement pages hacked that week alone, of the literally billions of facebook accounts.

    If you don't already know what's happening in Lafayette, there's a guy named Chuck Bronson that literally follows police around every night with a scanner and video tapes traffic stops, then puts them on youtube. Because in his view the police there abuse their authority so much that he's trying to expose them. Some of his videos have millions of views. I mean that guy's a pretty big jerk and I don't like his attitude but police mistreating people is what creates guys like him.

    -- Posted by Raker on Fri, Dec 24, 2021, at 2:09 PM
  • Lighten up people!! He could be doing this on his own time! I personally think he's a very funny guy.

    -- Posted by Homegrown765 on Fri, Dec 24, 2021, at 10:47 PM
  • I agree with Inmate #10549, at least let the guy tell a few jokes while kneeling on someone's neck.

    He's a funny guy if you love stupid dad jokes, I'd rather him be really good at fighting crime, maybe crack down on the meth heads I see roaming around town stealing stuff.

    -- Posted by BJCP96 on Sat, Dec 25, 2021, at 10:42 AM
  • Putnam County Resident #10549 in here trying to gaslight everyone

    -- Posted by Raker on Sat, Dec 25, 2021, at 11:00 AM
  • Oh whatever!! Y’all have to be so negative about EVERYTHING!

    -- Posted by Homegrown765 on Sat, Dec 25, 2021, at 1:22 PM
  • And btw BJCP96… it’s Putnam County Resident #10549 not Inmate #10549. Get it right!

    -- Posted by Homegrown765 on Sat, Dec 25, 2021, at 1:33 PM
  • I can work my way around the MacDonald's menu with the best of them, but even with as much talent as that requires, I still had no idea what GASLIGHTING was, so I looked it up.

    "Gaslighting is a form of manipulation that occurs in abusive relationships. It is an insidious and sometimes covert type of emotional abuse where the bully or abuser makes the target question their judgments and reality. Ultimately, the victim of gaslighting starts to wonder if they are losing their sanity."

    This made me laugh! GASLIGHTING. Now I have a new word in my vocabulary, and I can't wait to use it. In my day, if you wanted to expand your vocabulary and gain new political insights, you bought a CB radio, but the BANNER GRAPHIC comment section is almost as good, certainly better for a laugh.

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Sat, Dec 25, 2021, at 2:03 PM
  • the SLCL always entertain.

    -- Posted by beg on Sat, Dec 25, 2021, at 3:30 PM
  • *

    POSH -

    Try "Gaslight" (1944), starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, and a very young (and yummy) Angela Lansbury in her first film role.

    Both the term and the movie have been around for a long time.

    Enjoy. :)

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Mon, Dec 27, 2021, at 2:15 PM
  • Never thought I'd live to see the term yummy and Angela Lansbury in the same sentence. Well done!

    -- Posted by BJCP96 on Mon, Dec 27, 2021, at 2:29 PM
  • *

    Citizen #10549, of course he isn't doing this on his own time.

    He is posting FOR the PCSD... as a PAID employee of the PCSD...on their "official" social media page.

    Did you read the article? He does the same thing for the Roachdale Police Department....also likely getting paid for that as well.

    BJCP - unfortunately, most "policing" is now more about the system than the problem.

    Originally: The "legal system" (cops, prosecutors, judges, legislature) works to remove bad guys from society so that society is better for it.

    Now: Cops selectively enforce laws; prosecutors selectively prosecute laws; judges selectively punish law breakers; and the legislature makes a jumbled mess out of what is legal/illegal so the "legal system" can snare just enough people to make itself look competent while the system also ensures that there are enough bad guys still in the wild to continue their own existence.

    Want bigger budgets or more power? Add a little slack somewhere in the system. Then the people will clamor for something to do be done. Accumulate power, tighten the slack, people are mollified. Repeat as desired.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Mon, Dec 27, 2021, at 2:44 PM
  • I've learned a lot from the BANNER comment section, some of it serious, a lot not so serious but always entertaining. Thanks, DPR. I will certainly research the movie. Sounds like fun!

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Mon, Dec 27, 2021, at 3:52 PM
  • Who literally doesn’t have down time in their work schedule? I’m a operator and have down time. My wife works at Walmart and has down time.

    People are cry babies and need to grow up.

    Ducker isn’t doing anything wrong.

    He isn’t abusing his “power” or whatever you’d like to accuse him of.

    How about the possibility that once he types up the very simple story he looks up “hashtags” online to use with the story? I know I could do that and I don’t know much about a computer.

    -- Posted by fedUPtaxpayer2 on Tue, Dec 28, 2021, at 8:56 PM
  • @fedUPtaxpayer2 I don't know, it just don't feel right to me, I don't think that's being a baby about it. Can you imagine what it'd be like if everywhere you went they had a facebook page and was just ridiculing and making fun of whoever they dealt with that day for entertainment but acted like they're just trying to educate the public? What if was the doctor or the hospital or emt, or the school teacher, the counselor, judge, supervisor at work, the waitress, etc, etc

    Actually if I'm being honest, I would probably want to read some of that stuff!!! But that's the devil talking. Nobody's saying don't have fun at your job and be happy. And it looks like people sometimes arguing and upset in the comments section about what he wrote. This is supposed to be the sherriff's department. Then he gets mad on the news like this is some urgent important police matter he needs his facebook page back? Oh, ok.

    Based on some his comments I wouldn't be surprised to find out he's a trumper or some other right-wing conspiracy like q anon or some militant patriot group. Maybe you too LOL geez...

    -- Posted by Raker on Wed, Dec 29, 2021, at 8:57 AM
  • RAKER, I've got to stop reading your comments because you are drifting just a bit, a tiny bit, toward the center and becoming a bit persuasive.

    However, I still wonder how you are able to separate the lunacy on the left versus the right. The righters have conspiracies but the lefties don't? The righters are militant but the lefties aren't? The extremist righters love the police but the extremist lefties don't?

    You don't have to be over 75 and immersed in history and the nightly news to realize that the above just doesn't ring true.

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Wed, Dec 29, 2021, at 11:04 AM
  • The LSCL at its best

    -- Posted by beg on Thu, Dec 30, 2021, at 12:45 AM
  • If you don’t like what is going on down at the PCSD then run for sheriff in the upcoming election.

    -- Posted by Homegrown765 on Thu, Dec 30, 2021, at 12:57 AM
  • You know what's funny is I've said all this, but I don't even really care all that much about the facebook page, I was just trying to make my point. I don't even use facebook. I was oblivious to it until this mess happened, so. Peace everybody

    @Prince of Stardust Hills you know I was just giving them a hard time. But I can't really think of any leftist conspiracy theories. The only liberal group I can think of that might be considered militant is antifa, but their whole thing is confronting organized hate groups. These things aren't equal though. It's like saying the person who stands up to the bully is just as bad as the bully. I'm not defending them, just saying what's happening. We'll probably fundamentally disagree on what's a worthy enough cause to protest or be militant about. As far as police, I think everyone generally likes law enforcement. But now you have deputies in another county beating and torturing a man strapped to a chair because he wouldn't settle down, he dies, and the prosecutor won't do anything because he says when cops assault someone it's not assault or manslaughter, it's called "pain compliance" and totally fine. Wow that's wrong. That's the stuff that gets people mad.

    You know an easy way to really understand what kind of government and economy liberals want, just look at the Scandinavian countries. Pretty much the model of what democrats want for the U.S. in nearly every way. Not at all like communism. Considered the happiest place to live in the world, and longer life expectancy. They have plenty of freedom, and also lots of guns. If you want to see what would happen if democrats could do whatever they wanted, there you go.

    -- Posted by Raker on Thu, Dec 30, 2021, at 8:34 AM
  • "The LSCL at its best" beg -- how so, please explain. You post this on almost every single article.

    -- Posted by BJCP96 on Thu, Dec 30, 2021, at 8:47 AM
  • RAKER, I'm beginning to agree with you on somethings, certainly. But I do know a bit more than the average person about Sweden. In fact, I used to speak daily with a group of Swedes and am well-versed with Swedish history. Quite near my desk are pictures of one of our old family homesteads in Sweden. People who hold Sweden aloft as an example of what America should be, really don't know what they are talking about. Indeed, most folks would be shocked to learn the extent that America subsidizes Sweden and how.

    By the way, what country did not prosecute its citizens for servings as guards in NAZI concentration camps? What country's navy escorted NAZI convoys while declaring neutrality? I have lots more.

    And there are no LEFTEST conspiracies? GOOD GRIEF. How long ago was it when all we heard from the left was RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA and TRUMP's connection. What in the world happened to all those RUSSIAN conspiracies? Did they pan out? Of course not.

    Very near my desk is a bottle, unopened, of PUTKIN Vodka. It was sent to me by a member of my family who lives there as a gift.

    And yes, I understand that much of your blog is in fun, which I enjoy. I'm old enough to enjoy all humor, for which I give you much credit, indeed.

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Thu, Dec 30, 2021, at 9:30 AM
  • @Prince of Stardust Hills Just to be clear I meant every word I said and how I feel about it but in the grand scheme this is a smaller issue, and he's gonna keep writing his facebook stories and people are gonna keep reading, so I'm not gonna give it too much energy.

    I don't really follow your connections to what I wrote about Scandinavia and your comments about Sweden, which I will interpret that you are unwilling to argue the facts and merits and trying to put the focus on something else, in typical republican fashion.

    Also, Trump and others working for and with him did communicate with Russia, giving them voting and campaign data. And Trump literally asking them for help on tv. Trump trying to build a hotel in Moscow during the election and lying about it. And a bunch of other examples of things Trump and others said and did that showed he was clearly in the pocket of Putin and wanted a close secret relationship with Russia. That it ultimately wasn't considered to rise to the level of being outright criminal or impeachable doesn't make it a lie. This conspiracy is actually true.

    -- Posted by Raker on Thu, Dec 30, 2021, at 2:52 PM
  • RAKER, I think I understand what you are saying. It might be the differences of how we are looking through the glass. In so many ways, the mountain I see is a mole hill to you, and vice versa.

    So I am learning something from you, but probably not much.

    Any day you want to argue the facts on Sweden, I'm with you. It is only a paradise to those who don't understand Sweden, and it IS a DRAG on America, as is much of UTOPIA EUROPE. But then again, the experiences through your eye glass may differ. I understand completely why you don't follow my connections concerning SWEDEN. You are only interested in a TINY bit of information concerning Sweden.

    CRIPES, I can't believe that again, I might be agreeing with you.

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Thu, Dec 30, 2021, at 2:59 PM
  • https://polishnews.co.uk/ocasio-cortez-staffer-calls-israel-a-racist-european-et...

    The SLCL party today. Yep, want these people in control. Heck, I don't even get to vote for these people!

    -- Posted by beg on Fri, Dec 31, 2021, at 12:57 AM
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