NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — The North Andover Police Department has disabled its official Facebook page after an “unauthorized user” posted a comment on Wednesday about the Kelsey Fitzsimmons case using the account, according to police and media reports.
A preliminary investigation found that a former employee, who is not authorized to use the page, was able to access the department’s Facebook page and left a comment on another user’s page, Police Chief Charles Gray said in a statement on Thursday.
The comment was regarding the case of Fitzsimmons, a former North Andover police officer who was acquitted of an assault charge last week following an incident at her home last summer.
A Facebook user shared an NBC10 Boston interview on their page. The news station reported that a short time later, the North Andover Police Department’s Facebook account commented: “In other shocking news!”
Gray said a full audit will be conducted of all town and police social media accounts and websites “to ensure that no further unauthorized persons may access official government pages in the future.”
The town and police department will also review its social media policies with legal counsel, police said.
The former employee, who was not identified, resigned in 2023 in lieu of termination after an internal affairs investigation substantiated allegations of racially inappropriate comments, Gray said. The former employee’s certification to work under the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission has previously been restricted.
Town officials said they will also hire an outside agency to review social media access and information security practices “to ensure that former employees and unauthorized users will not be able to access official Town and Department accounts.”
The North Andover Police Department will restore its social media channels as soon as possible, Gray said.
“The inappropriate comment, made about a serious issue and speculating about possible pending litigation is deeply troubling, and this comment is certainly not in line with the policies, procedures and values of the North Andover Police Department,” Gray said.
“I am deeply disturbed and troubled by these statements, and I pledge that we will conduct a thorough investigation, and review our social media practices to ensure that something like this does not happen again,” Gray said.
“Our Police Department prides itself on its mission and values, and this comment does not reflect the fine work done every day by the men and women of this department,” Gray said.
An investigation into the matter is ongoing, he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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