Senior officials at Hamilton police are reviewing the service's online code of conduct, while an investigation is ongoing about an officer's online activity allegedly supporting anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Police board chair Coun. Lloyd Ferguson told CBC News that review began before the complaint against Const. Brad Lawrie came to light this summer, accusing him of acting inappropriately online.

Regardless, it's likely time for the code of conduct to be updated, Ferguson said, and he plans to ask for an update about the issue from police senior command at the next police board meeting.

"Social media is a work in progress and really is changing rapidly," he said.

It's much harder to actually get your hands on Hamilton police's internet use policy than it is for police in other cities.

CBC News had to file a freedom of information request and pay a fee to see the policy for local police. Vancouver and Toronto police, in contrast, post portions of their policies online.

CBC Hamilton is now making Hamilton police's policy available online. You can read it here.

Officers told not to compromise reputation of police service

The eight-page document is fairly light on specifics about how police officers should act online.

One section reads that all officers have to ensure that their online activity is "appropriate and consistent with professional conduct and does not compromise the reputation of the Hamilton Police Service or any of its members."

Another section reads that officers cannot "access or distribute material that advocates violence, hatred, or discrimination on the basis of race, creed, colour, gender, religion, disability, or sexual orientation except as authorized in performance of their duties."

It remains to be seen if Hamilton officer Brad Lawrie violated any of those aspects of the code of conduct. Area man Julian Mallah launched a complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) about Lawrie's conduct online and at a traffic stop.

Screen captures by Mallah of Lawrie's profile show he liked contentious pages like "Boycott Halal," as well as "The North American Defense League," which describes itself as "dedicated to the removal of Islam from the western hemisphere."

The screen grabs also show Lawrie's likes included "Never Again Canada," a page Macleans magazine called a "stridently pro-Zionist website that has become a hotbed of anti-Trudeau and anti-Muslim rhetoric."

Screenshots from a Twitter page that Mallah alleges is Lawrie's include retweets of an image that says "Radical Islam, either we kill them or they kill us. So you have two choices: get ready to fight or prepare to die."

Investigation ongoing

CBC Hamilton has not been able to independently view his posts outside of screenshots provided by Mallah, which he also provided to the OIPRD for the investigation.

The head of the Hamilton police union previously told CBC News that Mallah's accusations are "unfair and inaccurate," and added that the officer will not comment while the investigation is ongoing.

Ferguson also would not comment on Lawrie's alleged conduct, saying he legally can't while the investigation is ongoing.

"I'd go to jail," he said. "And I don't look good in Stripes."

adam.carter@cbc.ca