The city most likely has an acceptable use policy for all company property, including a "No Expectation of Privacy" section that applies to computers, phones and the like that belong to the city. The lieutenant's policy was "informal," which basically means nothing. The policy of the department and the city override anything that comes out of the Lt's mouth. He may slide with a warning at work, but I don't see any way this guy could win a rights violation lawsuit.
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The city most likely has an acceptable use policy for all company property, including a "No Expectation of Privacy" section that applies to computers, phones and the like that belong to the city. The lieutenant's policy was "informal," which basically means nothing. The policy of the department and the city override anything that comes out of the Lt's mouth. He may slide with a warning at work, but I don't see any way this guy could win a rights violation lawsuit.