From’ “Community Policing Dispatch,” ‘ August, 2009, US Department of Justice
In world history there have been few fundamental shifts in how people move through society, but right now such a shift is occurring. For centuries, people were introduced and became connected face-to-face. Today social media outlets provide unparalleled levels of information sharing and social networking. Nielson Media reported that “the number of social media users has increased 87 percent since 2003, and surpassed e-mail use for the first time in February” and “in the past year, the time spent on social networks increased 73 percent” according to a May 2009 article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Though research indicates that a well-crafted social web site (catering to learning styles – friendly with story-based articles fact sheets and interesting video and audio) can have a huge impact, the nature of that impact can have either a tremendously useful or dangerously detrimental effect.
If an event occurs, word travels the Internet instantaneously. With new technologies and cheap bandwidth, anyone with a basic understanding of website creation and search engine optimization can produce a site in mere hours. Cameras and software can shoot and lift video to You Tube in minutes. The danger is that an organization devoted to misinformation might control public opinion faster and better than a public agency.
San Antonio police encountered this problem when an impostor set up a fake San Antonio Police Department account. Though mostly harmless, the twitterers (as Twitter account holders are known) used the official seal of the police department on their page and posted law enforcement themed-tweets (Twitter posts). Although the department successfully had the account removed from Twitter, their experience illustrates the potential dangers in the new era of information sharing. If the department had already made their own official Twitter, the fake account would never have deceived the citizens of San Antonio. Thus, having social networking account can prevent risks to public safety.
Additionally, social networking sites allow government agencies to reach out to their public like never before. Story-based articles, fact sheets, audio and video provide users with a personal, comfortable and meaningful experience. In the words of a writer for Advertising Age Magazine, “Brands need to have a personality and be someone that people want to be friends with.” Law enforcement agencies are all brands, and in many cases their images could be improved. Police departments are increasingly creating Facebook and Twitter accounts to reach their public in new ways. The personal profile elements of Facebook give a human quality to departments by listing personal interests and favorite quotes and allowing members of the public to be-“friend” them. Meanwhile the limited text and mass broadcast of Twitter posts allow agencies to keep their citizenry informed up-to-the-minute. As Lakeland, Florida’s Assistant Police Chief Bill LePere told CNN. “Expecting the local print media to pick [a tradiotional media release] up and run it in the newspaper tomorrow is 24 hours too late.”
CNN.com reports that “public safety officials are finding the use of sites to be not only speedy but a convenient way to distribute press releases, amber alerts, road closings, and suspect descriptions.” Twitter accounts provide users with major updates in 140 characters or less and links to more detailed information can be posted as well. Better yet, sites offer a free avenue for disseminating information in a tough economic climate. Thanks to advertising, neither the twitterer or the follower need to pay for the communication thereby eliminating cost barriers that might otherwise prevent valuable information spreading.
The experiences of police departments from Boston, Massachusetts to Chatanooga, Tennessee (both of which have Twitter accounts) illustrate that social media can be of great value to law enforcement agencies. Social media sites are a perfect outlet for community policing as they allow for both outreach and prevention. Websites provide social tools that let agencies communicate with and engage their public. By forming even casual electronic relationships with residents, departments are able to improve their status and stature within the community. Furthermore sites like Twitter and Facebook provide a private forum for members of the community to communicate valuable information about a suspect or simply their public safety concerns to the police. Information sharing with the public has always been a priority of law enforcement. Yet never before has opportunity for a direct dialogue with the public existed on such a vast scale. Social media enables agencies to accomplish preexisting operational goals by facilitating the transfer of specific and targeted information in efficient and innovative ways.
Leonard Sipes
Special Contributor
and
Meghan Burns
Special Contributor
The COPS Office
Agree!
There has been great growth in social-media channels in recent years.
The nice thing with virtual worlds is that it is such an open environment, with rich immediate communication. The web is also good with the great range of information and ways of sharing it.
Not only do government agencies benefit from Social Networking, but politicians themselves can take advantage of their vast reach.
Here in Canada, my local Member of Parliamnet is on Facebook and has 10s of thousands of friends, whom he can inform about important policy changes or issues within our community.
I feel that social media is the next Google. I am a web designer and SEO expert and I’ve found that even brand new websites can get instant traffic from social media sites. And this can be automated via RSS feeds as well.
Just to add to your second comment: the present US president was able to get funds from thousands of people on facebook by having a facebook account and networking. Social networks are powerful media to inform and interact with people.
Yes.
Not only do government agencies benefit from Social Networking, but politicians themselves can take advantage of their vast reach.
Yes , social media is one the most powerful tools to deliver your message today , thanks for the article
Social media is a powerful tool but should not be too heavily relied on as it is also a tad over-hyped.
I was chatting with a friend last night and I think he summed up social media quite well, he said “when a major event occurs, you hear about it on facebook or twitter before you see it on the news”. We were also chatting about how social media has helped to catch criminals etc. as its common practice now that when someone gets into trouble with the law, they check over their social media accounts to build a profile of the person.
Ultimate and powerful source, social media enables agencies to accomplish preexisting operational goals by facilitating the transfer of specific and targeted information in efficient and innovative ways,Thanks for giving this informative article.
I am agree with this blog post. I would love to read more about this topic.I ‘m a community member at
Snaps Technologies. I came to know many things about Social Media Optimization.
I feel that social media is the next Google.
I feel that social media is the next Google. I am a SEO knowledgeable and I’ve found that even brand new websites can get instant traffic from social media sites. .
If I were a politician I would just buy a marketing campaign from some SEO company. Why not? It is normal to build brand on the Internet.
Government agencies and law enforcement agencies should have social media accounts. Otherwise they will lag behind.
Joe
Great points. I had heard it was wise to get your own brand name before someone else takes it but I never thought about that aspect for government and law enforcement agencies.
And I love the agencies that do have Twitter accounts and actively use them. I follow some, and check in on others and have found them to be very useful to this busy member of the Sandwich Generation caring for elderly parents and grandkids!
Great Points – Google has now said that twitter and facebook statues now make a difference in how Google and other search engines use them to work out there page listings.
🙂 interesting..
Social Networking now doing a great job.
This is very much interesting blog to read.
Thanks for the blog.
Nowadays the advancement of social media channels has improved tremendously.
This article speaks about it.
Very useful…
I think I can’t live even if one day I didn’t open my facebook account. Social Network like a virus that is always poisoned my life now….
technology at its best! almost everything can be done in the internet. there are lots of things made possible in the internet not only the ones mention in this blog.there are too many to mention.
As with anything, social networking can be used for positive or negative conduct, as a tool or a weapon. It all lies in the hands of the person(s) using it. You (at least, I) always hope for the best and try to believe the majority of society (even internet society) is above using something to harm someone else but as with any society there will be the troublemakers. All you can do is do your best to guard against them and go about your business in the best most positive way you can.
Social media will play even more important role in the public life in comming years. Social media has changed the media ecosystem, modifying the way news is produced and consumed. Social media has given citizens tools to express themselves and participate in public life.. Then politic has come to the subject.
Social media has changed the world and the way that we communicate and do business. It has opened up a whole new avenue for people to earn an income and work from home.
I am totally agreed with David, Social Media has really changed the shape of the world.
As what we can see, some social networks sites are have a low level of security. Unlike Facebook, nowadays is getting better on their privacy policy. As an individual we should be careful enough to with our personal information that we posted on the internet.
Thanks for your well Rounded Social Media Tips and information. Of course Linking, Social Media, Citations, and Off-Page Optimization is Important. As I’m commenting, it’s Fall of 2016. It’s all about On-Page Content and Optimization. Quality! But Linking (1/5 of SEO) and Social / Other (1/5 of SEO) and On-Page (3/5) but I’d put PBN’s and Citations in a different Catagory,still trying to figure that one out. Social Media Networks with Internet Marketing, can be done today with authentic hard work.