The Twitter 140conference is coming to Los Angeles October 27th an 28th. It’s my understanding that the panel “Three Tweeting Chiefs” is the first time law enforcement has appeared at such a conference. I will moderate the panel with @bocachief, Dan Alexander, Chief at Boca Raton, FL; @acwhitney, Scott Whitney, Assistant Chief at Oxnard, CA; and @chiefstacey, John Stacey, Chief at Bellevue, NE.

140confAs it says on the 140conf website:
At the #140conf events, we look at twitter as a platform and as a language we speak. Over time it will neither be the only platform nor the only language. #140conf is not an event about microblogging or the place where people share twitter “tips and techniques” but rather where we explore the effects of the real-time Internet on Business. (or in this case, law enforcement).

It’s all about the “state of now”. Twitter is really the first application to be real time. The immediacy with Twitter hadn’t ever happened before and really hasn’t been duplicated (yet). I follow +/- 260 police departments on Twitter. Few are really leveraging its capabilities really well. If you’re on Twitter as a PD and you tweet your police blotter once a day, or you tweet once a month, or not at all…. And/or if you don’t follow your citizens… And/or if you tweet as @[insertPDnamehere] without a human name, at least in your profile, you are NOT getting all you can out of the application. Twitter is one-to-one communication. At no time has there been such an opportunity for LE to enhance its brand/reputation, build or improve relationships, increase communication to citizens, recruit and retain good cops, or just show that your officers are – human…. and the list goes on…

Consider attending the 140conference if you’re in the LA area. You’ll hear from all types of organizations and individuals who rock at Twitter. You will surely open your eyes to potential applications in your agency. If you’re a law enforcement officer, send me an email with your name and agency information. Jeff Pulver, the conference organizer has graciously allowed me to bring a “few friends” free of charge. But space is limited. Please use lauri[at]lawscomm[dot]net. O.K., It’s not really free though. If you come, the entrance fee is that you must make sure to say hello (to me).