The Social Media Quicktips from The SMILE Conference are brought to you by LawOfficer.com

Editor’s note: The SMILE (Social Media, the Internet and Law Enforcement) Conference provides officers with all the technical hands-on skills and the practical knowledge to utilize social media platforms for public outreach, crime prevention and forensics. The conference is a great opportunity for those involved in social media efforts to share suggestions and stories on this ever-changing topic. Below you will find socail media tips from one of the speakers at the conference.

I resisted social media until we had some successes that I didn’t anticipate. My advice: Do not underestimate the power of social media.

We’ve discovered that there’s no more efficient method to pass information to our community than through social media. We’re exploring the possibility of scaling back our web site and creating a hyperlink to our Facebook page, as well as tying a Twitter account to Facebook. In a recently completed citizen survey, 82.1% of those who responded stated that they depended on Facebook and social media for news and information.

Chief Clark has been the Chief of Police in Galax, Virginia since 2001. He began his police career in Galax in 1976 and then joined the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office in 1982, returning to Galax PD in 2001 as Chief. Chief Clark is the immediate past president of the Virgnia Association of Chiefs of Police and serves on the Department of Criminal Justice Services Board representing VACP and is Chairperson of the DCJS Committee on Training.