With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, we asked our Twitter followers why they’re thankful for social media, as it pertains to law enforcement. They had six key tips to share.
Be sure to follow these contributors on Twitter. They’ll be very thankful!
1. It helps dissolve the media filter, which was very well stated by @apsana: “Social media (#SM) gives LE a voice to be heard in the community, outside of the interpretation and sounds bites of journalism.”
2. It increases your efficiency when budgets are tight. @Lt_SB said: “#SM is a force multiplier for community policing — a way to communicate with many at one time.”
3. It’s a great help in investigations, as eloquently stated by @AymaMuse: “#SM is a terrific investigative tool, mind blowing what info is so readily available online. Example: People tend to use the same profile user name for all their #SM sites.”
4. It’s an ideal enhancement for community policing, as two of my favorite tweeters reminded me. @CaptElbert: “It’s just another vehicle to reach a segment of our community that grows every day … even me.” And from @OfcVest: “Social media brings comm. policing to the digital age. We answer questions and concerns quicker and it offers the public a more personal link to officers.”
5. It’s an effective way to educate people, even officers. @sgtbetsysmith said it best: “#SM helps us reach out to LEOs about officer survival and leadership training and we keep the dialogue going long after class is over!”
6. It can save lives. @GraffitiBMXCop may have after he saw a specific posting on Facebook. He said: “Because we were able to prevent a Virginia Tech-type school shooting.”
This Social Media Quick Tip was previously published on LawOfficer.com