Law Enforcement Embraces Social Media

Can a “tweet” help fight crime in Chatham-Kent? Constable Michael Pearce, Public Information Officer with the Chatham-Kent Police Service, believes it can. Constable Pearce attended the Social Media in Law Enforcement (SMILE) Conference earlier this month, traveling to Washington D.C. for a weekend of hands-on training, networking, and of course, tweeting. Constable Pearce kindly took the time to discuss with me his conference experience, why he thought it was important to attend, and how Chatham-Kent residents can connect with local law enforcement online.

How did you come to hear about the SMILE Conference? What motivated the Chatham-Kent Police Service to participate?

As the Public Information Officer, I liaise with media officers across Ontario about police/media relations and am a member of the Ontario Media Relations Officers Network (OMRON). Another member posted information about a conference called Social Media in Law Enforcement (SMILE). The concept intrigued me, so I investigated it further and found topics that I might be able to apply here in Chatham-Kent. I approached my senior administration and was granted permission to attend. My motivation was to explore non-traditional avenues to communicate with the public. Historically, police services have been skeptical to share information with the public. That attitude has changed in recent years and police are getting better at providing information. My goal was to expand my knowledge of social media to ultimately improve how we communicate with our citizens.

Has participating in SMILE changed the Chatham-Kent Police Service’s approach to social media?

Definitely. Since attending the conference last week, we are in the process of rolling out a number of new social media platforms (new to us). We have opened our wall on Facebook so that people can post questions and comments (the wall was previously closed and the Facebook page was used strictly to send information one-way: to the user). Since opening the wall on Sunday, April 11^th, we now have two-way conversations with citizens. In the near future we will be creating a YouTube channel and plan to post videos on a regular basis. These videos will include Public Service Announcements, advertise various upcoming events, and perhaps eventually, crimes of the week. We have recognized the importance of engaging people on social platforms, not just through the traditional methods.

What are the benefits of social networking for law enforcement professionals?

There are multiple benefits for law enforcement. As mentioned already, police services can use different platforms to reach a wider audience and engage a younger audience (something police are not always good at). One of the key benefits it that we have complete control over the message we are sending.  Using traditional media sources (newspaper, radio, television) is an important part of a communications strategy, but ultimately those media outlets have control over the message being sent.  We may provide raw information, but that information can be placed in contexts that alter our intended meaning. Using social media platforms allows us to be entirely responsible for the message we send; we now have greater creative control over how we brand our image in the community.

Can you describe one positive experience that the force has experienced thanks to social media?

As we are relatively new at social media, we have not had any huge success stories, but I can tell you that since we opened our wall on Facebook just a few days ago, people are commenting on how much they like being able to speak with an officer in a less formal situation. We are providing a platform for citizens to have a voice. I believe this is just the beginning, and hope to see a larger impact over the next year as we join other platforms.

As a law enforcement professional, what do you find to be the most frustrating aspect of social media?

Social media has been around for a few years now, and police are only now starting to embrace it. Providing education for officers about social media is a very real issue.  We often get caught up in traditional law enforcement activities and don’t spend enough time researching new ways to conduct business. Another problem is the amount of social media platforms that are popping up. There are literally over 200 so it can become difficult to navigate through all of them and decide on which ones to use.  It would simply be too time consuming to use every platform.

The SMILE conference included law enforcement professionals from Holland, the UK, Canada, and the US. Did each country have a different approach to social media?

The conference was designed to provide law enforcement with an introduction to social media and show examples of how it can benefit these organizations. Different government agencies will likely use social media in different ways. For example, some of the police services in major U.S. cities that have gang problems use social media to find out what is happening on the streets with the hopes of assisting investigations and preventing an occurrence from happening in the first place.  Other agencies use it strictly as a communication tool. There are also various features within each platform that enable law enforcement to track a person’s location. For example, someone who “tweets” from a smart phone leaves a signature at the location they tweeted from.  Anyone can search the web to find out their physical location at the time of the tweet.  Social media is still very new to law enforcement so we are really just in the infancy stages. The SMILE conference provided a great learning opportunity regardless of one’s knowledge before the conference.

How can local residents connect with the Chatham-Kent Police Service online?

We are currently using three methods of online communication with the intention of expanding on that in the near future. Users can visit us at our website www.ckpolice.com, or follow us on Twitter at “CKPSMedia” or join our Facebook page at “Facebook.com/CKpolice”.  We are currently in the process of opening a YouTube Channel that should be available at the end of May (we are in the process of establishing a video library), and a Flickr photo album.  So watch for our social media expansion coming soon!

Any final thoughts on the conference or social media in general?

I would like to invite the public to join our social media platforms and engage us in dialogue.  We want to know what you think!  We want to answer your questions and keep you informed.  Open, transparent communication will make our community safer and more enjoyable to live.  Embrace social media!

Visit the CIK Marketing Social Networking Services page to learn how your company, organization, or community group can use social media to help spread your message.