Southsidecops: local policing on Twitter
Click for larger version (ideal for cut+paste into presentations!)
Ben Proctor is one of Britain’s foremost trainers and thinkers on emergency planning, resilience and social media. In this case study he shows a day-to-day example of how police on the ground using Twitter can yield unexpected results by connecting with residents.
Social media is beginning to prove its worth in community engagement roles across public services. Some police services have had locally-based accounts for some time (notably the Greater Manchester and West Midlands forces).
West Mercia are just putting their toe in the water. Of course being late to the party means you can learn from those who went before. @southsidecops seems to being doing a decent job and they came in to their own at the end of January when a suspicious vehicle caused widespread disruption.
Follow @DigEngGuide for more examples and tips
Everything