Police departments have dabbled in social media, but few have fully embraced it. Many attribute this to the inevitable problems associated with releasing too much information, thereby lessening their authority. But there are a few options out there that can help police departments keep communities safe. Despite what the title of this article suggests, Facebook is not one of them. Twitter can help a police department connect with the community and hear their concerns in real time. Delicious and StumbledUpon can become great tools to aggregate articles about personal and home safety. Social media may seem out of the bounds of a police force’s responsibility, but it can increase their effectiveness and connection with the community.
Read more about how police can use SM at The Crime Map