Social media an invaluable asset for law enforcement, emergency personnel
By Brian Golden
Sun Staff Writer
bgolden@evesun.com
NORWICH – With technological advances such as cell phones, computers, tablets and other devices making it easier and more convenient for people the world over to communicate in an instant, it should come as no surprise that law enforcement agencies on every level are turning more and more to social media such as Facebook and Twitter to investigate leads, share information and stay in contact with the communities they serve.
The Norwich City Police Department, for instance, has had its own Facebook page since August of 2010, collecting 4,844 friends over the past two years. And the city’s Emergency Management Office, headed up by officer A. Jones, regularly uses Twitter (559 followers) to update city and county residents on inclement weather, traffic delays and other emergencies. It’s a trend that’s more common sense than anything else, said Norwich City Police Chief Joseph Angelino.
“Everybody has some sort of electronic, hand-held device today and we’re just scratching the surface of technology,” added Angelino. “We can get our message out very quickly, to a large audience, who can pass it on by sharing.”
Just this week, the city PD posted pictures of a possible suspect in an ongoing investigation concerning a local jewelry theft on its Facebook page. In this case, however, the individual in question was ruled out as a suspect after being identified via Facebook. According to the Norwich PD Facebook page, ruling out a person quickly, as in this case, allows police to focus their efforts elsewhere. Working with the local community via social media, said Angelino, enables police to involve said community, all in an effort to serve and protect.
During last year’s flooding, for instance, the city’s emergency management office was able to share real-time information received from outlying areas – many times with photos attached – to a wide audience. Jones, said Angelino, is a huge asset in situations like that, and is constantly monitoring potential threats.
Said Angelino, “We try to be as advanced as we can with today’s technology.”
Inter-agency cooperation and communication between other departments is another added benefit that social media provides, he added. The Norwich PD regularly shares and receives information with the Utica PD, Broome County Sheriff’s Office and the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook. The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, through social media, reaches more than 5,000 people every day and includes official reports on recent arrests and other information.
“It’s very valuable and it’s a quick way to reach a lot of people,” said Jones. “Information dissemination is one of the biggest things, just trying to get the information out there. Road closures, pictures, radar images, maps, whatever the case may be, the media is interactive, we’re getting feedback, so there’s a lot of upside to it.”
For more information or to follow the Norwich PD and Chenango County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook, visit facebook.com and/or facebook.com/chenango.sheriff. To follow the city’s Emergency Management Office on Twitter, visit twitter.com/NorwichEMO.
Sun Staff Writer
bgolden@evesun.com
NORWICH – With technological advances such as cell phones, computers, tablets and other devices making it easier and more convenient for people the world over to communicate in an instant, it should come as no surprise that law enforcement agencies on every level are turning more and more to social media such as Facebook and Twitter to investigate leads, share information and stay in contact with the communities they serve.
The Norwich City Police Department, for instance, has had its own Facebook page since August of 2010, collecting 4,844 friends over the past two years. And the city’s Emergency Management Office, headed up by officer A. Jones, regularly uses Twitter (559 followers) to update city and county residents on inclement weather, traffic delays and other emergencies. It’s a trend that’s more common sense than anything else, said Norwich City Police Chief Joseph Angelino.
“Everybody has some sort of electronic, hand-held device today and we’re just scratching the surface of technology,” added Angelino. “We can get our message out very quickly, to a large audience, who can pass it on by sharing.”
Just this week, the city PD posted pictures of a possible suspect in an ongoing investigation concerning a local jewelry theft on its Facebook page. In this case, however, the individual in question was ruled out as a suspect after being identified via Facebook. According to the Norwich PD Facebook page, ruling out a person quickly, as in this case, allows police to focus their efforts elsewhere. Working with the local community via social media, said Angelino, enables police to involve said community, all in an effort to serve and protect.
During last year’s flooding, for instance, the city’s emergency management office was able to share real-time information received from outlying areas – many times with photos attached – to a wide audience. Jones, said Angelino, is a huge asset in situations like that, and is constantly monitoring potential threats.
Said Angelino, “We try to be as advanced as we can with today’s technology.”
Inter-agency cooperation and communication between other departments is another added benefit that social media provides, he added. The Norwich PD regularly shares and receives information with the Utica PD, Broome County Sheriff’s Office and the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook. The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, through social media, reaches more than 5,000 people every day and includes official reports on recent arrests and other information.
“It’s very valuable and it’s a quick way to reach a lot of people,” said Jones. “Information dissemination is one of the biggest things, just trying to get the information out there. Road closures, pictures, radar images, maps, whatever the case may be, the media is interactive, we’re getting feedback, so there’s a lot of upside to it.”
For more information or to follow the Norwich PD and Chenango County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook, visit facebook.com and/or facebook.com/chenango.sheriff. To follow the city’s Emergency Management Office on Twitter, visit twitter.com/NorwichEMO.
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