Are you worried about the social media police on the horizon? Do you feel like your information is being monitored, analyzed, and judged? If so, it’s time to worry about something else. You should worry about the potential dangers associated with social media policing. Officers are using social media to keep you safe! In this article, we’ll explore how officers use social media in order to ensure a positive experience for their citizens. We’ll also look at some of the problems that can occur when officers use social media incorrectly.
Do Police Officers Have Social Media?
Yes they do, and you’ll never see one
Most agencies now have FB and Twitter accounts, instagram is coming slowly. Access is restricted, in my agency we have a nationwide account and at the Special Agent in Charge level (SAC-basically what would be a region I’d we didn’t name working areas after the boss’s position). Their public affairs officer writes all posts, with concurrence of management, either the SAC or an Assistant Director at the national level.
Most individuals have private accounts but they are pretty restrictive on who they communicate with.
How The Police Use Social Media

The use of social media in global crime-fighting is extensive. Common uses include the identification of criminals, evidence sources and submission of distress reports. Police departments around the world are still exploring expansive uses of social media to support crime investigation and prevention.
Despite its obvious advantages, social media involvement in combating crime also poses pitfalls. Law enforcement officers might inadvertently disclose personal information, sensitive operational materials and policing tactics. Also, information released by the police through social media can be misinterpreted by the public.
During the course of our research we were able to identify a number of ways in which social media could help improve crime-fighting performance.
For example, social media platforms can aid police agencies in communicating with the public via their official handles, managed by their new media departments. This has proved very effective in Australia and the the United States of Americaw as sway of disseminating critical crime prevention tips to the public.
Social media platforms can also promote community policing, improve public image, and uphold strong ethical conduct in the police force.
Below are six different ways law enforcement is utilizing social media and real-time search to
enhance tactics, disseminate public information, and ultimately prevent criminal activity.
Social Media Stakeout
Social media advocates stress listening as a part of any brand’s online marketing strategy.
Listening to the bad guys doing bad things has always been a part of police work. It’s important
for police to search the real-time web to target particular keywords and phrases being passed
around on social media. Use of social media monitoring has a strategic, tactical and operational
application for law enforcement.
Tracking and Informing with Twitter
As we all know, Twitter has plenty of uses for individuals and companies. Law enforcement also
uses the service to communicate with the public.
The Digital “Wanted Poster”
In the vein of an Old West “Wanted” poster, displayed in the most trafficked area of town,
modern-day law enforcement agencies are posting descriptions of criminals on today’s most
trafficked spots — namely the social web.
With millions of users, extraordinary reach, and the lightning-fast exchange of text, photos, and
video, platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are ideal for getting the word out about
wanted persons with up-to-the-minute updates.

Thwarting Thugs in the Social Space
Myspace, Facebook and Twitter are popular with gang members, and police use this to their
advantage. Law enforcement has been able to infiltrate street gangs by posing as fellow gang
members online, making connections, and intercepting criminal communications as they happen.
Information like photos, videos, and friend links help law enforcement understand the dynamics
of gangs when investigating their activities.
“Investigators build phony profiles to ‘friend’ gang members either within YouTube, Facebook
or Bebo, and then may migrate that friendship to another platform and gain trust and get their
‘friends’ to share useful information,” said SMILE conference organizer Lauri Stevens.
Anonymous E-Tipsters
The program allows tipsters to send information anonymously through a variety of means
including “anonymous web chat, text tips and secure social media publishing.” Filtered alerts can
then be pushed out through a police department’s central location to other web mediums.
Bundled with other offerings, tip411 can then be published with Google Maps to create a
clickable, interactive crime “heat map” of sorts where others can click on links directly to add
more information and tips based on location. This program is meant to encourage increased
interaction between the police and the community through real-time web tools.
Tips from the community have been a time-honored way that citizens have worked with the
public to fight crime.
Police Blotter Blogs
Individual cops aren’t about to turn into citizen journalists anytime soon, but the police are able,
through social media and real-time updates, to provide essential information that the public and
news gathering agencies need to know. Journalists today often use the web for their first line of
research, and rely on web-based police reports for many of the details they need for a story.
A police blotter is the record of events at a police station. Traditionally, a desk sergeant kept a
register of these events. Nowadays, Twitter feeds, blogs, YouTube, and Facebook Fan Pages are
being used by captains and chiefs to put out the digital equivalent of the police blotter in realtime.
Publishing a register of crimes and arrests in an area has been an online activity for a while now,
especially through local newspaper websites. But social media is allowing many police officers
on the scene to report the publicly available details of a crime for themselves. Reporters are
getting their facts directly from a stream of real time-data and blog posts coming from the
department.
Pros And Cons Of Social Media In Law Enforcement

In today’s society can you see yourself without social media? The world as a whole has developed into connecting with one another via, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, all social sites that allow you to network, share thoughts, pictures, and memories. There are many positive and negative aspects with social media, for example, social media in the workplace. Many employers have policies intact in order to gain positive feedback while minimizing the negative effects that can occur. In some careers there are pros and cons of social media. Throughout the year’s social media has impacted those who have chosen a career in Law Enforcement. As far as announcing job positions and solving crimes, officers have been terminated due to the actions.
Crime prevention, one tool used by agencies to prevent crimes. Every time someone posts their vacation, career, loved ones, or daily routine schedule, they become a potential target. Also posting children, predators have many social networks that can harm them. The U.S. Dept. of Justice puts the number of children abducted by strangers at 115 a year, 45 percent abducted was found by helpful tips on social networking.
Public Relations, building relationships online within the community is also a tool used by many agencies. Law Enforcement agencies can share valuable information through post and forums, such as, neighborhood crime watch, local accidents, events, guides, and local resources. The most instrumental use having social networking is spreading the word of an emergency. Also, gaining control over the community, having a trustworthy relationship, providing the community with tips to secure the community
Long, cruel, and intensive background investigations are conducted for candidates to separate those who trustworthy enough to carry the shield. Social networking has allowed background investigators to gain new and valuable insight into the character of their law enforcement candidates. Law enforcement and other sensitive positions would be well advised to clean up their social networking pages in advance. Any illegal activities or embarrassment to the department can disqualify participants in furthering their process.
Now that were aware of the pros, let’s discuss the negative effects social media has on Law Enforcement. Personal credibility is essential for law enforcement. Through social media, people easily can attack a police officer’s character. If an officer’s integrity is compromised, courtroom testimony and investigations are at risk. Law enforcement officers can find their honor under serious attack online at any time. Cases have occurred where comments posted online by officers have led to disciplinary actions.
How Social Media Can Be Used to Keep You Safe
Social media can play a vital role in keeping you safe. By communicating with friends and family via social media, officers can keep you updated on current events and help connect with potential victims. Additionally, social media can be used to warn the public of danger or discuss potential crimes in a safe environment.
How to Safely Use Social Media
When using social media, be sure to follow the safety guidelines that are put in place by the site or app you are using. For example, never share personal information like your address or phone number without first getting permission from the person you’re messaging. also, make sure that your account is not being used for illegal activities.
What are the Risks of Using Social Media
There are a few risks associated with using social media: cyberbullying, online scams, and mistaken identity attacks. Cyberbullying is when someone uses social media to hurt another person’s feelings online. For example, they might post mean orpublished images of their victim on social media. This could result in physical harm to the victim or damage to their reputation. Online scams involve making large financial transactions without proper verification procedures- for example through email messages that seem too good to be true. Scammers often use hijacked accounts or fake profiles to scam people out of money. In case of mistaken identity attacks, someone might mistake your name for another person’s online profile and make a purchase or contact you in an unwanted way. In both cases, you could be exposed to potential danger or violence.
How Officers Use Social Media to Keep You Safe.

Social media can be a great way for officers to keep you safe. By following these tips, you can stay safe on social media:
• Be aware of your surroundings and stay aware of what is happening around you.
• Use third-party apps to protect yourself from being cyberbullied or hacked.
• Use social media responsibly and avoid online scams.
• Monitor the comments and posts made about you and your visit to the site.
How to Use Social Media to Keep You Safe.
When using social media platforms to keep you safe, follow the guidelines set out by the social media company or service in question. For example, if you’re using a social media platform to post about your trip, make sure to include safety tips and information that will help others stay safe while traveling. Additionally, be aware of potential crime threats and be prepared for possible emergencies on your trip.
Be Smart about What You Post
Be smart about what you post on social media platforms. Remember that it can be easy for someone to steal your personal information or worse, use it to commit a crime. To protect yourself and those around you, make sure all of your posts are vetted before they hit public view. Additionally, be sure to have a backup plan in case of emergency (like when your phone goes off duty). Subsection 3.3 Be Prepared for Crime.
Be prepared for crime when traveling on social media platforms. Make sure to keep your personal information safe and store important documents in a secure place so that they don’t get stolen or lost along the way. Additionally, be aware of potential criminal threats and take steps to protect yourself and loved ones from harm. By following these tips, you’ll keep yourself and those around you safe whiletraveling online!
Conclusion
Social Media can be a great way to keep you safe. Officers use Social Media to keep you safe by providing guidelines for using social media and avoiding being a victim of social media crime. Additionally, through use of social media, you can keep yourself prepared for any potential dangers that may occur. By following the guidelines set out by officers and being smart about what you post, you can ensure that your safety is maintained.