How to Engage with your Community – Policing Twitter tips

Less than 1% of the community come to local police meetings or 'surgeries'. Neigbourhood Policing teams who are tasked with engaging with the locals on their beat can use Twitters search facility to find out what is happening and what problems people are having. As an example of how to do this I set up a Twitter search for the words Sussex Police this morning. I noticed the following tweet from Vicki Beeney who lives Near Hailsham, Sussex (@beenbags)

"So glad that Sussex Police are making full use of their fleet of vehicles considering the ones on the side of Argos Hill never seem to move!"

I sent a message to Sussex Police

"@sussex_police You might want to engage with @beenbags look at her tweet timed at 12.11 08 May or send Neighbourhood Police Team"

Vicki Beeney later responded with the following tweet

"@multizonecraig @sussex_police Tis ok, I've been reassured they haven't been abandoned and are dog vans. Thx for the concern!"

She was happy with her experience with the police. It stopped a possible complaint against police. It only takes a minute to respond using twitter, a very cost effective form of communication. With luck she will tell her friends of what just happened and the word will spread. I can hear some of your saying "Yes this would be lovely but we cannot have PC & PCSOs stuck to a computer all day. The public want them out on patrol. " I totally agree. They only need to quickly read the previous 24 hour's tweets on a local search term, like they do already with their e-mail, before they leave on patrol. In this case the Hailsham officers could search for 'Hailsham Sussex Police'. (If you want to run multiple searches software like tweetdeck, although not designed for police work, it enables you to run searches in different columns. It's best used on a widescreen monitor.)