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Content: Social media posts can be widely seen and shared. A careless post has the potential to hurt your organization’s reputation. Creating and maintaining an effective social media policy can help ensure that social media helps your agency instead of hurting it. As part of our series on crucial policies for law enforcement this post will cover potential benefits and pitfalls of social media, and how your department can write an effective social media policy that governs both official and personal use and protects your department. The Pros of Social Media
Social media can help your department communicate and engage with the public. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter give your law enforcement agency some control over your reputation. They let you release facts that can squash potentially harmful rumors. Social media sites can help your agency quickly share information to help keep the public safe. For example, you can alert your community about an emergency storm warning, an accident scene, or an armed suspect at large. Some agencies even use social media sites to gather tips, track down suspects, and investigate crimes.