21st Century Policing
3. Technology and Social Media
“Implementing new technologies can give police departments an opportunity to fully engage and educate communities in a dialogue about their expectations for transparency, accountability and privacy.”
The aforementioned quote comes directly from the 21st Century Policing Report and summarizes what Pillar Three addresses. Technology and social media are both very general terms; however, this discussion identifies several specific areas where law enforcement agencies can improve community relations.
- An online crime mapping tool will be available in late 2016 to allow citizens to view police calls for service by date and general location.
- We are better utilizing social media to connect with residents and make public safety information more readily available.
- We are optimizing the use of available technology (e.g., in-car video cameras and electronic citations, accident reports and FOIA requests) to enhance accuracy, accountability and timeliness of data availability.
- We are in 100% compliance with providing information requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
- A part-time position dealing with social media, community engagement and media relations was added to staff in 2015 to assist the department’s Public Information Officer.