Challenges And Opportunities with Policing And Social Media

Have you ever seen viral body worn camera videos that are worn by police officers just flourish the internet? Whether it is positive or negative, the videos will flood all different sorts of social media platforms, from Facebook, to Twitter, and even TikTok. Social media plays a big role in policing, whether it is positive or negative, an opportunity or a threat.

Sgt. Dungjen, from the Toledo Police Department, is an eight-year veteran on the force who partakes in many roles of the department. Also, she is a part of the CIT team, as well as a command Officer for the Negotiator team, an Field Training Officer, held a position in Temporary Recruitment, and in addition a member of the departments social media team, known as SPORT, which shares some enlightenment on police work and social media!

Sgt. Dungjen explains that “Officers must be aware and have to assume that everything they are doing is being recorded at all times. Sometimes the people officers interact with are upfront about it; other times it’s done covertly.”

Not only are officers being recorded and plastered on social media for their actions, but what officers post on their own private social media platforms can play a role in their police work, as they are held to a higher standard by the community.

Sgt. Dungjen also added that “Social media provides officers the opportunity to get themselves in trouble and a number of them have been disciplined or even terminated for posting on their personal profiles racist, sexist, and homophobic comments.”

Social media has other roles in police work, not just highlighting officers’ mistakes, but can shed some positivity on the job. Social media, on multiple different platforms, is used to engage with the community in which the police serve.

For example, the TPD Facebook account offers a variety of information and resources to the community. Sgt. Dungjen stated that “Social media gives the general population, or anyone, a direct line to departments. Social media users can comment on posts and get real time updates directly from the source rather than other news outlets. It can be used to immediately disseminate important information, stop the spread of misinformation, send safety alerts, and share
department related news.”

With how fast information can be spread on social media, there is also a downside to that as well. The amount of misinformation to be shared can cause panic in the community, unleash chaos, and place blame at the wrong person causing false accusations, especially during high intensity situations or violent acts.

Police departments will use social media in their favor to help solve crimes, attempt to identify a suspect, just from sharing a post on social media. Police departments use social media to track criminal activity and even gather criminal intelligence. Sgt. Dungjen commented that “People overshare what they do in their lives and that information can be used to advance an investigation.”

With people constantly scrolling through all different types of platforms daily and sharing posts so easily, information gets passed around very quickly. Sgt. Dungjen added, “People who witnessed an accident, or whose home-security system picked up an incident, can share that to social media for anyone to see and may help identify a suspect or even crime trend.”

Another officer of the Toledo Police Department, Officer Prince, an eleven year veteran, that has served multiple roles in the department; from Community Services, an Active Shooter Instructor, Social Media Team, Drone Operator, and who is the current Public Information Officer, added that “The department uses social media to gather intelligence by tracking illegal activity like stolen property that is sold online and collecting digital evidence. We also provide platforms that allow residents to report crimes, and submit videos, which aid in investigations, big or small.”

Not only is social media used to update the community on events, but it has also helped the Toledo Police Department, and other departments as well, with recruiting opportunities to join the police force. The Toledo Police Department has a website with multiple resources available upon navigating the website, an active Facebook account, Twitter account, and Instagram account.

The Toledo Police Department will share a post via all three social media platforms to cover all basis of its followers. Sgt. Dungjen commented that “I don’t think you can recruit without social media. It’s primary news and information source, especially in young adults. If agencies are not engaged in recruiting on social media, I think they’re doing themselves a disservice.”

With police departments all across the nation engaging in social media and using it to the best of their ability, there is plenty of positive outcomes to come from it. A police department can be boosted in moral in seconds from the community feedback as fast as it can be alarming to the community for the negative actions brought up to attention. If police departments remain honest and transparent to the communities they serve, social media will play a major impact for them.