Social Media: A Community Policing Tool

• In Event: Police and Social and News Media

Abstract

This paper assesses the nature and impact of the use of social media by police. Using a mixed methods approach, police and the community data from a large city in Texas are analyzed to determine the impact of social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter on police-citizen relations and potential impact on crime and perceptions of crime. Ramifications for police social media policy and the role of citizens are considered and discussed.

By Erik Lavigne
Texas Christian University

Authors

• Erik Lavigne, Texas Christian University

• Johnny Nhan, Texas Christian University