The gunman was caught on security tape, but there was no luck in identifying the man, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt. So, police posted the video on Facebook and the East Point Police Department's Youtube channell. A tip came with a name and the suspect was later identified in a line up.
That's the success Sgt. Allyn Glover, a veteran police officer, sees as the department embraces Facebook and other social media.
"To date the page has been nothing less than a success. I feel that keeping everyone informed on the goings on in our city can only result in better communication and more success stories," said Sgt. Glover, the social media guy at the department. A 16-year veteran on the force, he is currently assigned as to the Major Crimes Unit in the Criminal Investigations Division.
Law enforcement have embraced social media. Nearly nine out of 10 law enforcement agencies now use social media, a part of the arsenal as walking the beat. The International Association of Police Chiefs surveyed 600 agencies and more than half said social media had helped solve crime.
The city police joined joined Facebook in early 2012. While others may share vacation pictures or funny videos, the police are using the social media to share news about crime and develop better community relations. The police department uses the page to issue news releases, along with photos and videos of suspects and remarks from the community.
Facebook is the most popular outreach with social media, according to the police association survey. As of February, some 283 follow the department's page. In the future, the department may weigh whether to join Twitter. Already, an account has been reserved by the department, but it hasn't been activated, Glover said.
Other parts of city government are turning to social media to get the word out. The city of East Point has been on the site since 2010 used Facebook to share community information. It has 435 fans.
Sgt. Glover responded via email to questions about Facebook.
When did the department first start using Facebook and what prompted using it?
We have been using social media since early 2012. We wanted to find better ways of using today's technology and felt that social media was a great way to accomplish that. We brought the idea before the Interim Chief Chase and he embraced the idea of using social media to better communicate with other agencies and citizens.
What has been one of the surprises for the East Point Police Department about using Facebook?
We were already very familiar with social media. We are happy to say that so far there have been no real surprises.
What has been a success of using Facebook?
As recently as last week we were able to identify an armed robbery suspect after posting a video on our Facebook and Youtube pages. Cobb County Detectives contacted us with a tip on who they believed the suspect was and he was subsequently identified with the use of lineups.
Any hiccups that the department wasn't expecting and it'd caution other police departments to avoid?
To date the page has been nothing less than a success. I feel that keeping everyone informed on the goings on in our City can only result in better communication and more success stories.
Does the department use other social media?
We use Youtube as well to post our videos. The channel is EastPointPolice. We have reserved a Twitter account but it's not active yet.
How many people at the department are responsible for the site? And how often is it updated?
I am the sole administrator for the social media sites. I review all correspondence that comes to me and post as needed. Chief Chase also monitors and posts on occasion. I have a Smartphone that allows me to keep the page updated at all times.
Can people submit tips via Facebook or should that be done over the phone?
Yes. We recommend that the submissions be done through our Facebook email as opposed to an open post. But yes.
