If you're reading this blog, there’s a good chance that you might have picked up the link on one the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s seven Facebook sites and three twitter feeds.
Over the past 12 months we have introduced an overall corporate Facebook and a series of local pages for Holywood,
Whether we like it or not Social Media has become an almost essential part of everyday life for many people with an estimated 600 million users worldwide.
Communication is one of the key priorities for any police service and it is important that we make full use of every available opportunity to engage with the public we serve.
Being a regular follower of our Facebook pages I have been very encouraged by the number of followers and the very constructive conversations and comments which have developed across this medium. You may even recall my mention in an earlier blog of the stolen property recovered as a result of information posted on the Holywood site last year – a first we understand for UK policing.
It is always important to review any initiative to establish how effective it is. We recently commissioned a multi channel survey of the effectiveness of one of our first local pilots, Holywood, which currently has 3000 followers, about 20% of the town’s population.
One thousand surveys were posted to local households throughout the Holywood area of North Down; face to face consultation with people in Holywood was undertaken by District Policing Partnership members; survey information was collected from local residents, businesses and parents of primary school pupils; the views of 281 Year 13 and Year 14 pupils were sought in two local colleges; an online survey was created and placed on our Holywood Facebook page (Our first online survey of this nature).
The surveys were carried out in November and December 2010 and resulted in 695 completed questionnaires being received.
Notable results indicated that seven out of ten of the survey respondents (71%) used Facebook and just over half (53%) of all respondents had accessed the PSNI Holywood Facebook, validating our decision to use the service.
You can access the full findings of the survey by following the attached link: http://on.fb.me/hAunQt
Interestingly, the survey itself has apparently had a knock on effect, generating even more awareness of the page, which in turn appears to have contributed another increase in the numbers of those following the page.
It is of course important to recognise that the use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media opportunities will supplement conventional ways of providing information and accessibility to the public, for example, by having police officers available and visible in the heart of our towns and communities.
If you live in one of our pilot areas then why not become, if you are not already, a follower. You’ll be amazed at the local information and engagement opportunities it provides.
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