On average UK adults spend 13 minutes of every hour online using social media. Popular platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are used to communicate, express emotion and intent, share media, and publish locations by 'checking in'. British police forces have a presence on social media; with over 850,000 likes on Facebook. However there is room to extend this presence and harness the power of social media by deploying it more consistently.

Recent surveys show that public confidence in the police has steadily declined, despite a fall in crime levels, over the last 30 years. This is despite falling crime levels. Confidence is difficult for the police to control and influence: the media, politics and external factors such as the economic climate have a significant impact on public perception. The police can influence public confidence and perception using social media tools. Communicating messages to the public through their favourite channels, marketing stories of success, and encouraging users to engage with the police (such as with #askmetboss Q&A sessions) develops a stronger and more transparent relationship.

The monitoring of social media usage can be used directly to raise public awareness to minimise and reduce the effects of crime. Social media can provide insight into major incidents or live incidents such as the 2011 London riots. Groups of society can also be segmented and analysed, to monitor particular sources of crime or to promote tailored communications.

Underlying this drive to strengthen the relationship between the police and the public is a key Peelian principle stating that "the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence." The public can give part-time attention to policing and provide useful inputs. Data and information generated by the crowd can support core police activities, including obtaining witness statements, the identification of suspects, and the capture of useful meta data, such as geo-tags of the location where social media was updated.

The use of social media is not without its risks. A failure to respond to pleas for help sent online could result in negative publicity and reputational damage. Crowd-sourced crime fighters can degenerate into a vigilante mob, e.g. the Reddit channel r/findbostonbomber. However, the greater risk is in neglecting the opportunities previously mentioned. Only by engaging with social media can the police mitigate the risks it presents, and harness its power for good.

To conclude, the British police forces would substantially benefit from capitalising upon their existing social media capabilities. It can be used to both build and maintain a stronger and more transparent relationship with the public, focusing on prevention over cure, and to harness the power of the crowd. Social media has risks but it is preferable for the police to confront these pro-actively and directly, rather than reactively. Overall, a strategy to develop and guide police presence in social media would benefit both the forces and the people it aims to serve.

Read the latest in our Actionable Insights for Police and Crime Commissioners series - In the spirit of 1829: Harnessing digital, social and mobile technologies to fulfil 'peelian principles

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