How local police take advantage of Twitter

Local police departments no longer require a phone call to be reached, but instead can be found and contacted through Twitter.

The Carrboro and Chapel Hill Police Departments, along with UNC Department of Public Safety, all have accounts on the 140-character social media site and frequently post updates about alerts and traffic incidents. 

Officer D here; our RADAR sign is up near the McDougle school crossing. Watch out for our kids in the school zones! pic.twitter.com/OmXvBWa63b

— Carrboro PD (@CarrboroPD) September 1, 2015

CHPD spokesman Joshua Mecimore said the police department's decision to make a Twitter account was based on how people now receive information. 

“We realized a lot of people don't get their information through traditional media anymore, and we wanted to be able to communicate, especially with our student population,” he said.

“It gives a great opportunity for two-way communication.”

Since 2011, DPS has also used the website to keep students informed about what’s happening on campus. 

DPS made an arrest Friday in its investigation into recent bike thefts. Case evidence supports the safety tip: use U-shaped bike locks!

— UNC Public Safety (@UNCDPS) August 11, 2015

“Twitter is what more students use than Facebook, and if there is something that rises to the same level of popularity, then we will probably investigate using that as well,” said DPS spokesman Randy Young.

“We may begin to use Instagram too, to stir up a little excitement,” he said. “We understand the way people choose to consume information changes.

Freshmen Om Dave said he follows the local police departments on Twitter. 

“I think it’s a good thing, because there’s a lot of social media harassment — people are bullied and verbally abused,” he said. “I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

Young said online hate speech that could pose a potential threat would not go unnoticed.

“I would pass that information on to investigators to see if there is any validity to it,” he said.

“But more often than not it is vulgar rhetoric, and in the interest of free speech we don’t stifle that — only if it’s incendiary or if it can be interpreted as hate speech.”

Mecimore said the community has given the police department great feedback about their Twitter presence.

Don't drink and drive. Labor Day Booze It and Lose It campaign underway. Here are some safer options. pic.twitter.com/0lqELa1Kx1

— Chapel Hill Police (@ChapelHillPD) September 3, 2015

“The thing that has been the most popular is how we regularly tweet out when we are doing license checks or speed enforcement,” he said.

“The point of us doing those things isn't to catch you doing something wrong, it is to change your behavior, and hopefully over time people will get in the habit of driving safer because of it.”

@kianamcole

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