Police use social media for "urban security"
The Zurich City Police will begin rolling out the systematic use of social media platforms Twitter and Facebook later this year. Until now, they have used Facebook for individual posts and campaigns, such as those marking the start of the school year.
Now it is also to be introduced at company level, said Michael Wirz from the Zurich city police on Thursday at the 9th Congress on Urban Security in Zurich, according to SDA. Even the police cannot avoid social media today. It is therefore not a question of whether they want to use it, but how they use it.
Wirz conducted a survey of users as part of a scientific study on the subject. He met with a positive response to the idea of police use of social media. The respondents considered the use of this new and very fast means of communication to be quite suitable for many occasions, namely for severe weather warnings, traffic reports, manhunt calls or search reports.
In addition to the speed, Wirz sees the advantages in transparency, direct contact with the population and the possibility of addressing target groups that are otherwise difficult to reach. However, the dangers must also be considered, according to SDA. Twitter, Facebook and the like are also new platforms for criticism. In addition, publications on these platforms cannot be controlled. The confidentiality of information is also at risk, for example due to police tactical considerations or official secrecy and data protection. A well thought-out strategy, clear instructions and good training and leadership are therefore necessary. An actual social media competence center is to be set up at the Zurich city police.
