Jul 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Donny Jackson (donald.jackson@penton.com)

Public-safety agencies, particularly law enforcement, are "tweeting" and much more, as they leverage social networking to get the word out and increase their knowledge base.

Once a product of handshakes and conversational interaction, the concept of social networking during recent years has taken on a decidedly electronic feel, with e-mail, instant messaging and postings on blogs and sites such as MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter instantly expanding one's potential circle of friends — and enemies — to a global scale.

Through these portals, even the most geographically isolated can bond with — or be victimized by — someone oceans away. Traditional lines of privacy are being redefined voluntarily, as participants post text, pictures and video about virtually any topic, from personal accomplishments to sensitive information to purely random statements about favorite foods or hated commercials.

To many in public safety, the social-networking phenomenon is a nuisance, with the Web sites being leveraged in a number of crimes, particularly sex-related offenses that often involve underage victims. In addition, a recent British study revealed that 10% of people surveyed admitted to updating their Twitter or Facebook sites while driving, creating a significant potential safety risk.

With Twitter, participants can send 140-character text messages known as "tweets" and photos detailing their moods and activities at the moment, allowing those who follow the Twitter page to get a snapshot of the tweeter's day.

While some may view such social-networking updates as entertainment or simply inane, Michael Byrne — senior vice president of consultancy ICF International, who has an extensive background in emergency preparedness and homeland security — said he believes social networking can be invaluable to first-responder agencies by letting them quickly get messages to the public they strive to protect and by helping them increase their own knowledge base of situations around them.

"I believe this is the most significant transformational use of technology since the telegraph was introduced," Byrne said.

Heightened awareness

It was the widespread adoption of the telegraph that forever changed the timelines associated with disseminating information, Byrne said.

"If you were the king of a country and you sent your army off to fight a battle before telegraph, you didn't find out you weren't king anymore until three or four weeks — maybe even months — after the battle," he said. "With the invention of the telegraph and wide distribution of it, you found out that day. I've got to believe that had an impact."

Modern-day communications offer a variety of methods for sharing information almost instantaneously, from commercial TV/radio broadcasts to electronic signage on roadways that forewarn drivers of upcoming traffic conditions to reverse-911 systems that call residents with instructions to follow in potentially dangerous situations. Increasingly, public-safety agencies are using Twitter as an additional avenue to share this information, because it offers several advantages — most notably the ability to reach citizenry on their cell phones, which is especially important in today's mobile environment.

"We're happy with the platform and the purposes it serves in getting our message out quickly to the public," said Dave Pubins, an officer and spokesman for the Scottsdale (Ariz.) Police Department. "That way, the public can utilize different ways to receive the message, whether it's by computer, cell phone, pager or what have you. We're always looking for tools to help us get the message out."

Indeed, many of the first-responder agencies using Twitter simply use the site as a clearinghouse for department press releases, reducing the need for resources to answer questions from media or interested citizens that take time from their primary responsibilities while being fair and transparent in their operations, said Donald Denning, the city of Boston's public-safety CIO.

"I think it's a great way for departments big and small to be able to get out there," Denning said. "I think the more information we get out to our constituents, the better each department looks."

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