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Police join social chatsJun 19, 2012 (The Brunswick News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Forget posting funny animal pictures and viral Internet videos. Police are using social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter to inform the public and stop crime. The Brunswick Police Department entered into the social networking realm a little more than a month ago, and Capt. Greg Post says police have already noticed positive effects. "We've been pretty active on the Facebook page. We started about a month ago, and we've already got about 600 likes," he said. The city's page is also linked to Twitter, so taking five minutes to make one post can help police reach hundreds of residents, he said. At the same time, the sites have opened communication from people to police, Post said. Residents can easily send messages to police. "We've had some tips from those messages ... Not only can they message us through Facebook, but we also put an email on there, so they can leave anonymous tips," he said. Glynn County police also use social media to get information quickly to the public, media and elected officials. "Twitter is great for me, because if something happens I go straight to my Blackberry while in the field and post," Chief Matt Doering said. Both departments made use of social media early this month when Glynn County police were on the lookout for 18-year-old Dayquan Marquez Mangram, who is accused in the May murder of Untavious Gillard. Both departments posted Mangram's picture and description on social networking sites, and word traveled fast. Mangram turned himself in within a day of his information hitting the Internet. Doering said he couldn't say for sure that Twitter feeds and Facebook posts directly led to Mangram's surrender, but he said it possibly played a role. "I can say that I would support the hypothesis that the more information you get out, the more people know, the fewer places (suspects) have to hide," he said. One case in which social networking and increased communication did help was the capture of escaped state prison inmate Coty Benefield. In late March, Benefield ran from a Georgia Department of Corrections work crew on St. Simons Island. After posting to social networking sites and using the county's own CodeRED telephone notification system, Doering said residents spotted Benefield and he was captured. "That did help us get information out sooner rather than later, and that led to residents recognizing (Benefield)," Doering said. Get connected Police can be found on Facebook by going to City of Brunswick Police Department and Glynn County Police. Find police on Twitter by visiting @brunswickgapd and @Glynn_Police ___ (c)2012 The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Ga.) Visit The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Ga.) at www.thebrunswicknews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |