ACPO digital event brings tweets to chiefs

Senior officers from across the police service headed to Google’s London headquarters on Friday (18 March) to learn the role social media can play in modern policing.

The ACPO-organised event brought together key speakers from industry, government and legal professionals, as police chiefs heard what opportunities the rapidly changing use of technology offers.

Attendees included ACPO President Sir Hugh Orde, the Association’s leads on digital engagement and local policing and partnerships, and representatives from other criminal justice organisations such as CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) and NPIA (National Police Improvement Agency).

ACPO lead on Local Policing and Partnerships, Chief Constable Richard Crompton Chief Constable, who recently started using Twitter himself, said:

"As a modern police service it is crucial that we understand the changing ways society is communicating. This event gave us all a better understanding of how social media can be a tool to aid operational policing and to help us engage more effectively with our wider communities and hopefully we can now lead the way to encourage more forces to take the step and get involved. It’s a key way for the public to get a real feel for what the police do on a daily basis.”

ACPO lead on digital engagement, Deputy Chief Constable Gordon Scobbie, said:

"Recent events in Tunisia and Egypt have shown the sheer power of new technology, as has the use of Twitter in protests here in the UK. It is crucial that, as a police service, we adapt and embrace the opportunity to get ahead of the curve with this new technology, and ensure that our understanding is sufficient to deliver real operational impact and value for money.”

Chief Constable Richard Crompton is on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/CC_Lincs

DCC Gordon Scobbie is on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/DCCTayside

For more information please contact:

ACPO Press Office
Association of Chief Police Officers
e: press.office@acpo.pnn.police.uk