Social media can be a valuable tool for law enforcement agencies to disseminate information to the public and gauge community sentiment regarding agency policies and practices. We conducted a survey of law enforcement agencies and collected Twitter data from survey respondents to examine how law enforcement agencies currently use social media. Drawing from these data sources, this guidebook describes the importance of communication for community engagement and public safety, presents data-driven recommendations, and provides step-by-step strategies for agencies that want to enhance their use of social media as a community policing tool.

Fact Sheet