Another great resource for law enforcement and web 2.0 - ConnectedCops.net. This website is a forum of rich and relevant content for policing, its use of social media, and all of the discussion surrounding it. The website includes articles, interviews, papers, links to other relevant sites, and other meaningul forums of information exchange. Lauri Stevens, principal consultant for the website, takes pride in the relevance and usefulness of the website stating “we will not waste your time” and only provide “content about social media usefulness, success stories, SM innovation in law enforcement, SM policy, how specific LE specialty areas are using SM an etc.”
Along with some great interviews and articles, the site has a very nice blog roll with some valuable resources, and convenient links to Stevens’ most recent Twitter updates. I recommend reading The Ingredients of a Solid Social Media Policy for Law Enforcement Agencies - It outlines specific guidlines for police departments to follow when undertaking a social media strategy. Although, social media can be a very valuable part of a police department’s communications strategy, it it not as simple as just creating a Facebook/Twitter/Podcasting account. Police are held to a higher standard for their media relations and must use social media carefully.
About three weeks ago I blogged about a website called Cops2Point0.com. These sites are very similar in their missions to provide pertinent content and facilitate related discussions. Site administrators actually contribute to each others web pages. The main difference, in my opinion, is ConnectedCops is aimed primarily at law enforcement officials, whearas cops2point0 discusses the subject of web 2.0 technologies and law enforcement in general. They are each valuable in their own right and I will continue to regularly keep up with both of them.
ConnectedCops.com founders and contributors include Stevens, Police Chief Dan Alexander for the Boca Raton Police Department, and Scott Mills, a Community Youth Officer for the Toronto Crime Stoppers program.