Bobby on the tweet

I am not a big fan of Twitter. I have an account and there are times when I am active on the site, but typical I get bored and stop using it. But there was a recent use of twitter that I think is brilliant and one of the most intriguing, yet simple, uses of it.

The Greater Manchester Police recently used twitter to tweet every incident that was reported and dealt with over a 24 hour period. This allows the public to see what the police deal with on a regular bases and allows an interesting glimpse into police work. Now, this stunt comes at an interesting time when police services are faced with potential budget cuts, which could reduce the number of front line officers.

Using twitter is an excellent tool for the police to demonstrate transparency with the general public. It could also assist in showing the public how budget cuts could be detrimental to this essential service. I think this is a great use of social media as a tool for an unlikely organization.

Read the full store from The Globe and Mail: U.K. Police hail success of "bobby on the tweet" expereiment. .