Blaine Police Department launches new Facebook page to improve outreach

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The Blaine Police Department has launched a new Facebook page in order to post notices, invite feedback and build connections with the Blaine community.

The new initiative, led by new police chief Donnell Tanksley, is part of an effort to engage in what he calls “21st century policing” – the use of technology to promote positive interactions between police and the community and to enhance public trust.

The Facebook page, located at facebook.com/BlainePoliceDepartmentWA, was created on July 26. In less than a month, more than 350 people have liked and followed the page, which is operated by a team of volunteers within the department, including officers and support personnel.

“I sent out an email asking basically if anyone was interested in having a social media team here within our police department, and we got several responses back,” said Tanksley. “I wish I could take the credit, but it’s a team effort.”

The new Facebook page comes after a recent survey by the city of Blaine showed that residents prefer to learn about city news through Facebook and The Northern Light.

So far, the Blaine Police Department has used its new Facebook page in order to post a variety of notices, including notices about speed limits in school zones, lost and found property, license plates on transferred vehicles, the back to school fair, the 911 dispatch system, road closures and the public’s ability to dispose of expired or unused prescription drugs in the department’s lobby.

Tanksley said another goal of the Facebook page is to enhance the ability of the public to interact with the department. “We want people to ask questions and we try and get back to them as soon as we can,” he said. However, he cautioned that the page is not monitored 24 hours a day, “so it’s not where one would want to put critical information that might need an emergency response.”

As the next step, the department is considering launching an Instagram account, in order to reach more social media users. Even Twitter is a possibility, said Tanksley. “Social media evolves and different people like different things,” he said.

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