In recent years, much research has been done on the use of social media within the police organization . These studies focused primarily on the contribution that social media can make to police work, the effects of use on the citizen's sense of safety and the question of whether the use of social media contributes to a positive image of the police organization. But how do police officers experience the use of social media? And what is the influence of social media on police work? Has the arrival of social media changed the work of the police? Little is known about this.
In my research I looked at social media from another perspective, namely that of the local police officer . list to data The local police officer is an important link between the police organization, citizens and/or external parties with regard to giving and receiving information. Moreover, the tweeting local police officer is nowadays indispensable when it comes to external communication by the police organization.
The aim of my research was to gain insight into the way in which social media influence the daily work of the local police officer. In addition, I investigated to what extent the use of social media has changed the work of the local police officer.
The use of social media
Because social media have created a new social environment where citizens are very active, the police cannot lag behind in this area. The use of social media by the police organization is therefore experienced as a very positive development. Respondents indicate that the use of social media is now even indispensable in police work, because it is the way to reach citizens.
'Nowadays, hardly anyone reads a newspaper anymore, you have to do everything via television or radio. And if you want to reach the youth, they hardly listen to a radio station that talks. By using social media, we can reach them.”