Marblehead Police Gets Social on Facebook

The Marblehead Police Department now has a Facebook page to go along with its Twitter account, giving the department two avenues to reach out to the public with real-time information.

The decision to post information on social media was more than a year in the making, and done in consultation with a social media expert, Police Chief Robert Picariello said in a news release.

"The plan is to use Facebook and Twitter to provide the community with real-time and unedited information regarding sex offender registration alerts, traffic accidents, crime bulletins, missing people and/or pets, road construction detours, power outages and more," he stated. "Recently a sizeable power outage occurred in town and by posting specialized alerts; over a thousand people received notice in an incredibly short period of time."

The department has 643 likes on its Facebook.

A core group of 911 dispatchers, patrol officers and the department’s captain voluntarily oversee the program, the chief stated.

"Site management can become a full-time project, and most of the community service bulletin information is composed by personnel on their own time, after hours, and then posted. Monitoring, posting general information and special announcements, and responding to questions may be delayed as wide-ranging responsibilities and emergency responses will take precedence."

The department emphasizes that citizens remember that all emergency situations be relayed by dialing 911. Appropriate use of Facebook and Twitter will minimize repeat calls to the dispatch center that frequently and dangerously tie up phone lines needed for addressing true emergencies.

Picariello stressed that Facebook and Twitter use is not a social forum for personal negativity and all police departments monitor the comments posted. It is a constructive process for communicating information accurately and quickly, as well as a resource for educating the public regarding the positive contributions the department makes.

Picariello asks all residents who have access to Facebook to “like” our page and Twitter users to “follow” the department at @Mheadpolice to stay current with issues affecting the community.

Its Twitter account is —@mheadpolice

The department has 509 Twitter folowers and has tweeted 203 times since joining in late March.

In an earier interview on the department's Twitter venture the chief said entering the conversation made sense.

“I think it is where people are,” he said.