When the New Castle County Police Department decided to take a swing at social media, it never imagined it would have such an impact on how it communicates with the people it serves.
Department spokeswoman Cpl. Tracey Duffy said social media has been a major asset when it comes to delivering news and updates to the community.
“These tools allow the department to communicate with the community a lot faster than in the past,” she explained.  “A message from the Colonel or an alert can be sent in a matter of minutes and reach a larger audience than traditional mainstream media.”
Local residents seem to be tuning in to the behind-the-scenes look at the department social media gives them on Facebook.
Visit the Facebook page

A Facebook Live video, taken during a press conference, has received nearly 10,000 views since being posted March 7.

The Police Department also uses Facebook as a way to show a human face and create rapport with residents:

And to find leads on cases:

And to help with recruiting (and duh, share #tbt’s):

And to solicit confidential tips:

And to share safety information with a little bit of fun (bet Marlon Brando never thought he’d earn a New Castle County PD badge):

And to get props:

But also complaints:

And to respond immediately to questions:

And to show that cops know how to cook healthy, too.

(This is a photo from an Facebook album about an event called “Cooking with Cops,” where New Castle County police did a healthy cooking class with William Penn students.)

According to Duffy, the department hoped to be use social media to be more transparent and provide information quickly and accurately.
“We initially wanted to create a strong social media presence and we believe we have done this,” she said.
The department has been using traditional social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, since early 2010. The department Facebook page currently has 29,325 likes and the Twitter account has 3,235 followers.
Duffy is aware that these followers come from several states and cities, and are not solely New Castle County residents. In late 2016, the department started using community platform Nextdoor in order to connect with New Castle County residents directly. More than 26,000 county residents are using this platform.
Duffy said the Police Department will continue to find new and fresh ways to increase its online presence.
“We are always searching for new and innovative means to communicate with our communities,” she said.  “As social media platforms pop up, we will research them and determine if they will meet the needs of both the department and our communities.”