Social media leads to several good tips – State

Law enforcement has come a long way since the wanted poster.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is turning to social media, cable TV and text messaging to catch criminals and build relationships with the public.

Sheriff Pat Melton says law enforcement is shifting from one-sided communication with the public to a collaborative effort to fight crime.

“It fits in the missing pieces of the puzzle, and we can’t do that without the community support,” he told The State Journal last week.

“With 16 deputies, that’s 16 sets of eyes, but when you partner with the community, you get several thousands sets of eyes.”

Since getting their first text tip May 25, the sheriff’s office has fielded nearly 300 messages about drug deals, burglaries, deadbeat dads and cases of animal abuse.

That’s in addition to 21 tips through the office’s Facebook page and 30 calls to the main office phone. Tips have come from as far away as California, Texas and Ohio, and all have remained anonymous.

Craig Blanton, administration director for the office, catalogs the text tips onto his computer so deputies can refer to them as needed. The office doesn’t track how many arrests come of the tips, but he says they are all valuable.

“The public has really jumped all over it,” Blanton said. “The public is really invested in our efforts to get these bad guys off the streets.”

The sheriff’s office publicizes its “most wanted” on the Frankfort Plant Board’s cable 27 and Facebook, and many of the 23 captured so far have been found thanks to tips from local residents.

The sheriff’s office also uses its Facebook page to post press releases, links to news stories, alert users to severe weather and recognize officers for their achievements.

Photos from surveillance video are posted in hopes that users will recognize the faces and vehicles in them.
Facebook users have gotten in on the action too.

When severe storms struck Frankfort last weekend, Facebook users posted warnings of downed trees and power lines to alert local drivers.

Residents have used the site to alert the sheriff about burglaries in their neighborhoods, notify their fellow drivers of malfunctioning traffic lights, and ask others to watch for their missing pets.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police says that more than 500 law enforcement agencies have pages on Facebook.

They use the social network to connect with their communities, post news stories and press releases, and investigate crimes.

Kentucky police agencies place high on the association’s national rankings for the most popular Facebook pages.

Kentucky State Police had the most “likes” for a state law enforcement agency with 33,473 – a number that has grown by more than 700 since the rankings were reported July 13.

The University of Kentucky placed fourth in the campus category with 1,251 “likes,” and the Greenville Police Department had the fifth most “likes” for agencies with six to 15 officers.

The National Sheriff’s Association doesn’t keep social media statistics for its more than 3,000 sheriffs nationwide. But Fred Wilson, director of operations for the association, says the number is “ever increasing.”

Capt. Ron Wyatt, a 20-year veteran of law enforcement and chief deputy for Franklin County, says the use of technology has brought officers closer to the people they serve.

Key to building that relationship is responding to the people who send in tips, either to ask for more information or let them know a suspect has been captured.

“If you don’t act on it, people would eventually stop calling,” Wyatt said.

It also allows deputies to respond to tips more quickly.

In the past, anonymous tips left after-hours on the main office line might not have been answered until the next morning, he said. Or the message wouldn’t contain enough information to solve the crime. Now the office texts them back to ask for more details.

“That’s the way people communicate in the 21st century,” he said. “It has really broadened our relationship with the public and broken down the communication barrier.”

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office asks local residents to “like” them on Facebook by searching for “Franklin County Sheriff.”

Text tips may be sent to 502-320-3306, and the main office number is 502-875-8740 for phone calls.

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