SEATTLE (AP) — Police in Washington state are asking
the public to stop tweeting during shootings and manhunts to avoid accidentally
telling the bad guys what officers are doing.
The "TweetSmart" campaign began in late
July by a coalition of nine agencies, including the Washington state patrol and
the Seattle police, and aims to raise awareness about social media's potential
impact on law enforcement.
Some have called the effort a step that could lead
to censorship; others dismissed it as silly. Police, however, say it's just a
reminder at a time when cell phones and social networks can hasten the
lightning-quick spread of information.
A social media expert at the International
Association of Chiefs of Police said she's unaware of similar awareness
campaigns elsewhere but the problem that prompted the outreach is growing.
"All members of the public may not understand
the implications of tweeting out a picture of SWAT team activity," said
Nancy Kolb, who oversees the Alexandria, Virginia, organization's Center for
Social Media.
"It's a real safety issue, not only for
officers but anyone in the vicinity," Kolb said.
Kolb said she is not aware of any social media post
that has led to the injury of a police officer, but she said there have been a
few close calls. Other times, tweets have interfered with investigations.
In those cases, police tweet back and ask people to
back off.
"It's not that they don't want the public to
share information," she said. "It's the timing of it."
Social media speculation and reports challenged
Boston police during the search for the marathon bombers.
Two recent incidents led the Washington State Patrol
to organize the "TweetSmart" campaign: the search for a gunman in
Canada after three officers were killed and a shooting at a high school near
Portland, Oregon.
"I saw it personally as far back as
Lakewood," said State Patrol spokesman Bob Calkins, referring to social
media traffic during the manhunt for a man wanted for killing four officers in
Washington state in 2009.
At the time, people speculated online about why
police were combing a Seattle park while a search was on for the man, Calkins
said.
Calkins said police agencies can do their own
preventative maintenance with social media by getting information out there
when crime is happening.
"We have to respond with a smart phone almost
as fast as we respond with a gun," said Calkins, who along with Kolb
commended the Seattle Police Department for its use of social media.
Department spokesman Sean Whitcomb said they use
social media to engage the public and believe that getting public safety
information out quickly will help minimize rumors and speculation.
"We recognize there's a responsibility to use
every tool at our disposal to keep the public safe," Whitcomb said.
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