Police reach out via Facebook (From Swindon Advertiser)

Police reach out via Facebook

9:50pm Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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POLICE are accessing Facebook in an attempt to engage with the younger Swindon generation.

The social networking website is being used to debate topical issues on a public forum, and crime can be reported via private messages with an officer.

It is being piloted by the Parks and Walcot Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) and if successful it will be rolled out across Swindon later in the year.

The scheme was launched by community beat manager PC Matt Barnett for Parks and Walcot at New College, off Queens Drive, on Monday.

Hundreds of college students are being encouraged to get involved with the online group in a positive move by police.

Last night PC Barnett said: “It’s a great way to engage with a younger audience. We are looking to target the 18 to 25 age group.

“We find a lot of kids just don’t attend our local police meetings, so we had to think of other ways of communicating with them.

“We don’t want people to be afraid to join us or be afraid to speak to us. You might be surprised by the response you get.

“We’ll look at the results over a one-month period and see how it’s going. If it’s a success then all Swindon NPTs could have their own Facebook group.”

Some of the latest debates on the page include: Do drug dogs work and would you like to see police, either in uniform or plain clothes, in your college or school?

Police Community Support Officer Matt Dickens added: “We want to engage with the younger community and make the police more accessible to them.”

If you become a member of the Facebook group by the end of March you will be entered into a prize draw to win a brand new Optima mountain bike donated by Mitchell's Cycles in Shrivenham Road.

Visit the Facebook group by searching for “Wiltshire Police - Parks and Walcot East Neighbourhood Policing Team.”

To report a crime, please email parkswalcoteastnpt@wiltshire.pnn.police.uk or visit the contact us facility by logging onto www.wiltshire.police.uk Also ring PC Barnett on 0845 408 7000 or Crimestoppers, where information can be left anonymously, on 0800 555 111.