Members of the Neighbourhood Policing Scrutiny Committee meet on Wednesday 28 September and one of the items on the agenda is how Sussex Police kept the public informed and engaged during the recent riots. 

 One of the methods was through the use of social media, in particular Twitter, which proved to be invaluable in ensuring that rumours were dispelled and the residents of Sussex were reassured about the situation in their locality.  Sussex Police's Corporate Communications Department increased their working hours, including 24 hour support when necessary, which enabled the Force to be proactive in putting out their own messages and not just respond to rumours.  It is clear from the discussions on social media at the time, and the messages of support and gratitude the Force has received subsequently from the public, that there was a high level of fear that it was able to go some way to mitigate. 

Sussex Police decided to take a different approach to many other forces and respond directly to individuals as well as broadcasting information on a wider scale. The Force also monitored other Sussex Police users of Twitter to ensure that the messages given out were accurate and consistent. Police officers and staff were informed about the overall communication strategy and were directed to a live log on the Sussex Police website where the latest information was posted about what was - and wasn't - happening. This provided them with a resource they could draw on and meant that their messages were accurate and in line with the overall strategy, yet they still had flexibility and discretion to respond to local issues. 

Followers of the Sussex Police corporate Twitter account and those of individual officers and staff has increased significantly together with hits to the Sussex Police website.  This demonstrates how social media including Twitter can be used as a force for good and Sussex Police will build upon this for future engagement. 

To read the report in full and to view the other papers going to the Neighbourhood Policing Scrutiny Committee click here. You can also watch the meeting live here by logging on at 2.15 pm on Wednesday.