MORGANTOWN — On Monday, @Morgantown_PD sent its first tweet, joining roughly 67 million other users on the social media platform.
The account will improve communication between the Morgantown Police Department and the public, Andrew Stacy, Morgantown’s public information officer, said.
“It is another way for the MPD to interact directly with the community and share information with them directly,” he said
General information, press releases, traffic alterations, and events are among the information the account will share, Stacy said. The department previously shared information on the City Hall website, but some information didn’t make sense to put there, he said.
“The more we looked at it and talked about it, it just made sense for the MPD to have its own social media pages,” Stacy said. “However some information will still be shared via the City Hall page.”
Emergency information, as decided by the Monongalia County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, will be released on all of the city’s social media accounts, Stacy said. Non-emergency information that relates to public safety, such as armed robberies or a wanted suspect, will be released on all MPD social media accounts.
The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department does not have a Twitter account, but Sheriff Perry Palmer said if the department needs one, it won’t hesitate to make one.
Palmer said his department uses Facebook right now and that it’s a great tool for getting information, finding suspects and witnesses. He also said Facebook is a great way to hear community concerns.
Stacy said MPD has more to share with the community than just its arrests and suspect information. The new platform will allow the department to show the community how they are making a difference, he said. There are also plans for new ideas such as, “Behind the Badge” posts that highlight officers and what they do outside of work
The account is run by the city’s Communications Department, which manages all of the city’s accounts, Stacy said. MPD also has a Facebook and Linkedin accounts.
An Instagram account is in the works and will be focused on events police are involved with and the K-9 unit, Stacy said.
