Granted, the aforementioned release insists that the DPD's been Twitter-pating on a trial basis up until now, and there's at least one visible upgrade in the department's feed since the last time we checked in. Selected items now include links to supplementary information -- like this video (posted on MySpace!) of a suspect in the attempted use of a stolen credit card. Then again, the vast majority of posts merely mention an offense -- like an assault at the Proof nightclub and a stabbing at Bash over the weekend -- without giving users any way to learn more. In contrast, virtually every tweet on the Boulder Police Department's Twitter account links to a release of some sort.
Maybe the DPD will get around to doing more of that -- after another two-month trial. Click "Continue" to read its belated Twitter announcement.
Denver Police Department on TwitterThe Denver Police Department would like the community to know they can now follow the DPD on Twitter. The Denver community can receive daily information regarding criminal matters, laws, police actions and just good information. We have been operating on Twitter on trial basis for the past two months. DPD's Twitter account surpassed 900 followers. This group includes DPD Officers, city employees, community members, media outlets, and even two people in Tehran, IRAN. Although 900 may not seem like much in a city of 600,000, consider that some of our messages have been repeated to tens of thousands of people around the world.
Every day, the DPD Media Relations Unit sends out messages (140 characters or less) on a variety of topics (calls and cases you may have worked, the law, facts about the department, commendable actions, etc.). And we have become one of the fastest growing police agencies in the world! (DPD is currently #21 in the world for police departments on Twitter)
Denver Police welcome you to follow us if you have not yet created a Twitter account to keep up with what is happening in our department it is simple and free (see directions below):
1. Go to www.twitter.com
2. Click the GREEN button on the center of the page which says, "Get Started - Join"
3. You will be directed to fill out your name, choose a "username" (this can be a nickname or something you just make up), a password, a valid email account, and then type in the text shown (to make sure you are a person not a computer)
4. The next page will ask if you want to see if your friends are on Twitter. You can either check or click "CONTINUE" to move on
5. On the upper right hand corner is a link called "Find people" Click that and type DENVERPOLICE (no space). Then click follow -- and that is it!
