Social media has rapidly become one of law enforcement’s strongest tools to distribute information and demonstrate transparency. In addition to allowing agencies to spread information quickly, social media provides them a platform to share a peek into what officers do each day. Offering this insight and education to people served is particularly important in today’s environment.

Since at least 2016, the Pasco, Florida, Sheriff’s Office (PSO) has offered citizens virtual ride-alongs to do just that. Done largely through X (formally known as Twitter), these virtual experiences have earned the name “Tweet-Alongs.”

Successful Program

Through a series of posts, which have now expanded to the PSO’s Instagram and YouTube platforms, deputies walk viewers through their shift, covering everything from mundane paperwork to narcotics testing to K9 tracks. Deputies describe the calls they respond to, explain how they handle them based on the facts of each circumstance, and provide information on services that may be available for certain situations. They can also share with citizens how they got into the profession, what motivates them each day, and which are their favorite moments from the job. Tweet-Alongs are also condensed into a recap video on the PSO’s YouTube channel with its own dedicated “Tweet-Along Recap” playlist.

Deputies can answer questions from social media, either through a video or in a written post. Also, the social media coordinator can use the Tweet-Along’s focus to anticipate common questions viewers may have. During one Tweet-Along focused on traffic enforcement, a viewer asked about a deputy’s tuning forks he used to calibrate his radar. The social media coordinator showed the deputy doing the calibration and answered the citizen’s question.

Great care is taken to ensure that citizens’ information is protected during calls for service. While the social media coordinator focuses on the deputy, they ensure no tag or house numbers are visible in the video and only show people on camera if they provide explicit permission.

While this popular social media segment shows citizens a deputy’s typical day on patrol, it can also provide the PSO a way to highlight many aspects of its operations. Tweet-Alongs with specialty units, such as the maritime operations or aviation units, are popular but also serve an educational purpose. For instance, the maritime unit’s Tweet-Alongs showcase boating safety and provide information on the proper equipment to have on a boat, shown through deputies conducting vessel stops.

Also featured at times are noncertified members, such as the school crossing guard unit and the volunteer citizen service unit, which play integral roles in the agency’s operations. Tweet-Alongs can be used as a recruiting tool, as is the case with school crossing guards. The PSO showcased the current members of this unit’s passion and excitement for their role while providing citizens a chance to hear about the job straight from the people actively doing it.

Easy Implementation

Tweet-Alongs do not require high tech or expensive equipment. The PSO simply uses a wireless microphone and a cell phone. Though most videos are unedited, some quick editing apps are helpful to tie together a series of videos into one. Background noises, such as wind or engine sounds, can be cut down by the microphone.

For Tweet-Along hosts, the PSO often uses deputies assigned to the community engagement bureau due to the nature of their job and their honed public speaking skills. Additionally, this helps minimize the operational impact on other bureaus, such as patrol operations. Deputies with experience as a field training officer also make great Tweet-Along hosts because of their familiarity with talking through each call with someone else.

The PSO discusses the central focus of the Tweet-Along with the host beforehand, even if the focus is a typical patrol shift. Further, baselines are established; for instance, that filming will simply focus on what the officer would do every day and that they should begin answering each question by repeating it during their response. Usually, this helps mitigate a deputy’s on-camera nerves.

Anyone filming the host should know the types of calls they may face during the Tweet-Along. The PSO uses a social media coordinator for this who is versed in both agency policy and public records laws, which helps them film content that is appropriate for release from the agency. This individual also ensures that deputies focus on their job while allowing the social media coordinator to ask questions on behalf of citizens, film the deputy, and post throughout the shift.

Conclusion

Tweet-Alongs are a popular segment on the Pasco, Florida, Sheriff’s Office’s social media platforms that helps educate citizens on deputies’ jobs and the ways they keep people safe. Bringing citizens into patrol cars virtually provides a new level of transparency and helps people understand what officers face each day. Additionally, Tweet-Alongs offer context to many of the PSO’s operations outside of patrol. They also provide an inside look to those considering applying to the agency.

This social media segment is easy to implement and can help any agency connect with those they serve for a minimal cost. All that is needed is a cell phone.