Communicating with purpose: Image work, social media, and policing

Abstract

Police services have substantially increased their use of social media in everyday police work. Few researchers have directly asked police services about the purpose their social media accounts serve. Through in-depth interviews conducted with police personnel overseeing police services’ social media sites in Canada, this article examines the reasons provided by police services for creating and operating their social media sites. We argue that the police utilize social media to communicate an image of police that demonstrates effectiveness and an openness to engaging with the public. We also explore the challenges that come with this type of image work.