Spring Break
University PD to use 'tweets' for security, crime alerts
Lindsay Lorenz
Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: News
04/17/09 - The University of Rhode Island Police Department recently joined the ranks of the New York Times, CNN and even MC Hammer by creating its own Twitter page.
While Hammer uses his page on the social networking site to update followers about Hawaiian vacations, URI police is using its page to get the word out about crime on campus.
Twitter, a site that allows users to post messages, or "tweets" up to 140 characters, is ranked third in social networking sites, second to MySpace and Facebook. In March, the site gained more than 5 million users.
As username "URIPolice," the URI police have gained 45 followers and have posted two tweets since creating the page last month.
"It's the police scanner for the digital world," Paul Perrone, a senior information technologist with URI security, said.
Perrone pitched the idea of creating the page to the department after discovering other police departments across the country were posting information about local crimes, traffic delays and accidents.
"Basically I took it upon myself to create the account," he said. "I realized, hey, this would be a really good thing for us to do," he said. He added that the site's character limit on messages allow for quick, concise updates.
According to Maj. Stephen Baker, a similar page at a Connecticut university helped police apprehend suspects involved in a laptop theft.
Yesterday, URI's most recent tweet warned followers that tires and rims had been stolen from a 1997 Acura parked on campus. The posting asked followers to report any suspicious activity.
Earlier this month Narragansett Police asked URI to post information on its page about a fraud incident that occurred at a local Rite-Aid. A link shows photos of suspects taken from the store's surveillance cameras.
Baker said that in the future he would like more frequent updates on the department's page, and hopes to post information regarding traffic delays on campus, as well as information that might aid other departments.
Keeping the campus up to date on all things URI, Baker said, "is just another way of what we consider community service."
As of last night, URIPolice has attracted nearly 50 followers and according to Perrone, is the only department in the state to have a Twitter page.
Police join URI News, the athletics department and the Memorial Union as other university entities that have also created Twitter pages.
While Hammer uses his page on the social networking site to update followers about Hawaiian vacations, URI police is using its page to get the word out about crime on campus.
Twitter, a site that allows users to post messages, or "tweets" up to 140 characters, is ranked third in social networking sites, second to MySpace and Facebook. In March, the site gained more than 5 million users.
As username "URIPolice," the URI police have gained 45 followers and have posted two tweets since creating the page last month.
"It's the police scanner for the digital world," Paul Perrone, a senior information technologist with URI security, said.
Perrone pitched the idea of creating the page to the department after discovering other police departments across the country were posting information about local crimes, traffic delays and accidents.
"Basically I took it upon myself to create the account," he said. "I realized, hey, this would be a really good thing for us to do," he said. He added that the site's character limit on messages allow for quick, concise updates.
According to Maj. Stephen Baker, a similar page at a Connecticut university helped police apprehend suspects involved in a laptop theft.
Yesterday, URI's most recent tweet warned followers that tires and rims had been stolen from a 1997 Acura parked on campus. The posting asked followers to report any suspicious activity.
Earlier this month Narragansett Police asked URI to post information on its page about a fraud incident that occurred at a local Rite-Aid. A link shows photos of suspects taken from the store's surveillance cameras.
Baker said that in the future he would like more frequent updates on the department's page, and hopes to post information regarding traffic delays on campus, as well as information that might aid other departments.
Keeping the campus up to date on all things URI, Baker said, "is just another way of what we consider community service."
As of last night, URIPolice has attracted nearly 50 followers and according to Perrone, is the only department in the state to have a Twitter page.
Police join URI News, the athletics department and the Memorial Union as other university entities that have also created Twitter pages.
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