Social media can be used for many things. But perhaps few people expected that it could ever improve police performance. But that’s exactly what happened recently in India.
The Noida Traffic Police now have a Facebook account that is accumulating more and more fans every day. On the Facebook page, titled Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Noida citizens get the opportunity to report on road conditions by writing on their Facebook wall. Based on this information, traffic police will then take action.
Since it has gone online, the Noida Traffic Police Facebook page already has almost 400 followers. They can post photos and information such as a defective license plate, or report on a traffic jam in front of a market. Any reports from the citizens will be printed and filed into police records. This is a clever way of monitoring what’s happening on the streets, thanks to the cooperation of citizens who voluntarily report on the wall.
Senior traffic inspector Saifuddin Beg explained:
If a policeman is not around, the general tendency is to jump a traffic signal or drive through a no-entry barrier or park in a no-parking zone. But now awareness is spreading and offenders have a feeling that someone else is watching them. Also, citizens feel empowered as we take action on the photos and information they upload.
Already there have been many traffic offenders reported via this Facebook page. It also provides tips for the public concerning proper driving practices. Citizens also can give feedback and suggestions regarding the performance of traffic police. Currently, the police are in process of installing software to track traffic violators whose photographs were submitted to this page.
Much like the Noida Police, Indonesia has also used social media to manage traffic. Big cities like Jakarta and Bandung are using Twitter to inform citizens of the current street conditions. The Traffic Management Center’s Twitter account has gained enthusiastic followers who can submit feedback and photos.
This isn’t the first time that we have featured police “using” social media here on Penn Olson. Just recently a policeman in Indonesia shot to Internet fame after his Bollywood style singing on Youtube went viral in Indonesia. In China, the police department in Beijing has found micro-blogging a useful way to connect with the public.
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