You probably don’t update your Facebook page as much as these guys.
The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office has taken to the social media platform with frequent updates — sometimes multiple posts in one day — outlining a score of issues, from a daily crime roundup to wanted pictures, from arrest reports to public safety announcements.
The platform has turned into an effective way for deputies to interact with the public.
“It’s the way of the future,” said Lt. Dennis Ivey of the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office. “Nobody is paying attention to our website anymore. Everyone likes Facebook.”
The sheriff’s office now has almost 2,800 likes on Facebook, placing it in the company of the City of Williamsburg — 3,091 likes — and James City County — 2,041 likes. Other than the Virginia State Police, however, the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office social media presence far and away exceeds that of other law enforcement organizations at work in the Historic Triangle.
Their work may be paying off.
“I’ve received Crime Line tips that came in from Facebook posts,” Ivey said. “They call the number because they see something on Facebook.”
Facebook allows deputies to quickly communicate with a wide swath of the public in a relatively short amount of time. For example, when a girl ran away from her home in July, a post on the sheriff’s office Facebook page was seen by thousands of people in short order. A post on an investigation into residential burglaries in Tabb reached more than 12,000 people.
“Facebook is the main way people seem to communicate with each other through social media,” said York-Poquoson Sheriff J.D. “Danny” Diggs. “Very few people go to our website. Not a lot of people read the newspaper anymore, not the print version — they get their news online. With Facebook, when we send things out, we’ve got a lot of friends and people who like us.”
The social media platform has also generated hundreds of comments concerning the department, which seem to be overwhelmingly positive. Within nine hours of going up, a post congratulating Deputy Damon Radcliffe for reaching the Deputy First-Class rank attracted 209 likes and 53 comments congratulating him.
“Makes me proud to be a York County resident!” wrote one commenter. “Congrats! One of the unspoken heroes we live with,” said another.
A quick scroll down the wall of the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office Facebook page reveals a sea of positive comments, such as posts that thank the deputies for making an arrest or offering thoughts and prayers after a murder-suicide Aug. 1.
Click here to visit the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office on Facebook.
