Plainville Police Lead the Way in Social Media

When many residents in Plainville and Wrentham wanted to know why there were low flying helicopters and loud noises occurring late at night at the beginning of August, the Plainville Police literally went straight to the people with the reason the next morning.

Explaining that there was a military training exercise at the old Wood School, the Plainville Police posted their official statement on the training exercises on their Facebook page, along with further posts explaining why there was a lack of a notification concerning the training.

The posts on the training exercises was one of the more recent efforts by the Plainville Police who have been using modern technology in an attempt to better inform the public. The regularly updated page has been used to release such information as the police logs and just a reminder to slow down during a rainy day.

The page even features a blog called I Did Not Know That which clarifies some common beliefs when it comes to driving and even gives a history lesson on the progression of speed limits.

The effort by the Plainville Police is just one of the recent efforts by officials to connect with their community through social media and apps. The Attleboro Police Department recently launched a redone website and are connecting on the go though the My Police Department mobile app.

In an addition to the Facebook page, the department has recently created their own mobile app. Released late last month, the Plainville Police app is the department’s latest venture in using modern technology to release information and keep the public informed.

“Our App is not as full-featured as our Fan page or a website, but because so many people are ‘joined at the hip’ with their smartphones, we wanted to put our most useful info at your fingertips,” the Plainville Police said while announcing the app on Facebook.

The app, which is still in beta, allows users to read the latest arrest and press logs among other things. In addition, there is even an option to use the phone’s GPS capabilities to provide directions to the Plainville Public Safety building if needed. There is also an option to go to the department’s Facebook page, Twitter feed, or call the public safety building from the app.

Available for phones running Android 2.1 or better, the Plainville Police app can be downloaded for free through the Google Play store. There is currently no iOS version for the iPhone or iPad.

To see the Plainville Police’s social media actions, head over to their official Facebook page.