WebProNews

Police departments may not start issuing cops Facebook accounts along with their handcuffs and guns, but at least one officer feels that the social network is a valuable tool.  Constable Scott Mills shared his thoughts on the Facebook Blog this afternoon.

Mills is a member of the Toronto Police Service, and wrote, "For the last two years, I have used my Facebook account, as well as Facebook groups, events and Pages, to inform Toronto residents about crimes in their area and encourage them to provide anonymous tips.  Messages can be broadcast quickly and easily to wide audiences with immediate feedback."

More specifically, he then continued, "Outreach through Facebook has helped Toronto Crime Stoppers sniff out threats against local schools, bring much needed help to people at risk of committing suicide, warn the public about criminals on the loose and even locate missing persons."

It's possible to use Facebook to pal around, too, of course, and it's come in handy with several community get-together-type efforts.

Anyway, Mills supports the idea of police departments using social networks even more in the future, and believes that many of them are on that path.