#rpdchief Hold Twitter Town Hall
By: Caroline Tucker
Updated: January 8, 2013
At the Rochester Police Department, Chief Jim Sheppard's team assembled for the department's first Twitter Town Hall.
"It's funny you say the word count and language, we are learning how to be hip," said Chief Jim Sheppard.
The public came with the questions, the chief with the answers.
It's a new age for police departments to reach out to the community.
Rochester Police got the idea from success at other police departments across the country.
"It's a tool that one I am unfamiliar with and I wanted to take advantage of it," said Chief Sheppard.
Followers asked questions of children safety and the city's shot spotter system.
"social media is the future and so many of our young adults use that to communicate we see this as an opportunity to not just reach one constituency but any number of constuencies," said Chief Sheppard.
Rochester Police are using Twitter now but they hope to grow this and add more social media down the road, including Facebook.
Rochester Police know tweets and facebook won't immediately solve crimes but the hope is to get communication flowing between them and what's happening outside.
"Hopefully it will become a staple in how we communicate with the Rochester community," said Chief Shepppard.
To participate in the another Twitter Town Hall with RPD, you can log on to twiiter between 3 to 4pm every Tuesday in January.
Just tweet @RochesterNYPD using #rpdchief
