Are Raleigh police tweets ‘inflammatory’ or just telling their side of the story?
A Raleigh City Council member has called the Raleigh Police Department’ tweets during recent protests “unhelpful” after some residents raised concerns.
Jonathan Melton, who was elected in 2019, looked at the tweets and spoke with city staff, he tweeted Wednesday.
“I’ve heard concerns about tweets sent from the RPD account, and I’ve reviewed some tweets and found them unhelpful,” he tweeted. “I’ve raised this issue with staff, and I’m informed that the city is revising our social media policy. I will share the update as soon as I receive it.”
The police and other city departments use Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms to communicate with residents. On Twitter, the police department has more than 17,000 followers and typically shares press releases and traffic updates.
However, in the last year and particularly after protests in May against police brutality, the police department has taken on a more active role on Twitter and will tweet during the demonstrations.
Some of those tweets have announced when arrests would begin or shows photos of graffiti and damage to downtown businesses.
Many of those tweets get support, including from people praying for officers and saying they “back the blue.”
In rarer cases, some respondents wish violence on the protesters.
The police department follows the city’s social media policy, Donna-maria Harris, spokesperson for the department, said in an email Thursday. She didn’t answer who runs the account and tweets during the protests, if Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown approves of the tweets, or respond to Melton’s comments.
“The purpose of tweeting during the protests is to document in real-time what is unfolding during the protests and allow our followers to remain informed of how the RPD is experiencing the protest,” Harris said in a statement. “The messages are direct and straight forward, without offering opinion. There is only one call to action in the tweets — for those participating in protests to remain peaceful.”
“As opposed to relying on the traditional media or others to tell our story, we took the opportunity to tell our own,” she continued. “Our residents expect and deserve transparency and this is another avenue that we can use to deliver that.”
Melton says city should not ‘inflate public fears’
But what the police department sees as simple facts, some others consider threatening and promoting a pro-police narrative.
Some Raleigh residents feel “many of the tweets concerning protests were inflammatory,” Melton said in a text message to The N&O.
“I’ve shared those concerns with staff. I’ve reviewed some of the tweets, and I think it’s important that city communications, especially on social media, provide a public service by sharing critical information but do not inflate public fears or concerns,” he said.
Melton would not say if he thinks the tweets were inflammatory or inflating public fears and concerns.
“My personal opinion is, I think, immaterial,” he said in the text. “I heard enough concerns that I felt a duty to address it with appropriate staff, and I’m looking forward to receiving the revised policy, which I’m told will apply to all city departments.”
He did not respond to a request for a phone interview.
Greear Webb co-founded Young Americans Protest, which has helped organize recent protests against police brutality, and was appointed to the city’s new Police Advisory Board.
“I would venture to say that tweets from the Raleigh Police Department during the recent protests against police brutality have been very problematic,” he said. “It seems that rather than keep people safe or figure out how to allow people to nonviolently protest they are trying to swing and sway the citizens of Raleigh into believing some type of narrative that isn’t even proven.”
The tweets seem to condemn non-violent protesters who are demonstrating their anger and frustration with all that is happening in this country to people of color.”
“Why do they feel those updates are necessary?,” Greear said. “How are they confirming their information other than officers on the ground who we obviously know are untrustworthy sometimes here in Raleigh. It is very concerning and very problematic.”
Raleigh already updating social media policy
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin has not received any resident complaints about the tweets, she said, adding the council will review the city’s new social media policy. She said she’s not seen the tweets when The N&O asked what she thought of them.
The city has been updating its social media policies for a few months, city spokeswoman Julia Milstead said. The police department’s tweets were not the impetus, she said.
The current policy mostly outlines expected behavior for staff members on their personal social media profiles and who should have access to various department accounts.
“The use of social media as a part of our communications strategy allows us to put city news, alerts, job postings, street closings, city council decisions and other information in front of people, utilizing mediums they already use to absorb news,” the policy says. “Raleigh residents are socially active and well informed and social media outlets play a large role in that.”
This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 5:41 PM.
