Arizona Social Media users at ASU Connect with Campus Police

ASU police have set up a Facebook page, where safety tips, important emergency numbers and advisories are regularly posted. The advisories are designed to make students aware of non-life threatening incidents like small fires, crime trends, building closures and power outages.

When nothing eventful is occurring, status updates are used to focus on topics like pedestrian safety. For example, when the page first launched, ASU police posted warnings to jaywalkers and those who ride their bikes on the wrong side of the street. Other times, the page may be used to address issues like bike theft, DUI and underage drinking, all of which are prominent concerns at university campuses.

So far, ASU police has successfully cracked down on at least one campus crime with the help of Facebook. Freshman Khayree Billingslea, 19 was handcuffed and escorted out of his dorm one November morning for sneaking into a closed dining facility over Thanksgiving weekend to steal cereal and soda with some friends. ASU police said the students’ profile pictures on Facebook matched up with the surveillance images captured. The burglary charges against the group were later dropped, but the arrests sent a message to ASU students: Campus police is watching more closely than ever, and using Facebook to do it.

As new Arizona social media users, the ASU police show one more way that Facebook can be used to communicate important messages to any target audience and achieve objectives that benefit the greater good.