OAK BAYNEWS UVic on strike Campus support workers walk off the job. Page A7 Friday, September 7, 2012
Oak Bay Police all a-Twitter Force uses social media tool to connect with community Tim Collins News staff
Sgt. Ian Craib worked the night shift in Oak Bay during the long weekend. Of course, if you follow the Oak Bay Police Twitter account, you already know that. Since April of this year, Craib and Police Chief Mark Fisher have been tweeting about the work of the Oak Bay Police Department. Most often, the tweets are designed to create awareness of police and community issues. “It’s a great way to engage individuals within the community that we might never otherwise have contact with,” said Fisher. Sgt. Ian Craib “We use it for news releases, information regarding current events, and other issues affecting the department. We also use it to open a dialogue with people regarding our work and their concerns in the community.” Sometimes the tweets are coming from Craib as he’s on the job. “This past weekend, while Sgt. Craib was on duty, he managed to send out a few tweets regarding what was going on and what he was dealing with. It was a great way to let people know the kind of challenges we’re facing out there and how we’re managing them,” said Fisher. “It also gives us the chance to alert the public about things that they should be looking out for.” “Obviously we’re doing the job first,” he added. “But if we have the chance to send a few tweets, it helps people understand what we’re facing out there.” Police use of social media isn’t a new concept. Mike Russell, the Media Relations and Social Media Officer for the Victoria Police Department says that his department has been using social media for the past three years. “We have 6,300 followers on Twitter and over 2,000 ‘likes’ on Facebook,” he said. PLEASE SEE: Awareness is key, Page A12
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NEWS: Strong man pumped for charity car pull /A10 ARTS: Chalk art fest brings art to street /A13 SPORTS: Victoria eyed for Ironman triathlon /A16 Watch for breaking news at www.oakbaynews.com
Reading between the lines Phyllis Campanello opens minds to hand analysis at Monterey Recreation Centre SEE THE STORY ON PAGE A3
Phyllis Campanello inspects fingerprints during a hand analysis for a client at Monterey Recreation Centre in Oak Bay. Christine van Reeuwyk/News staff
BARCLAY S FINE CUSTOM JEWELLERS