Can police create safety on and through Instagram?

The Swedish police often use social media to disseminate information but rarely communicate with their followers. The public often struggles to understand the purpose of the police's online presence. At the same time, the potential for increased visibility and educational posts, which can strengthen trust in the police, is highlighted. This is shown by research at Jönköping University (JU).

The police's use of social media is a relatively new area, where platforms like Instagram have become an important part of the work to reach out to citizens. Jens Alvén Sjöberg is a doctoral student at the School of Education and Communication at JU and researches how the Swedish police use social media to create safety. The research highlights both the police's strategies and the public's perceptions, and shows challenges such as unclear purposes, limited dialogue, and criticism from the public. Unclear strategies and a lack of guidelines have made it difficult for the public to understand the purpose of the police's online presence.

"There are still many ambiguities around why police are so active on social media. At the same time, the digital presence can contribute to increased security and trust when used in the right way," says Jens Alvén Sjöberg.

Challenges and criticism

One of the biggest challenges is the fragmented perception among the public. Many appreciate the information shared by the police, while others believe that social media is not a resource the police should prioritise. Limited resources and time-consuming moderation also mean that the police rarely open up for dialogue in their posts, which sometimes creates a sense of distance between the authority and the citizens.

"The most enjoyable part has been seeing how police officers themselves think about communicating with the public. Social media can facilitate their work in creating visibility and trust," says Jens.

The future of police social media

Despite the challenges, Jens sees great opportunities for the police to improve their presence on social media. In his research, he emphasises the importance of clear strategies and support to aid the police's mission to create safety in society. By building on successful examples and avoiding past mistakes, the police can strengthen their online presence and create safety in society more effectively.

"There are still many unclear reasons why the police are so active on social media. But when the authority uses social media with a learning purpose, such as traffic information or drug prevention, it can help change attitudes and, in the long run, also contribute to increased security," says Jens.

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