Politics & Government
Local Government Gets Social
Palos-area government officials are increasingly using social media sites to reach residents directly.
For many Palos-area residents, social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have become essential parts of their web surfing experiences. A number of Palos government offices also have started riding that wave.
In an increasingly digital world, communication with residents is becoming easier for local governments. By taking advantage of social media sites and e-mail blasts, your local officials can communicate with you frequently and fast.
Palos Park Police Chief Joe Miller uses Twitter to get the word out about everything from crime alerts to weather and traffic warnings.
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"It is a great platform for us to get the word out quickly and to a targeted audience," Miller said.
Recently, Palos Park Police investigated a residential burglary and were able to send a description of the suspect and the car he was driving shortly after arriving on the scene.
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"With that burst of information out quickly, now we have hundreds of people sharing that information," Miller said.
The Palos Park Police Department also makes use of e-mail alerts. The e-mails offer information on crime alerts, as well as severe weather and traffic. The police department feed currently has more than 100 followers after 14 months of use.
The Village of Palos Park also has embraced the service. Residents can learn about upcoming village events, as well as ways to volunteer in their community. Palos Park also plans to launch a Facebook page in the coming weeks.
"We thought it was just one more way to reach out to our residents about what's going on in their community," said Kathy May, the village's deputy clerk.
Palos Heights has an active Facebook page as well. The 100-plus followers can find information on city events right in their Facebook feed. Jim Furey, the city's community development coordinator, saw Facebook as an opportunity to reach residents directly.
"We were just looking for a new way to connect with our residents and this is a really easy way to do that," Furey said. "It is really nothing but good for information to get out directly to the community."
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