By T.J. Wilham
Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque, N.M. — Albuquerque police dispatchers are tweeting at work.
But don’t worry: They aren’t wasting your tax dollars. They’re telling drivers how to avoid traffic jams and accidents.
On Wednesday, APD launched a Twitter account, ABQPOLICE, that will be used by 911 dispatchers to send out traffic alerts.
Twitter is a free online social networking service that allows people to send out short messages known as tweets to their “followers.”
Anyone who has a Twitter account can follow ABQPOLICE and receive alerts sent to their cell phones or Web applications. People who don’t have Twitter accounts can view the alerts at twitter.com/ABQPOLICE.
As of late Wednesday, the Twitter account had 13 followers.
Dispatchers will be tweeting traffic accidents, road closures and all police activity that causes detours.
The first message posted on the account while it was being tested was “non-injury accident I-25 SB (southbound) at Comanche on left shoulder.”
The tweets will include alternate routes motorists can take, and whether the accidents involve injuries, so motorists can be on the lookout for ambulances. Dispatchers will try to tweet the moment a call comes in.
“We are going to tweet anything that involves road issues,” Albuquerque 911 Manager Erika Wilson said. “Any method we can use to help decrease traffic in an activity area is a good thing.”
Many public officials already use Twitter. Mayor Martin Chávez, Sheriff Darren White and Police Chief Ray Schultz have Twitter accounts. They usually post announcements such as coming city events, big arrests or political functions.
The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety and Gov. Bill Richardson also use Twitter.
Schultz said his agency is not the first in the country to use Twitter for traffic alerts. Earlier this month, he attended a seminar at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Denver about agencies using social networking Web sites like Twitter.
“It’s a new trend coming to law enforcement, and we are quickly learning about that trend,” Schultz said. “We realize how valuable people’s time is, and we figure by getting the information out, it will help people plan their trip accordingly, and more importantly, it will keep motorists’ tempers down to the minimum.”
However, police officials are discourag ing people from checking their Twitter accounts while driving. They said people should check their accounts before they leave work or home, or if they are stopped in a traffic jam.
Wilson said one person each shift will be responsible for sending out tweets over the Internet. In the future, dispatchers might tweet more events such as high-profile police activity, she said.
“There is no question people want more information about what is happening in their communities when it comes to law enforcement and crime and criminal activity,” Schultz said. “We are trying to meet that demand.”
Copyright 2009 Albuquerque Journal