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Local policing was the “bedrock” of West Midlands Police’s ability to restore calm to the region; after the August disorder in Birmingham and elsewhere.
Chief Constable Chris Sims presented his report about the disorder to the Police Authority.
A video of the chief constable presenting his report is available on West Midlands Police YouTube site. To watch the video visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts2CxrCK3xQ.
Mr Sims praised the ties between local police officers and their communities, which he believed was a key factor in helping to bring order back Birmingham, Wolverhampton and West Bromwich.
The chief went on to talk about the changing tactics to suit the changing situation during the disorder, and paid tribute to all of the officers from other forces that supported West Midlands Police.
When asked about the lessons learned Mr Sims acknowledged that he would like to develop more flexibility of the approach of the force, and re-emphasised the importance of community connections and the importance of social media.
In what was thought to be another first, social media users were able to keep up-to-date with the meeting, as West Midlands Police covered it live on the internet. While the audience of 100 listened to the report and the questions from the Authority, Tweets were sent throughout the meeting with highlights as the Mr Sims presented his report to the members of the authority.
And for the first time, police were also blogging live from the event, giving followers a summary of what was being said at the meeting.
The live blogging also gave users the opportunity to ask questions about the meeting, and gave them the opportunity to express their opinions about the disorder through live polls.
West Midlands Police are now asking social media users to give feedback about the communication during the event. Send your messages to @WMPolice using #wmpameet.
Deputy Chief Constable Dave Thompson said: "We always want to encourage more people to attend meetings about policing, and these online updates are perfect to give the people who can’t attend an opportunity to participate.
"We will now evaluate the response from our social media followers and look for other opportunities to use this technology."
