From making memes and reels to conducting live sessions, Delhi Police have found the effective use of social media.
From making memes using clips from popular Bollywood movies to Instagram reels to conducting interactive sessions online, the Delhi Police is tapping into the latest social media trends to connect with the public, spread awareness about cyber and financial crimes, and showcase its citizen-centric initiatives.
On February 3, Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana interacted with Delhiites on Twitter, informing them about the new initiatives launched by the force, among other things.
On February 4, the Delhi Police held a live 'Ask Me Anything' session on Twitter focusing on cyber safety.
Making the most of Valentine's Week craze, in a post on the occasion of Promise Day on February 8, the police appealed to people to make a promise to themselves to dial emergency number 112 if they see anyone in distress.
Behind this creative work is the Delhi Police's Social Media Centre, which is supervised by the Special Branch unit.
The Social Media Centre team comprises youngsters from creative and technical backgrounds. None of them is aged above 35, officials said.
The team keeps track of social media trends, watches the latest Bollywood movies and follows the news to be able to create engaging content. It also analyses the public feedback to its work, they said.
The idea, the officials said, is to connect better with the public so that they do not hesitate to approach the police for help and convey things in a language they will easily understand.
"The Delhi Police aspires to continue informing and empowering the people it serves. Social media is one of the greatest tools for mass communication and public relations we have today. We are glad to tap into this opportunity in an effective way. It's in line with our citizen-centric approach," Asthana told PTI.
"Social media is not only the future but the present of information flow. For us, it is a way to take policing to the last mile and give citizens 24x7 accessibility to us," he said.
The Delhi Police's Twitter handle has 6,83,000 followers, while the Instagram handle has only 4,011 followers.
In the coming months, the focus will be on generating awareness about cybercrimes and the safety of women and children, among other important issues of public interest, the officials said.
There are also plans to create more content for Instagram, including Reels, to improve engagement, they said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) Suman Nalwa said social media is an excellent way to communicate and exchange information.
"We invite people to come forward and use it (social media) to know more about us and the services provided by us. We encourage people to participate and make full use of this opportunity through our AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions, infographics and messages," she said.
The Delhi Police is also using social media to check rumour-mongering and the spread of fake news.
Information related to important events and sensitive crimes is now promptly posted on its Twitter handle with district officers sharing updates to prevent rumours or fake news from spreading.
"In the new age, it would be a missed opportunity if we do not adapt to social media. The Delhi Police has a modern, forward-looking and progressive approach and it also has more responsibilities being responsible for the national capital and handling different challenges on a daily basis," a senior police officer said.
To tackle fake news, another officer said, the first step is to identify it, issue a rebuttal, share the correct information and appeal to the public to prevent anti-social elements from disturbing peace and harmony.
Posts that used clips from Bollywood movies or popular film dialogues to educate the public about the importance of wearing face masks or protecting OTP for banking transactions, etc., have been able to catch people's attention and received a good response, the officials said.
To depict the importance of wearing a mask to contain the spread of viruses, the police recently used a clip from the popular Hindi film "Main Hoon Na" wherein actor Satish Shah's character is seen spitting while having a conversation with actor Shah Rukh Khan's character.
Among the various social media initiatives launched by the Delhi Police are 'Ask Me Anything' and Live Twitter sessions and 'Know Your Delhi Police' quiz session.
Another such initiative is 'Kissa Khaki Ka'. As part of this, stories about 'Bravehearts of Delhi Police' are shared on social media to boost the morale of police personnel and tell people about the daily challenges faced by them.