Thames Valley Police have entered the world of social networking by launching their own Facebook page.

The page will act as a gateway for Facebook users in the Thames Valley to engage with their police force and find out how to support Force campaigns and priorities.

It will feature regular news updates, witness appeals and video clips alongside contact details, neighbourhood crime statistics and information on how to report a crime.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Rowell said: “The Policing Pledge requires us to provide regular information on what we are doing to make neighbourhoods safer, along with crime mapping statistics and updates on how the Force is performing.

“Our presence on Facebook allows us to provide this to an audience who might otherwise not receive it.

“In addition, we can explore whether this could be an effective way through which our neighbourhood teams can interact with the communities they serve.”

Roy Probert, acting head of corporate information, said: “We should not underestimate the growing popularity of social networking among the general population. Our presence on Facebook will complement the coverage we get in the traditional media. It’s also a great way of reaching people with specific interests – whether that’s their local community or a particular issue.

“Young people access information in a different way to their parents’ generation and have been notoriously hard for us to reach. Facebook offers us a new way of interacting with them, especially around issues that are important to them, such as knife crime, alcohol-related disorder or being safe on the internet.”

Prior to the public launch, more than 300 people had become ‘fans’ of Thames Valley Police’s Facebook page.

The development of social networking follows the successful use of Facebook and Twitter during and after the Safe Drive Stay Alive programme of road safety events throughout Thames Valley over the past year.

Young people who watched the hard-hitting road safety production were signposted towards a Safe Drive Stay Alive website, Twitter feed and Facebook page.

Once there, students could enter competitions, give feedback and receive road safety advice and their comments have helped shape the event to make it as effective as possible.