Tayside Police are to launch a smartphone app to fight crime.
Officers will from next month regularly update Facebook and Twitter pages with real-time accounts of what they encounter on their beats.
They will also be able to communicate with the public about crime and safety.
The online development aims to open new ways to communicate with the public and it is hoped will improve public confidence.
Sarah Craig, head of digital media and communications at Tayside Police, said: ”Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are fast becoming the communication method of choice for an entire generation of Scots.
”This makes it essential for police forces to keep pace with developing technology and embrace these tools. If citizens want to speak to public services via the internet, it is beholden on us to listen to them.”
She said the app is not a replacement for 999 calls or any existing ways for the public to report crime or pass on information. It is a way to reach out to a group of people who might not have considered contacting the police before.
Tayside Police have over 21,000 followers on Facebook, but some have expressed concerns about the nature of some of the information shared there by posters.
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