Fifers have been urged to report crimes to the police rather than taking to social media.
SNP councillor Sam Steele said too many people are venting about incidents on Facebook instead of speaking to officers and allowing them to investigate.
The Rosyth councillor’s comment came as police issued an appeal for information about an attempted fire-raising in the town.
A man on a bicycle threw an object against the shutters of a takeaway in Queensferry Road in the early hours of Friday May 18.
The item briefly caught fire before immediately extinguishing but it caused minor damage to the shopfront.
Officers fear it could have had far more serious consequences and are taking the matter seriously.
But while they have appealed for witnesses to come forward, they have refused to name the shop at the owner’s request.
Ms Steele said she was glad to hear the incident had at least been reported by the victim.
“Recently I’ve seen numerous things posted on various Facebook pages and people think that’s enough,” she said.
“The police can’t take action until there’s an official incident number.”
She added: “It’s really concerning. There seem to be more and more things happening like this – wheelie bins have been set on fire in the woods and there have been other things as well.
“People really should phone 101 and ask the police to investigate.”
The May 18 incident on Queensferry Road happened sometime between 12.10am and 12.25am and police are trying to trace a man in his late teens or early 20s.
He was wearing a dark hooded top and riding a grey or silver pedal bike.
Sergeant Neil McGurk of the community investigation unit said: “Thankfully this object did not result in the building catching fire or we would have had a far more serious incident to investigate.
“We are, however, treating this matter very seriously and would urge anyone who remembers seeing any suspicious activity around the takeaway during the early hours of Friday May 18 to contact police immediately.
“In addition, anyone with information that can help us identify the culprit should also get in touch.”
