The Richmond (Va.) Police Department has been recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police as a leading user of social media.
The agency began using social media sites to communicate with the public in 2008. The agency has accounts in almost every social media outlet, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Ustream.
"We're in every home that has a computer," Police Chief Bryan Norwood told NBC12. "We're in every palm that has a smart phone and people have access to us in a way that hasn't been done before.