"It's very simple to use real time"

The Globe West section of today's paper has an article on local police departments use of Twitter featuring Franklin and Wellesey!

This immediacy drew Wellesley and Franklin police into the fold in 2007, ahead of many departments nationwide.

"We started it to keep the public up to date on traffic conditions, especially the morning and afternoon routes," said Wellesley Sergeant Scott Whittemore. "I was trying to figure out a way to put information out there in real time, and Twitter answered the call."

At the time, it was "kind of a radical idea," Whittemore said. "People didn't know what Twitter was. Now, we're hearing, 'You guys were really on the forefront.' "

"It's catching on like wildfire in the police and fire department communities," said Gary Premo, communications director for the Franklin Police Department. "It's a unique way of using a service not meant for police."

Read the full article on the police use of Twitter in the Boston Globe here

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