Rotorua police are using Facebook to help catch criminals.
A Facebook page titled Rotorua Police was set up in May as an extra tool to help police combat crime.
The page, which has more than 700 ``likes'', posts CCTV footage of suspected thieves and also several warning messages for members of the community.
Inspector Ed Van Den Broek said the page was set up to help solve crimes.
"The police can't solve crime, prevent crime and keep communities safe single-handedly; it is a partnership and social media is a fantastic platform for us to engage directly with the community to seek their help and to support their needs in a way that is far-reaching,'' he said.
"Bay of Plenty District has taken a lead role in helping to drive forward police use of social media nationally. Approximately 85 per cent of the New Zealand population is online and approximately a quarter of online activity is social media, so we would be naive not to tap into this valuable communication tool.''
The page is monitored by a selection of staff, including police officers and the district communi cations manager, which Mr Van Den Broek said ensured the page's management didn't impact on the capability of frontline staff.
He said the bulk of the information posted on the page was appeals for information, appeals for help in identifying and tracking down offenders and information about initiatives police were working on and their successes.
"The page is monitored regularly throughout the week and information is posted as and when appropriate content becomes available.
"It is quality, rather than quantity, that is important as it has to be information that is relevant to the online audience and has the best potential to assist the community and reap the best results.''
Mr Van Den Broek said the public response to the page had been extremely positive.
``Last week saw 275 additional people registering their `like' of the page and the total reach was 15,592 people, a 350 per cent increase on the previous week,'' he said.
``Those results have been achieved without any proactive promotion of the page which demon strates the power of having a social media presence.''
The page has also proved beneficial with police getting information which has led to the ``apprehension of wanted people'' and has also helped police identify offenders.
``The fact that the page is generating conversations within the online community about the work of Rotorua police is a benefit in itself.''
Mr Van Den Broek said any communication tool which helped police to reassure the community and prevent and detect crime had to be considered a success.
``Methods of communication continually evolve and we need to be part of that evolution so that we are always tapping into the most suitable and relevant means of engaging with our communities.''
He said members and locals were encouraged to ``like'' the page.
``The increased popularity of the page in recent weeks has been self-perpetuating, demonstrating the power of the online community and the benefits of organisations having a social media presence,'' he said.
``It is important that people remember that the page is not monitored 24/7 and is not a means for reporting crime.
``If you need to report a crime you should contact your local police station and if immediate and urgent assistance is required dial 111.''