Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana Shares Experience Using Social Media to Pursue Wanted Persons

Louisiana – Louisiana sheriff’s office shares their experience using social media to pursue wanted persons.

The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office (UPSO) reported that according to recent research, an estimated 70% of American adults will use social media by 2021. The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office is taking advantage of this by using social media to help apprehend wanted individuals. UPSO deputies recently began creating social media campaigns to clear outstanding felony warrants. The Warrants Division looks for wanted people in their last known location and wherever that leads. When a suspect cannot be found, they are listed as a wanted person on the agency’s Facebook page and the UPSO smartphone app. The public is then encouraged to contact UPSO if they have any information on the whereabouts of the wanted person.

“Social media is a dynamic tool and can be very effective for crowdsourcing investigative leads.” said Sheriff Dusty Gates, who approved the initiative. Social media offers rates of speed and reach unrivaled by other law enforcement communication methods, consigning the days of posting a wanted poster at the post office to the past. The sheriff’s office’s posts can be shared on Facebook, and they have reached a large audience with tangible results.

UPSO began posting wanted people on the agency’s social media platforms in December 2022. In the first seven weeks of operation, these campaigns were successful, yielding twelve felony arrests. The posts consistently reach an audience of 10,000 or more on Facebook, with some reaching over 50,000. Those who share these posts significantly increase the reach and effectiveness of the sheriff’s office content, and Sheriff Gates thanks them.

“We value our relationship with our citizens and always appreciate when individuals can assist us with our investigations.” says Gates.

The sheriff’s office went on to say that local media outlets, in addition to citizens sharing the posts, have been assisting in spreading the word. Local newspapers have been extremely helpful in assisting UPSO by disseminating information to their readers, both online and in print. Additionally, mugshots and warrant information have been shared on local television news segments.

www.UnionSheriff.com contains links to the UPSO’s Facebook page and smartphone app. When new information is shared, the app sends push notifications to your phone. It is available for free download on both the Android and Apple iOS operating systems.