How to engage with a riot

1. How to engage with a riot 17 May 2012

2. Ignore Block Engage The story of the riots 1. What happened? 3. The HMG response 2. The reported role of social media

3. What happened?

4. Ghost (signpost) – current chapter title... The reported role of social media (socialmediamagic.com)

5. (www.bbc.co.uk)

6. Ignore Block Engage • No countering voice to assassination tweets • Ignoring social media didn’t work… • Consider all options – including blocking networks • Blocking couldn’t work.. and the Government faced a public backlash • Make use of social media to engage • Engagement did work… but slowly and worked best where trusted networks were already in place The HMG response

7. How to engage with a riot Deputy Chief Constable Gordon Scobbie

8. Police Use of Social Media • Pre-riot • Post-riot • Future

9. Facts on social media growth • 30 million registered users on over 700 million users worldwide • Up to 400,000 people sign up to everyday • Now over 5 Billion • 90 million

10. What do we know about media users? ■ They post content online ■ Display their likes and dislikes ■ Like to take pictures and record videos ■ Can make it go viral

11. Amusing Fenton! 2 million views

12. Witness Something

13. Something they don’t like

14. Something they do!

15. To Organise Protestshttp://www.ukuncut.org.uk And to respond while at a demonstration http://twitter.com/sukeySMS

16. What is the link?

17. Connectivity

18. How have Police responded?

19. THE POLICE EVERYBODY ELSE

20. SOCIAL MEDIA REQUIRES BRAVERY

21. “Leading from the edge”

22. TWIT CAM – YOU TUBE

23. RT Protest in Dudley today, come and support #EDL #EDL don’t react to EDL lies – police say no one been attacked There are no Muslims rioting in Dudley – all quiet #EDL Protest in Dudley today, come and support #EDL RT police say There are no Muslims rioting in Dudley – all quiet #EDL #EDL police allowing muslims to attack whites in Dudley RT 100s Muslims with knives rioting in Dudley – get here! #EDL #EDL misinformation being spread by EDL – listen to police tweets #EDL no one stabbed, this is misinformation. Follow for accurate facts #EDL no one has been attacked in Dudley RT #EDL supporter stabbed by Muslim in Dudley – come and support us #EDL police say no one has been stabbed- EDL lying #EDL supporter stabbed by Muslim in Dudley Muslims with knives rioting in Dudley #EDL #EDL thank you police for accurate tweets

24. SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE

25. Google Event ■The ‘end of digital’ ■ ‘mobile first’ ■ Police – ‘Digital First’

26. Google : 4 trends SOCIAL ‘social sharing’ MOBILE smart phones VIDEO 90% of internet traffic CONVERGENCE between virtual/real

27. So what ? INSIGHT thinking, doing, saying? CONSULTATION Constant ‘beta’mode DEMOCRATISATION Collaborate outside the organisation COMMUNICATION Real time + powerful RISK Attitude must change

28. National ACPO Strategy 3 main strands • KEEPING UP • JOINING UP • LEADERSHIP

29. UK position pre-riots • National Guidance : ‘Engage’ • National strategy • Chief officers ‘leading from the front’ • External links to Digital Agenda

30. London Riots – August 2011

32. People used social media to organise

33. Imperative to engage • If no information is coming from the authorities • The gap will be plugged by speculation

34. West Midlands – Superintendent Mark Payne During Riots in Wolverhampton Used throughout to: • Update Communities • Prevent the spread of mis-information and rumour • 5000 plus new followers within 24 hours of riot

35. Police users have benefitted

36. Post-riot

37. Home Secretary’s Meeting • August 2011 • Switching off ‘not an option’ • Positive way forward • Value during crisis • Close current gaps

38. LESSONS LEARNED EVENT Tuesday 13 September 2011 Key themes • Forces who had already invested time using social media were better prepared when the disorders took place • Forces cannot deal with crisis situations and establish a meaningful social media presence at the same time

39. Recommendations • Ensure Social Media is sufficiently developed to be able to respond to challenges which arise during critical incidents • Ensure a system is in place for monitoring social media and contingency plans for increased communications support when necessary

40. Recommendations • Review ICT systems and alternative support systems to ensure resilience • Ensure investigators recognise social media works in real time • Ensure processes are in place to timely capture information posted online – supported by proper evidence gathering procedures

41. Emergent issues • NIM Review - “How do you respond to information that you don’t have time to evaluate?” ACC Sharon Rowe • HMIC Report on Riots – “We need a social media hub” – Sir Denis O’Connor, HASC • Social Media impacting on investigations – Joanna Yeates Trial

42. Trust • Public want to go to trusted sources for information • Trust best built over time

43. Deliverables • Twitter verification process • Digital landscape mapping • Skills – training and social media

44. Partnership • Government, Home Office, Police + other law enforcement agencies • SM providers involved • Enhanced capability + capacity

45. Engagement… ….is the foundation which supports: • Intelligence • Investigation

46. Capability Gaps • Lack of trained staff • Insufficient technology – to monitor, analyse and capture • No ‘local’ on-line community engagement • No pre-planned intelligence co-ordination • No 24/7 emergency contact with and

47. Next Steps

48. UK Government Strategy on Digital • ‘ Digital by default’ • Paradigm shift • Disruptive technology • Opportunistic nature

49. George Osbourne May 2011 • Changing accountability • Changing policy making • Changing public services

50. Accountability • Access to information • public voice • 3rd party analysis • UK Government – world leader in open data