{"256381":{"#nid":"256381","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTPD cultivates campus relations on Reddit","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Police Department doesn\u2019t have many people wandering into its Hemphill Avenue headquarters to profess their love for the police force. But on Reddit, this has become fairly common.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbout a year ago, GTPD created a profile and began posting in the Georgia Tech subreddit. Since then, it has developed a presence that\u2019s been both useful in policing and lauded by many of the more than 4,500 users.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIs it okay to say that I love you guys?\u201d one user commented to a post by GTPD earlier this month.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECrime Prevention Officer Preston Moss, the primary voice behind the GTPD Reddit account, said the forum provides an opportunity for more lighthearted communication with students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re much more whimsical on Reddit,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be lecturing people there.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThough he tries not to \u201cspam,\u201d Moss sometimes posts about upcoming GTPD events. Earlier this month, he posted that October is Crime Prevention Month, with a simple reminder about the \u201cSee Something? Say Something?\u201d motto the department has adopted from the Department of Homeland Security. In the spring, he posted a brief note that officers would be tabling outside Clough Commons during final exams, with treats as well as safety tips for those studying late at night. One commenter took the opportunity to give a commendation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI have so much respect for the GTPD,\u201d the user said. \u201cYou are always looking out for us. I know it\u2019s your job, but your incredible commitment to the task is enormously commendable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA few officers and a student assistant help monitor the account, with Moss being the primary poster. He\u2019s found that people speak more directly when they have anonymity, creating a sort of pressure relief valve for campus and providing an opportunity for police to chime in and provide additional information when possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELately, while doing in-person presentations, Moss has noticed students asking questions based on Reddit threads. Students often will post descriptions of situations playing out on campus, asking others for more information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost posts are related to general questions or issues, but more serious issues bubble up as well. In a situation where a student was posting about potentially harming himself, Moss reached out through a private message, to which the student responded, enabling Moss to refer him to campus resources where he could get help.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn general, the Reddit community has been a goldmine of information for GTPD about the goings-on around campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt helps us find out about things we otherwise may not see,\u201d Moss said. Though many Reddit users thrive on anonymity, Moss doesn\u2019t mind it being known that he\u2019s the one at the keyboard; he likes students to have an idea of who they\u2019re talking to.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Crime Prevention unit oversees all of GTPD\u2019s social media accounts and shares relevant information with the rest of the department. The training unit keeps in close contact for access to knowledge that could be beneficial in training new officers. They consider Reddit a way to read the \u201cpulse\u201d of campus.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Police Department doesn\u2019t have many people wandering into its Hemphill Avenue headquarters to profess their love for the police force. But on Reddit, this has become fairly common.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech Police Department utilizes several social media resources to connect with students.  One of those social media resources happens to be Reddit, which has allowed us to connect with students, hear concerns, and find solutions."}],"uid":"27877","created_gmt":"2013-11-20 16:38:01","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:25","author":"Bradley Latham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-11-20T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2013-11-20T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"246991":{"id":"246991","type":"image","title":"Moss Monitors Reddit","body":null,"created":"1449243758","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:42:38","changed":"1475894924","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:44","alt":"Moss Monitors Reddit","file":{"fid":"197952","name":"moss_reddit.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/moss_reddit_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/moss_reddit_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4672942,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/moss_reddit_0.jpg?itok=Flr6fSfF"}},"246281":{"id":"246281","type":"image","title":"Gatech Reddit","body":null,"created":"1449243758","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:42:38","changed":"1475894924","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:48:44","alt":"Gatech Reddit","file":{"fid":"197927","name":"t5_2r8t2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t5_2r8t2_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/t5_2r8t2_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":8103,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/t5_2r8t2_0.png?itok=n0UjARre"}}},"media_ids":["246991","246281"],"groups":[{"id":"1303","name":"GT Police Department"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"80541","name":"\/r\/gatech"},{"id":"2543","name":"GTPD"},{"id":"1773","name":"police"},{"id":"75211","name":"reddit"},{"id":"167543","name":"social media"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKristen Bailey\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["kristen.bailey@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}