KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pinterest. It’s the fastest-growing social media site on the Internet, and now the Kansas City Missouri Police Department is part of it.
But what is it?
Think of a virtual scrapbook, or cork board where you “pin” pictures of your favorite things: foods, books, quotes, fashion — the list goes on. Pinterest is exploding with a collection of things people find interesting and inspiring.
So how exactly will law enforcement use it? They don’t make cupcakes. They don’t create skirts out of cute fabric. They don’t get polka dots painted on their nails and post pictures online. They bust bad guys. They shoot guns. They give speeding tickets — (trust me, I know).
Kansas City Police Chief Darryl Forté said in a recent blog that his department is one of the first police departments in the country to use Pinterest.
“KCPD hopes to use it to inspire citizens to prevent crime and partner with police,” Forté writes. “Pinterest will complement KCPD’s other social media, including the Chief’s Blog, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. It also aims to reach out to other groups, such as more female users. According to Internet Marketing Inc., 80 percent of Pinterest users are women.”
He’s right. Pinterest is predominantly used by women. One way KCPD’s Pinterest account hopes to tap into that demographic is by having a pin board that highlights its female officers.
Other pin boards include one that showcases the department’s sense of humor with funny, yet informative, YouTube videos. Others include pictures of men in black, armed and in action on the streets.
The pin board with the most pins is one that features the various departments under the umbrella of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and their contact information — that, and a board dedicated to their fuzzy friends.
While void of the typical pins of favorite home decor or the latest wedding trends, KCPD is thinking outside the box, rebelling, if you will, against Pinterest’s motto of organizing and sharing “all the beautiful things you find on the web”.
Who says police work can’t be beautiful? Chief Forté and his team just may prove Pinterest wrong.