THE PSNI has defended spending an estimated 33 hours a month updating Facebook pages.
Officers posting selfies and other light-hearted material alongside crime information while on patrol "adds extra value" to their work, the force said.
But police have no plans to expand their social media presence to other up-and-coming platforms such as Snapchat.
Chief Inspector Bobby Singleton said PSNI use of social media has increased public confidence in policing and "removed many of the barriers" that prevented people engaging with them. Police have also been attributing press statements to named
personnel following a direct intervention by Chief Constable George Hamilton. "While content on the pages does vary, with some light-hearted material occasionally used, it is primarily about highlighting the work done by local officers to tackle the issues that matter to local people and providing advice on how they can keep themselves and others safe," he said.
He said Facebook followers can "discuss any issues with their local police", although police urge people to phone 101 rather than through social networks. "In terms of the time taken to update social media, officers typically use mobile devices whilst they are out in the community," he said. "We feel this enhanced visibility and live-time accountability adds extra value to our existing beat and patrol activity. "At this time there are no plans to expand to other social media platforms. However, this remains under constant review."