They call this the Information Age, but the name seems inaccurate. In the chaotic, no-holds-barred world of social media, it becomes difficult to tell information from misinformation, fact from fiction, rumour from actuality.
Such was the case at the end of June, during the well-publicized ‘police situation’ in Athabasca’s Cornwall neighbourhood.
In hindsight, police can say that there was never any threat to the general public. But that evening, as the situation was unfolding, it was unclear how dangerous it was. And that lead to speculation and some criticism, that night and in the weeks since, regarding how RCMP handled communications during the incident.
RCMP issued a smattering of social media messages and a couple of vague new releases during the incident, but the official communication almost became lost amongst the other social media traffic surrounding the incident. In the end, many area residents were left feeling woefully uninformed about a situation that was taking place literally on their doorsteps.
Police are in a tough spot in these situations. They must weigh the public’s need and desire for information against their own need to maintain safety and conduct a successful investigation. And then they must assess the best way to share information, given the fluidity of the situation and limited resources.
Was the RCMP’s handling of the Cornwall situation ideal? Not likely. But hopefully they will learn from it and adapt their practices, should such an unfortunate and tragic incident happen again.
