The document summarizes the Boston Police Department's use of social media to communicate with the public during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. It discusses how BPD used Twitter and Facebook to provide accurate information to residents and correct misinformation. BPD's social media presence and engagement with citizens prior to the bombings helped them effectively lead conversations during the crisis and manhunt. The strategies helped build community and reduce panic. Evaluations found BPD's factual, timely posts built trust and engaged the public to improve safety.

1. Shaping Social Media as a Crisis Communication Tool:
How the Boston Police Department Communicated after the
2013 Boston Marathon Bombings
Nicholas Tancredi | Professor Bufe
PBRL 5380 | 20 October 2017
Photo via Jared Wickerham/Getty Images (Bar-Tur article)

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Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………3
Campaign……………………………………………………………………...4
Problem Statement…………………………………………………………….4
Situation Analysis……………………………………………………………..4
Goals…………………………………………………………………………..5
Audiences and Publics………………………………………………………...6
Objectives……………………………………………………………………...8
Strategies and Tactics………………………………………………………….9
Evaluating Campaign Success………………………………………………...10

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Introduction
The Boston Police Department (BPD) began when the people of the town of Boston
organized a Watch in 1631. Shortly after that, “the Town Meeting assumed control of the Watch
in 1636.Watchmen patrolled the streets of Boston at night to protect the public from criminals,
wild animals, and fire” (bpdnews). The watchmen’s responsibilities grew along with the town,
and in 1822, the town became the City of Boston. In 1854, the City replaced watch organizations
with the Boston Police Department, which consisted of 250 officers (bpdnews). In 1997, the
BPD constructed a state-of-the-art facility, which is near the geographic midpoint of the city
(bpdnews).
Over the past forty years, Boston has experienced a strong decrease in its overall crime
rate. Throughout its history, the BPD has used innovative strategies and partnerships in order to
protect all those in Boston, and has served as a role model for police departments all over the
country (bpdnews). BPD’s mission statement says that it “is dedicated to working in partnership
with the community to fight crime, reduce fear and improve the quality of life in our
neighborhoods. Our Mission is Community Policing” (bpdnews).
The public relations efforts of the BPD consists of using a blog called bpdnews.com to
stay in contact with citizens and inform them of current wanted subjects, crime statistics,
community events, arrests, as well as police news. The BPD also uses social media to stay in
contact with citizens, specifically Facebook and Twitter. The department’s Twitter account was
created in 2009 and was originally used to publish safety instructions during the St. Patrick’s
Day parade. The BPD expanded its social-media presence onto Facebook, YouTube videos-
streaming site UStream. These social media accounts are handled by the Bureau of Public
Information, with three officers that are responsible for the content (Haddow and Haddow).

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Campaign
This campaign focuses on the crisis communication efforts of the BPD just after the
Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013, and how the BPD used social media to
communicate with citizens. The BPD corrected wrong information from news media and citizen
Twitter posts, and took note of leads about the bombers received from members of the
community. The BPD primarily used Twitter to communicate with citizens, especially when
heavy cell phone usage caused slow and delayed service (Haddow and Haddow).
Problem Statement
The Boston Police Department (BPD) faced a host of misinformation on social media
sites when the bombs went off at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013.
Situation Analysis
At 2:49p.m. on April 15, 2013, at the height of Boston’s annual Marathon, two bombs
exploded near the finish line, and killed three people and injured more than 260 others. What
followed was an extraordinary manhunt, which included a shelter-in-place request from the
governor that virtually shut down the city, and the use of social media by the BPD was a key
communications tool to keep the media and frightened citizens informed with accurate
information about what was going on (Newcombe).
The social media communication methods used after the Boston Marathon bombings was
not sporadic. Boston police commissioner Ed Davis emphasized community relations, and the
BPD entered the conversation immediately because they knew the chatter about the investigation
would happen with or without them (Bar-Tur). Commissioner Davis and public information
chief Cheryl Fiandaca, who headed up Boston PD’s social media efforts, accomplished
something that no police department has done before, which lead the conversation with citizens

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in a time of crisis. Moreover, they also listened, which was a step that is more remarkable than it
sounds for many large organizations, let alone law enforcement agencies, and used Twitter to
track and correct the misinformation spread by media outlets (Bar-Tur).
The engagement between police and citizens was not something caused by the bombings;
it was built up slowly, and took a lot of effort. Even before the BPD’s follower count spiked the
week of the bombings from 40,000 to 300,000, the department boasted more Twitter followers
than most of the area’s local media. Police leadership in Boston thought about how to directly
incorporate social media into a broader mission of promoting safety, and at the same time,
reduce fear, all while connecting with the community (Bar-Tur).
Engagement will continue to endure well after the bombings, because Boston PD gave
the online community timely information and a sense of trust and familiarity. As community
conversations move from the coffee shops and parks, to Twitter feeds and chats rooms, BPD’s
online presence helped reinvent the whole
notion of community policing for the 21st
century (Bar-Tur). If there is one thing BPD
proved in the aftermath of the bombings, it
was that “true engagement does not arise in a
time of crisis, but through preparation well
ahead of crisis” (Bar-Tur).
The goals of using social media networks for the BPD, was to communicate accurate
information with Boston residents, as well as connect with them about issues in their
communities. BPD bureau chief of public information Cheryl Fiandaca stated, “We’re not in the
business of sensationalizing or trying to create emotions. The goal with Twitter was to provide

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useful and accurate information that would encourage public safety” (Swann). The BPD is
redesigning its blog and website, and creating a new mobile app and adding live chats with BPD
members, such as the commissioner (Swann). Fiandaca adds, “We’ll be thinking of new ways to
keep all the followers we gained” (Swann).
The key to gaining followers on social media is that the content needs to be interesting,
sharable, and most importantly, it needs to create conversations. When those conversations are
taking place, the proper staff needs to be in a position to quickly respond in a voice and a tone
that is friendly and professional. Boring and robotic language should be avoided. It is also
important to remember that an individual’s online relationship with local government heavily
relies on the connection the person makes with an agency’s brand, by that measure, the tone of
voice that is connected to that brand (Hsiung).
A successful government social media coordinator’s job is to work every day to make
sure their constituents have positive experiences with the organization online. These are the same
expectations that public sector agencies would have for their front-line employees who work
with the public (Hsiung). Not only did the BPD prove that it was successful at community
relations, but it also showed the world that it could successfully communicate in an emergency
situation through social media, and be consistent at the same time.
The audiences and publics are the residents of Boston, including the media as well. In
the aftermath of the bombings, residents of Boston used social media to retweet information that
was posted on BPD’s Twitter page. Moreover, the BPD also used its Facebook page to publish
images of the suspects, license plate information to support a BOLO (“Be On The Lookout”), a
map of the cordoned-off area in the immediate aftermath of the explosions, maps that directed

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the media to conferences and approved parking areas, including updates about public transit
service interruptions related to the investigation (Davis, Alves, and Sklansky).
In the days following the bombings, the BPD used their Facebook page to memorialize
and give condolences and support to survivors. Early postings of the suspects’ images were
shared more than 6,500 times. The postings that gained most interaction, with more than 35,000
“likes” was a message from media officer James Kenneally returning thanks to members of the
public who had sent in encouraging and supportive correspondence: “We hear you. We thank
you. God bless you” (Davis, Alves, and Sklansky).
Social media became a way for the BPD to pass along information about the bombings
directly to the public, and after the bombings, BPD’s social media communication paid off. “The
two suspects in the bombings were identified, corners and captured through the grand scale
dissemination and collection of information, photos and videos through social media. Twitter,
Facebook and Internet websites all are credited with the effort” (Haddow and Haddow). In the
end, the public’s connections to each other, as well as to technology, was a huge factor in
breaking the case (Haddow and Haddow).
Moreover, FBI special agent Richard DesLauriers stated, “Today we are enlisting the
public’s help in identifying the two suspects” (Haddow and Haddow). The photos released by the
FBI of Suspect 1 and Suspect 2, before they were known by name, were instantaneously tweeted
and re-tweeted, searched and shared on Facebook. Thousands of marathon onlookers looked
through their cell phone photos and videos, in order to see if they could match the suspects,
which were later identified as brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev (Haddow and
Haddow).

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BPD’s objectives in working with social media was to enhance communication channels
between residents and police. BPD bureau chief of public information Cheryl Fiandaca has
experience working as a television news reporter, and used that experience to put together the
social media plan for the city. While the BPD always provided the “good news” about what they
were doing, Fiandaca started sharing updates on important crime investigations.
Fiandaca said, “I wanted us to become a news organization in addition to being a police
department. If you want to know about something that’s happening [with the police], we want to
be the source. You don’t have to go to any of the news stations; you don’t have to read the
newspaper. You read our blog [or] follow us on Twitter to get up-to-date on the big news stories”
(Swann).
Additionally, social media was also used to keep law enforcement officers safe,
especially after reporters and members of the public began tweeting from police scanner reports,
and giving away the location of officers involved in the manhunt. While local media knew not to
do this, there were media networks in Boston from all over the country. To make sure the
location of officers was not given away, the BPD put out media alerts through social media,
warning them not to give away the location
of officers, or compromise officer safety or
tactics by broadcasting live video of
officers while approaching search
locations. This “polite scolding” was
retweeted more than 20,000 times, which
was higher than any other tweet at that
time (Haddow and Haddow).

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The strategies and tactics used by the BPD consisted of Twitter communications with
the public about the bombers that were still on the loose, and asked residents to be vigilant and
report tips, video or photos that would help the investigation. Additionally, the tactics used by
the BPD flowed through the Boston community in positive ways as well, and social media
brought people together, and built a sense of community. People used social media to offer
strangers lodging, food or a hot shower, when roads and hotels were closed. People also offered
prayers and sympathy for the racers and the people
of Boston. The hashtag #prayforboston trended on
Twitter and Topsy reported that from 4:30 p.m. to
5:30 p.m. more than 75,000 tweets mentioned “Pray
for Boston.” According to Adam Gaffin, editor of
Universal Hub, a community news and information
site for the Boston area, “People were sharing as a
community and grieving online. Social media
brought people together. That wouldn’t have
happened a few years ago” (Haddow and Haddow).
After three days without any suspects in police custody, the FBI released videos and stills
of two suspects, who were later identified as brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The
BPD also tweeted images, which thousands
of followers retweeted to their social
networks, and tweeted three more
photographs of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
throughout the day on Friday, April 19. The

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first photo depicting a younger Dzhokhar, generated more than 20,000 retweets, while an
updated one received more than 26,000 retweets. Another photo of Dzhokhar in a hoodie from a
convenience store surveillance video generated almost 11,500 retweets (Swann).
When the second bomber was caught, this tweet went out, and it was retweeted almost
124,000 times. At about 5:50 p.m. on Friday April 19, 2013, the BPD tweeted “CAPTURED!!!
The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has one. Suspect is in
custody” (@bostonpolice). One of the
Boston police officers who was behind
the social media content said it best,
“We don’t break the news. We are the
news” (Haddow and Haddow).
Evaluating Campaign Success
BPD bureau chief of public information Cheryl Fiandaca said that Twitter was a valuable
tool for managing the information, and was a huge aid to BPD, to “connect directly with the
community” (Swann). The public information department responded to all requests as quickly as
they could. BPD’s tweets, including its followers’ retweets built a cohesive community, reduced
panic, and engaged the public during the search for suspects and kept Boston residents safe. The
factual tone, and attention of accuracy made BPD a vital and trusted source of news (Swann).
The BPD had a trained communications manager on staff who oversaw the Twitter and
Facebook activity throughout the investigation. This kept accurate and relevant information
flowing smoothly, which was one of the reasons the Media Relations Office had a great leeway
in deciding what to publish, including a high degree of access to command teams of the agencies
involved (Davis, Alves, and Sklansky).

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Social media websites are easy to measure, such as counting retweets, fans and “likes,”
views and subscribers, including total impressions. Even though it is simple to compare the
numbers put together by different departments, that should not be the way social media activity
should be measured in a public safety agency (Davis, Alves, and Sklansky). What made the
social media messages successful following the bombings, is that the BPD put together a plan to
communicate with citizens in the community, and were doing so before the bombings occurred.
Overall, the question should not be how extensively, visibly or artfully the police use
social media, but how effective the police are making use of social media, including all the other
tools at their disposal, all to improve the lives of the people they serve (Davis, Alves, and
Sklansky). The true measureable results were the ways the BPD was able to gain community
trust, keep officers safe, and maintain public safety, as well as going above-and-beyond to
implement their innovative communication strategy.
“Social media is not the future of communication. Social media is the way communities
network now. Those who are not effectively using digital platforms to the best of their abilities
are not only falling behind, they are losing the ability to maximize connectivity with their
residents. An organization’s digital footprint, and
the connectivity it brings to its residents, provides
cohesiveness to many residents and
neighborhoods, especially at a time where fewer
neighbors take the time to get to know each other
in person” (Hsiung).

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Works Cited
ABC News. Police officers guard the entrance to Franklin street. 2014. Online. Police Chief
Describes Dramatic Firefight With Boston Marathon Suspects.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/police-chief-describes-dramatic-firefight-boston-marathon-
suspects/story?id=23260856. Accessed 29 September. 2017.
Bar-Tur, Yael. “Boston Police Schooled Us All on Social Media.” Mashable.
http://mashable.com/2013/04/22/boston-police-social-media/#WqTuspLLAsq2. 22 April.
2013. Web. 26 August. 2017.
bpbnews.com. “History.” Boston Police Department. http://bpdnews.com/history/. n.d. Web. 30
August. 2017.
bpdnews.com. “Mission Statement.” Boston Police Department. http://bpdnews.com/mission-
and-objectives/. n.d. Web. 30 August. 2017.
Davis, Edward F. III, Alejandro A. Alves, and Davis Alan Sklansky. “Social Media and Police
Leadership: Lessons From Boston.” New Perspectives in Policing Bulletin.
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/244760.pdf. March 2014. pp. 1-24.
Haddow, George & Kim Haddow. “Social Media and the Boston Marathon Bombings: A Case
Study.” Disaster Communications in a Changing Media World.
http://scitechconnect.elsevier.com/social-marathon. 4 June. 2015. Web. 26 August. 2017.
Hsiung, Chris. “Use Social Media to Engage Your Community.” International City/County
Management Association.” https://icma.org/articles/your-social-media-strategy. 27 July.
2017. Web. 22 August. 2017.

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KUOW. Despite reports to the contrary there has not been an arrest in the Marathon attack.
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http://kuow.org/post/twitter-lessons-boston-marathon-bombings. Accessed 29 September.
2017.
Newcombe, Tod. “Social Media: Big Lessons from the Boston Marathon Bombing.”
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Lessons-from-the-Boston-Marathon-Bombing.html. 24 September. 2014. Web. 26 August.
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Swann, Patricia. “How the Boston Police Used Twitter During a Time of Terror.” Public
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e_Used_Twitter_During_a_Time_o#.Wa-QltOGP3A. 24 May. 2013. Web. 22 August.
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University of Washington. Network Graph. 2014. Online. Hold that RT: Much misinformation
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September. 2017.
@bostonpolice. “CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And
justice has one. Suspect is in custody.” Twitter. 19 April. 2013. 5:58 p.m.,
https://twitter.com/bostonpolice/status/325413032110989313.