Police use the page, launched in 2010, to share messages about a range of issues including crime reports, public warnings and major event information with the community.

The organisation’s page also has the most followers of any emergency service in NSW.

Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said while traditional media outlets were a long-standing tool police use to help with investigations, the immediacy and interaction of Facebook has consistently proven to be highly beneficial.

“The site allows us to update the public on the good work of police officers across the state and to inform people of important incidents in their local area,” she said.

“We’ve also found great success in utilising the platform to share pertinent information in a timely manner, which has proven very valuable in missing person cases and state emergencies.”

The public is reminded not to use social media pages to report crimes. Call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers .com.au/. Or contact your local police station.