WINNIPEG – Winnipeggers curious about what it’s like to ride along in a police cruiser can now find out – virtually.
The Winnipeg Police Service is hosting a virtual ride-along on Twitter on Thursday night. Those who wish to read what it’s like to spend an evening in a police cruiser can follow the WPS Twitter feed @wpgpolice or search the hashtag #E160 for a virtual ride-along.
There will likely be photos and maybe even video, said Det. Sgt. Natalie Aitken, who will be tweeting from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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“It’s a first for us,” she said, explaining the virtual ride-along will “try to give an inside look at what police officers do.”
The Winnipeg Police Service has been active on Twitter since October, and the force’s public information officers have noticed there’s interest in an inside look at what police do, Aitken said.
“We’re going to try to reach out to the citizens,” she said. “Our officers are excited about it.”
The ride-along will be with Division 11 officers on the evening shift – Aitken’s former division and shift.
E160, or Echo 160, is the shift (evening) and unit (Car 160) she’ll be doing the ride-along with, thus the hashtag #E160.
She’ll respond to as many questions tossed her way on Twitter as she can, she promised.
Aitken anticipates a few calls and doesn’t think she’ll have to stop tweeting for any reason, although she promised to protect the privacy of businesses or people they deal with.
“We’ll see how it goes,” she said.
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