Rely on credible sources, NRP says in wake of fire

Social media is a powerful tool, but one that can be very challenging as inaccurate and sometimes misleading information gets posted online, says Niagara Regional Police Const. Phil Gavin.

He says that’s why people should look to official sources when it comes to something like police investigations or major incidents such as the Vinyl Works Canada fire in Port Colborne.

“People need to listen to and seek their information from official sources, not their uncle’s friend’s cousin who heard it through another person. It cuts down on the rumours and misinformation.”

During Tuesday’s fire, numerous people were posting information, photos and videos on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media sites. Gavin says there was information going around that police were evacuating homes downwind of the fire and its large smoke plume.

“That wasn’t the case. We did have some elements of shelter in place and maybe in the early stages officers were going to residences near the scene,” says Gavin, adding people could have easily misinterpreted those visits as residents being forced to evacuate their homes.

That kind of information was what prompted him to post to the NRP’s official Twitter account that said: “As the numerous community, 1st responder & government agencies work through #PtcFebFire we ask you to get your info. from official, directly involved sources. Reduces misinformation & rumours. We will continue to share info. as we can. @portcolborne @NiagaraRegion @ Port_ Fire”

Gavin said it’s part of the social media training for police to refer people to official and credible sources, whether it be them, a fire service or municipality. It’s a way to keep rumours from spreading.

“We know we have an audience … we want to direct people to those who are actively engaged in the incident. In this case, it would have been the City of Port Colborne or Port Colborne Fire.”

While police played a supporting role at the fire scene, the service tweeted out the areas where it had roads closed down, and retweeted information put out by Niagara Region, Port Colborne and Town of Fort Erie on the fire.

From a police perspective, information posted to social media can potentially cause trouble during an investigation, Gavin says.

“There are well- meaning people who share what we call holdback information on social media with the intention of explaining what happened. That can compromise the integrity of an investigation.”

That holdback information, he said, can be used to test the truthfulness of people investigators come across during an investigation.