ABSTRACT

This article provides an analysis of the ‘affordances’ and ‘constraints’ of technology-mediated police-community engagement in the United Kingdom (UK). Whilst there has been optimism that social media may transform police communicative practice and help democratise policing, studies suggest that this potential has yet to be realised. Drawing on in-depth interviews with communications professionals, the article demonstrates that social media may afford constabularies visibility, editability, and association. However, organisational, individual and technological factors influence whether these affordances are achieved. This article adds to the literature by demonstrating how citizen engagement with mediated communication is not inevitable. It is instead a product of what the technology affords, the relationship between the technology and its users, and the context within which it is used.

摘要

本文提供了对英国（UK）以技术为媒介的警察社区参与的“负担能力”和“约束条件”的分析。尽管人们对社交媒体可以改变警察的交流方式并帮助使警务民主化抱有乐观的态度，但研究表明，这种潜力尚未实现。通过对通信专业人士的深入采访，该文章证明了社交媒体可以为警察提供可见性，可编辑性和关联性。但是，组织，个人和技术因素会影响是否实现这些能力。本文通过展示公民如何不可避免地参与中介传播来增加文学作品。相反，它是技术提供的产品，技术与其用户之间的关系的产物，