PSNI hold 24-hour Twitter event to give public an insight into policing

The PSNI has 32 Twitter accounts that it is regularly updating throughout Friday to give people an understanding of what officers do each day

Police in Northern Ireland have conducted a 24-hour social media experiment aimed at giving people an insight into the everyday work of officers.

They used their Twitter accounts to "tell the whole story of the PSNI family".

Officers explained what they do, from tackling security alerts to putting escaped donkeys back in fields.

They regularly updated Twitter throughout Friday.

The PSNI [Police Service of Northern Ireland] has 32 official Twitter accounts used by its district police officers.

They posted plenty of updates, with some more serious than others:

Twitter users were able to follow the updates by using the #KeepingPeopleSafe hashtag, but police said they would not be able to have conversations with people.

Ass Ch Con Chris Noble said the aim of the event was to show people that police are "much more than just uniformed officers".

Not only were officers doing their part for the public, but they also helped to protect animals too.

They also posted some pictures on their various accounts throughout the day.

Police dog Jazz smiles for Twitter

The PSNI also has a road policing Twitter account where they tweet traffic and travel information:

PSNI road policing tweeted this picture of an overturned lorry on the M2

One of the more unusual tweets came from PSNI Fermanagh:

The accounts also issue advice to people about protecting valuables, traffic information and appeal for witnesses to crimes.

The PSNI said it hoped the event would give people an insight into how public money is being spent.

It also said the Twitter updates would reflect the complexity of policing Northern Ireland in 2015.