How Social Media Platforms Shape the Public Perceptions of the Policing Strategies in Nairobi City County

Social media platforms is a powerful influence in shaping the public opinion and demanding for accountability from the policing agencies. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook have increasingly influenced how the policing strategies are developed and implemented. Understanding this impact can be essential as the public expects transparency in policing. This study analyzed how social media platforms shape the public perceptions of the policing strategies. Public Sphere and the Agenda-Setting theories, were used to demonstrate the connection amongst the social media platforms and the policing strategies. The study utilized a cross sectionally survey design, was carried out in Nairobi city county with the target population of law enforcement officers, journalists and media practitioners and general social media users. A multistage sampling technique was employed starting with the clustering of the target population into four homogenous groups. Purposively sampled and stratified random sampling were used to get to the particular respondents. Online questionnaire (Google forms) and interview guides were used to collect data. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. While the numerical data was examined using summary statistics such as proportions, averages and the means, as well as visual representations like the pie charts. The study found five key ways the social media impacts the public perception of policing: conduit for direct sharing of police actions, an amplifying tactic of negative incidents involving the police, being platforms for whistleblowing of police malpractices, management techniques of the police public relations, facilitating means of debates and dialogues about police policies. The study concluded that, the social media platforms are serving as a powerful tool for transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement. They have also introduced challenges related to misinformation, public trust and the need for institutional responsiveness. The study recommends that, the Nairobi Police Service can consider to adopting verifiable digital engagement systems of policing. Such would require mandating body-worn cameras and establishing a formal protocol for the rapid release of authenticated digital evidence following viral incidents.