West Midlands Police becomes first force in the world to join Snapchat

West Midlands Police has become the first police force in the world to join photo sharing social network Snapchat.

The internet app allows users to send photos, record videos, add text and drawings to people who follow their account, when they open the 'Snap' they have between 1 or 10 seconds before it disappears.

The force says the photo and video sharing app is becoming increasingly popular with youngsters, rivalling social media heavyweights such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and WMP wants to be a part of it.

Keiley Gartland, from the Corporate Communications Department, said:

West Midlands Police already uses a host of social media channels to connect with the public, including:

• Facebook

• Twitter

• YouTube

• Flickr

• Instagram

Using the username ‘WestMidsPolice’, the force will be sharing a number of images via Snapchat stories every 24 hours.

The pictures will come from across the dozens of departments that made up WMP such as the Cannabis Disposal Team, Traffic Unit, CID, neighbourhood officers and the Dogs Unit.

The force added it's targeting a younger audience on Snapchat, and hopes it means when the force really needs to get an important message out to the community, it'll have a 'captive' audience.