By Evan Lips, [email protected], Lowell Sun (Massachusetts)

BILLERICA — Police Chief Dan Rosa says he’s “very, very lucky” to have Lt. Greg Katz on the force.

But Katz, who started out in Billerica as a patrolman in 1995, is not some sort of heroic Die-Hard super-cop. He runs the department’s information-technology systems and is the one man whom Rosa has singled out as “the brainchild” behind the police force’s newest and most far-reaching crime-fighting and emergency-response ally.

It’s called Twitter, and it’s an online social-media platform. With the click of a mouse, Katz can blast timely information onto the information superhighway, otherwise known as the Internet.

Katz’s clicks can help you avoid a road closed due to an accident and tell you if there is a rash of break-ins in your neighborhood. Sometimes it can even help solve crimes.

Q: When did you first discover Twitter was being used at police departments?

A: Pretty sure I first saw it being used a few years ago in Burlington. We started using, and yes, there is now a little friendly rivalry developing over who can get the most followers. Our first day was Nov. 13, 2010.

Q: What was it like trying to explain Twitter to Chief Rosa?

A: (Laughs) He’s actually pretty tech-savvy. I think he knows more than he’s letting on. He knows how to use it and how to follow people. He caught on quickly.

Q: In your friendly police-department competition, who has the upper hand in followers between Billerica and Burlington?

A: Competition? It’s over. We won. (Jokes) We’ve got 2,708. They’re at 2,343. I’m very friendly with my Burlington counterparts, and since we were so close on the follower count, I thought I would instigate a little rivalry.

Q: What’s the best way to attract more followers?

A: I think we attract them because we constantly put out information each day. I’ve seen other accounts that don’t post anything. Nobody wants to follow an account that doesn’t post anything.

Q: When have you gained the most followers?

A: We’ve had a few notable crimes this year. The shooting last month in Pinehurst definitely created a bump. The incident at Cumberland Farms (two arrests stemming from a June 11 kidnapping) comes to mind. The significant events reel in the most followers, especially a lot of media, a lot of reporters.

Q: When has Twitter made a big difference in solving a Billerica crime or helping someone in distress?

A: Yes, we have had a few crimes where we did not have an ID on a suspect but were able to post surveillance video. It helped spread the word, and people responded with information. We don’t encourage anyone to use social media for emergencies because it’s not monitored 24/7, and it seems like residents understand that.

Q: One thing about Twitter is that it can serve as a direct link between two users who might otherwise never interact, like celebrity athletes and fans. I’m sure there are users who try to correspond with you directly. Any funny comments lately?

A: We had people telling us they had a problem with ATVs on the ballfields. Then there’s the replies we get to our posts — a lot of it is joking, good-natured stuff. Then sometimes we’ll get tips, but we do have an anonymous tip page on the department website. Earlier, a guy contacted us through Twitter to report a car break-in. I told him to call the main line. We’re not going to make a police report over Twitter.

Q: I’ve seen tweets about arrests, traffic accidents and other general information, but what type of police information is not OK to tweet?

A: We’re still trying to find a balance. A lot of media follow us so often a tweet on a major incident has the undesirable effect of flooding our communications center with media requests. But at the same time, we want residents to know what is going on, so we do our best to release information in a timely manner. We think it’s important we release info on crimes that residents should be aware of, like break-ins to homes and vehicles as well as vandalism. As far as things we don’t tweet, mostly they’re incidents other residents don’t have a need to know about.

Q: Is it OK for individual officers to tweet?

A: We have a policy in draft right now that covers this. There is personal use, and there is department-sanctioned use. It’s a big deal at a lot of departments. You want the release of information in control.

Q: You’re in charge of information technology, but you’re also a uniformed officer. How did you arrive at this confluence of careers?

A: Technology has become a large focus in law enforcement, like many other industries. If you look at the law-enforcement landscape, you’ll find that officers who know technology are usually in high demand. Yes, departments can use civilians for information technology, but there’s a big value added to an organization when that person is a sworn officer. As far as my role, I really grew into it. You start with a problem and then you learn your way into a solution. My new role as a lieutenant will certainly bring new challenges and may pull me away from some of the I.T. responsibilities I handle now. Either way, I see technology as always being a big factor in my career.

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