ABSTRACT
Social media is becoming increasingly important, not only in the lives of billions of users but also in the daily practices of criminal justice. However, this topic has not been adequately researched. Most of the published literature is theoretical or based on anecdotal evidence. Furthermore, the available results describe the realities of English-speaking countries, mainly the United States.
The aim of this chapter is to introduce the project Social Media in Law Enforcement Practice, which was funded by the Polish National Center of Science and carried out between 2019 and 2022. This chapter provides the theoretical background of the project, states its main objective, and explains the formulated hypotheses. The research methods used in the project are presented and discussed. Additionally, as the project was conducted in Poland, the chapter briefly presents the Polish model of criminal justice.
The project aimed to explore and analyze the extent and methods of social media use by criminal justice institutions in Poland, as well as the impact of social media on their functioning. The analysis was designed to develop a theoretical model for exploring the use of social media by law enforcement agencies and its relationship with their functioning. Some of the findings challenge common knowledge and established theories.
