Colorado Springs-area law enforcement officials say that social media is a useful tool to release “real time, authorized data” to the public.

“For us, we utilize Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor and YouTube,” continued Lt. Howard Black, spokesman for the Colorado Springs Police Department. “Twitter is just a wonderful tool in order to constantly give updates.”

Black recalled tweets sent out by the Colorado Springs Police Department in January. The tweets warned residents near the 5600 block of North Union Boulevard to stay indoors while police hunted for a gunman. While social media allows law enforcement to speak directly to the community, Black says it should not replace conventional media.

“We are not using social media in any way to take away responsibility from the media in our community,” he said.

El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder said he considers Twitter and Facebook his agency’s best tools to keep the community informed – and to simultaneously provide updates to traditional media. The department posted a stream of updates in February after Deputy Micah Flick’s killing during a stolen car investigation.

Residents inevitably take to social media when they see police swarming an area, and the department’s accounts should provide official updates before others weigh in, Elder said.

“We have to be proactive,” he said. “Otherwise we’re following the story; we’re letting somebody else write the narrative.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.