Facebook to expand how often you see local alerts

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You’ll soon see more local alerts from first responders and government pages on your Facebook feed.

The company is adding a feature that will help keep people safe and in the know of crisis and everyday emergencies.

When there’s a road closure, missing person or an unsolved crime, for first responders getting the word out to the public is crucial.

"We depend heavily on the community's input," MPD's Cyber Division Commander Kevin Levy said.

Levy says social media plays a big role in alerting the public and solving crime.

"We're able to basically create a virtual crime watch," he said.

That virtual crime watch will soon grow.

Facebook is adding an option that allows first responder and government pages to post as a "local alert."

That will amplify their reach and make sure those posts show up in your feed.

"I'm just lounging and scrolling my phone for sure," Adeimy Graham said.

Graham is on Facebook every day. She says she wants to stay in the know, so she can keep her family safe.

"I think that's a great idea because if anything happens we definitely want to know right away," she said.

Levy says as their reach increases, the chances of solving a crime increases as well.

"By more views that's more people," he said. "We never know who the next person is that's going to give us the important clue that we're looking for."

Facebook plans to have this feature available to all cities in the u-s by the end of the year.
Source: https://mynbc15.com

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