Online Outreach Helps Haryana Police Win Public Trust, Shows Impact Report

At a time when police forces in many states are often grappling with public mistrust, Haryana Police has quietly reshaped its engagement with citizens by turning social media into a tool for governance rather than confrontation.

A recently released Social Media Impact Report speaks all. It shows that the State police’s campaign-led digital outreach has generated more than 115 million views across platforms, with an exceptional 99% of public responses recorded as positive.

The report attributes this shift to a structured, transparent and action-driven communication strategy that combines visibility with accountability.

The assessment covers Haryana Police’s digital presence on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, online news portals and other digital media platforms. Over 110 videos were released as part of awareness and enforcement campaigns, with engagement levels — measured through likes, shares and comments — remaining consistently high.

Citizen support, the report noted, was “strong, visible and sustained”.

Unlike traditional police communication, the outreach focused on short videos, crisp reels and real-time updates that showed policing in action. Instagram emerged as a key platform for engaging young citizens, while Facebook helped build trust at the community level. X played a critical role in amplifying messages through media houses and influencers, and online news portals carried these narratives forward, lending them institutional credibility and wider policy visibility.

The report observed that clearly defined campaigns formed the backbone of the strategy. Operation Trackdown highlighted targeted action against criminals and drew widespread public approval. Operation Hotspot Domination focused on crime-prone areas, reassuring residents through increased visibility and transparency. Anti-drug initiatives such as Haryana Drug Free and Say No to Drugs and Violence resonated strongly with young people, encouraging participation and awareness rather than passive consumption of information.

One of the most significant shifts, according to the report, was in grievance redressal. For many citizens, approaching a police station has traditionally been an intimidating experience. By publicly highlighting resolved complaints and follow-up action on social media, Haryana Police sent a clear signal that issues raised online were being addressed promptly on the ground. Problems shared on screen were often redressed swiftly, to the satisfaction of complainants, helping reinforce confidence in the system.

Cybercrime awareness emerged as another key pillar of the digital outreach. Instead of issuing generic warnings, the police simplified complex issues such as online fraud and impersonation through practical explanations and case-based messaging. The PVR model — Pause, Verify, Report — gained wide acceptance as an easy-to-remember framework for digital safety, leading to greater cyber awareness and citizen participation, the report said.

The report also examined the digital leadership of Director General of Police OP Singh, noting high leadership visibility and strong alignment between communication and policing priorities. Governance messaging was described as “calm, firm and preventive”, with an emphasis on accessibility and direct engagement with citizens.

Messages around fitness and discipline within the force, cyber hygiene and preventive policing received positive responses, helping reposition law enforcement as proactive rather than reactive.

Media coverage reflected this change, remaining largely positive and frequently citing Haryana Police as an example of people-centric and technology-enabled policing.

“The combined digital presence of Haryana Police and the DGP has successfully transformed social media into a tool of governance, awareness and trust-building,” a police spokesperson said, adding that the approach has helped strengthen public confidence while reinforcing transparency and accountability.