RCMP receive award for Moncton shootings social media response

New Brunswick RCMP has been honoured for the way it handled social media during the night of the Moncton shootings.

When Justin Bourque shot five police officers on the night of June 4, the RCMP turned to Facebook and Twitter to reach people in the lockdown zone.

"Even if those people didn't have social media, there were friends, there were families who were living in other provinces, in the U.S., around the world who were following us getting that information and they would then call and share that information with their loved ones who were in Moncton," said RCMP spokesperson Paul Greene.

He says a police officer in Toronto nominated the New Brunswick RCMP for the honour. The force has been awarded the ConnectedCOPS Award at the SMILE (Social Media the Internet and Law Enforcement) Conference in the U.K.

Brian Cormier is a communications consultant in Moncton. He says the RCMP did a great job using social media during the shootings.

"There was so much misinformation. People were looking for a bit of comfort through facts and the RCMP were definitely very proactive, as much as they could be in an absolutely chaotic and horrible situation. They did a fantastic job," he said.

Greene says the award is bittersweet because while it is nice to be recognized by one’s peers, it is difficult when a tragedy is involved.