The article explores the perceptions of senior police officers concerning the place of social media in the current media ecology, and the desired mode of operation of the police within them. The study demonstrates that the different forms of social media are perceived as significant arenas in the contemporary media landscape, which are “here to stay” and the police has a “duty of presence” in them. Still, this presence should focus primarily on information-providing and image enhancing activities, avoiding “confrontations” about contested issues.