A more formal police response to intelligence on social media is urgently needed following the August riots, according to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary.
Addressing members of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, Sir Denis O'Connor asserted that forces are still not fully geared up analysing and responding to information on the likes of Twitter and Facebook.
And he suggested that a national service hub, where expertise could be brought to bear, was needed to address the gap and bring the police up to speed ahead of the Olympics.
Sir Denis said HMIC had looked at a number of communication support and other agencies in the field, adding that there was "a capability for us to harness".
He told MPs: "What we need is some kind of all source hub – we have not got a place where we can crystallise expertise as to what is happening nationally.
"In terms of intelligence, social media is an essential part. The police can be overly focused criminal assessed intelligence but the world is bigger than that."
Sir Denis was satisfied that the most of the Olympic security planning was progressing well. But he added: "This part of the jigsaw does need some work.
"We have already said that social media is a game changer – it allows people to organise themselves and then out-manoeuvre us if they choose to do so."
It was a "blunt fact" that the police were not fully geared up for social media.
Despite his concerns, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector emphasised that some forces were using social media successfully as a communications tool.
He pointed out that Twitter had been deployed in neighbourhood policing teams and in other situations – including public order scenarios –to communicate with people.
Sir Denis went on to voice the view of many colleagues that social media services should not be taken down during unprecedented public order situations.
"I think that trying to ban these things is like standing on the shore waiting for the tide to come in," he added. "We should work with them, understand them and use them."
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