The City of Cranbrook has decided to turn off commenting on the city’s Facebook and X pages, a decision made to reduce disrespectful comments and to help prevent the spread of misinformation.
“The original intent of commenting on social media posts was to share ideas, however, that has changed considerably over the years. We have seen a marked increase in the amount of online harassment, abuse and some instances of hate speech toward members of Council and City staff specifically on our corporate Facebook and X pages over the past year,” said corporate communications officer Chris Zettel.
“The exposure of our followers, of Council and of our staff to this type of online abuse is completely inappropriate and provides zero value to anyone.”
The city will continue to allow commenting on Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads.
“Our staff with Recreation and Culture are finding their experiences with the public much more civil and find that their specific Facebook and Instagram pages to be helpful tools to respond to questions around programming and events in a timely way. For these reasons, we will keep these pages operating as usual, at least for now,” Zettel said.
“It’s something we will be watching closely.”
Mayor Wayne Price says they have a duty to protect city staff.
“We have zero tolerance for any threats or abuse of staff and members of Council, verbal or otherwise, either in person or online,” he said.
“We have a duty to protect staff and members of Council from all threats along with ensuring that we protect and support the mental health of our people in this organization.”
Residents will still be able to provide feedback in traditional formats such as email and the 311 service.
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