Suburban Police Officer Will Live-Tweet The Overnight Shift

(CBS) -- Instead of watching an episode of "COPS" tonight, you can participate in a virtual ride-along with Palos Park police as one of its officers live-tweets overnight shift, from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday.

Police Chief Joe Miller says the exercise allows followers to see what officers do on an average night -- whether it's responding to a car crash or helping a senior citizen.

He says the department has done this a couple of times over the years since it joined Twitter, including on some nights that were not that exciting.

Then, the tweets are about the more mundane aspects of the job, such as inspecting vehicles or showing the dispatch center.

The point of the exercise, he says, is to have the public learn a little more about the 30 officers who patrol the village every day of the year.

Officers have been instructed not to include any suspects' faces or license plates in their tweets.

You can follow at @Palosparkpolice.

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• Nancy Harty