Roanoke formally stepped into the social networking world Friday as the city launched a Twitter account.

Though the first update, or tweet, was posted July 30, spokeswoman Melinda Mayo said the city is officially rolling the site out now that a citywide employee social-media policy has been developed.

Employees will be trained on what the city considers proper use of social networks, including Twitter and Facebook. Two representatives from each department that intends to have a social-networking presence will be required to attend a class, led by the offices of technology and communications.

Some city departments have already launched pages on Twitter or Facebook, and Mayo said employees operating those sites will be retrained under the new policy.

The Roanoke Police Department this week launched a citywide anti-theft advertising campaign that heavily involved the use of Facebook and Twitter.

The city is using Twitter "in an effort to connect with citizens," Mayo said.

-- Jordan Fifer