Boston, MA 03/05/2014 (wallstreetpr) – Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is known around the world as the leading social network platform. The network boasts more than 1.2 billion monthly active users – and counting. The company is also known to be taking on rivals Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Yahoo Inc (NASDAQ:YHOO) for the online advertisement revenue. Yet, there is one area of Facebook that is not very well understood.
If you thought that the company only cares about its users, advertisers and investors, think again. Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) has just offered to sponsor a community safety officer in its neighborhood. That is not what you expect from a typical social network company. So then, what’s the story?
Safety police officer
For three years, and with a window of opportunity to extend the agreement, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) will pay roughly $200,000 for a special-duty police officer working out of a new substation. The officer will be near its headquarters in Menlo Park and will serve the neighborhood.
The special-duty officer will, among other things, provide emergency drills, come up with public safety strategies and work with teens at risk. The neighborhood in which the officer will be deployed is dogged with issues such as drugs, shootings and gangs. So then, the officer will focus on businesses and schools in Menlo Park neighborhood.
Unanimous approval
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) first made a request for this plan to the city council and that request received a unanimous vote Tuesday night. For the city officials, the deal with Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) provides a win-win situation for everyone in the community.
What about conflict of interest? Some people have wondered if the move by Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) to bankroll a special-duty officer would lead to some kind of conflict of interest. But in that case, Ray Mueller, Menlo Park Mayor, said it cannot happen unless someone was out to influence the police force.
In any case, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) has not put any restriction about how the officer it is sponsoring will be used. What the company after is helping toward law enforcement for a better community.
Investor Takeaway
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is offering about $200,000 to finance a special-duty safety officer in its neighborhood, that’s the news. If you know that Facebook was last year reported to be building apartments for its staff in near its headquarters and how the company holds its workers at a premium, it is not hard to answer why the Facebook is putting its money to secure its neighborhood.
