The social media giant was undermining the state's legal system, inciting hatred and lacking in social responsibility – to name just a few of the force's complaints.

But since then, Facebook has become a major partner in helping Victoria Police reach a massive online audience, bypassing traditional media as it builds a dedicated following that now rivals most newspapers.

Time to switch that status back to "in a relationship"?

Just consider this: Victoria Police has amassed more than 325,000 followers on its main Facebook page – an audience larger than the Facebook following of The Age, Herald Sun, Geelong Advertiser and the Ballarat Courier combined.

Then there's the force's social media accounts on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, where it claims the title as most-popular Australian police agency with more than 115,000 followers.

"We're getting huge numbers for some of the things that we do," explains Victoria Police Inspector Ian Geddes, who leads a team of two dozen working inside the police media unit on Flinders Street.

"Social media is an ever-growing beast," he says. "We're finding ourselves moving into a community space, where we're providing information directly to the community."

The booming popularity of the police service has been largely fuelled by its social media team and news website – vicpolicenews.com.au – which has seen its web traffic surge by 200 per cent in a 12-month period, thanks largely due to Facebook likes and shares.

One recent Facebook post was so popular it was seen by 1.2 million people; other posts aimed at tracking down missing people or wanted criminal suspects have been widely shared, leading to a quick resolution. There are also "Eyewatch" Facebook pages – hyper-local community policing pages – that connect residents with local officers.

Mia Garlick, Facebook's policy director in Australia and New Zealand, said it makes sense to have police agencies on social media: 11 million Australians use Facebook every day.

"We're really trying to be a platform that provides a conduit between somebody who has useful information and people who want to receive it," she said.

Facebook has now created a how-to guide to help Australian emergency services use the social media service to spread key messages during disasters and emergencies, she said.

Posting snappy, viral-style content about policing activities via Facebook has been instrumental for Victoria Police in gaining a dedicated online following. Photo: Facebook

Mark Bayly, manager of police online communications, says the organisation has embraced the mobile-friendly world of new media and begun responding to reader comments left on its pages.

"People want bite-sized chunks of information, they want it quickly, and they want it in a semi-entertaining fashion," he says. "And that's what we're doing."

Recent Victoria Police posts, for instance, read like a textbook for viral content: baby ducks, lost puppies, a fugitive goat, and a suspect complaining about his "horrible" mug shot, which generated international attention.

There are signs all this effort is making police far more "newsy" – with quips and puns taking over from the just-the-facts police speak of the past.

Inspector Geddes, however, is not convinced the media unit is slowly becoming a media outlet itself.

"I suppose we're on the cusp of that, but our role isn't to actually be that," he says. "We're on social media for engagement. That's our main reason for being there."

You can follow Victoria Police on Facebook (or do one better and follow this crime reporter too)