This is the worst of the worst kind of crime and it can happen just as easily in a small town as in a large city. Small agencies need to be just as prepared as larger agencies to stay ahead of the social-media tsunami in incidents like this. Unfortunately most small agencies do not have the on-staff resources to pre-plan crisis communications strategies and tactics. This is where w
Updated: Oct 2, 2020
From Law Officer Magazine - Aransas Pass, Texas is a small city on-the-water in the Gulf near Corpus Christi. An APD officer conducted a routine traffic stop for speeding. The officer was very professional, polite and accommodating to the female driver of the vehicle he stopped. Even after the officer made an NCIC/TCIC check and found the driver had active Aransas Pass city traffic warrants he calmly explained to the driver what the warrants were for and took her into custody. The driver was not so polite, plus, she took to Facebook to complain about the officer. The APD Chief responded with a telephone call to the driver to discuss her "complaint" about how the traffic stop was handled and her treatment by the Officer. He then posted the body cam video of the traffic stop so the public could see first-hand the professionalism with which the Officer handled the incident. This is a great example of a small police agency becoming its own "media" using Facebook (as well as Twitter and the agency web site) to ensure the agency side of a story is delivered to the public in its entirety without media filtering/slant.
Updated: Oct 2, 2020
Many times a PD/SO has important information for the public and media which it does need to communicate. However, not all topics are worthy of a press conference. This is one of those topics where the information about the recent upswing in shootings could have been prepared in a 400 word press release and posted to the agency web site, rolled out over Facebook and Twitter as well as emailed to the news media. The release could have contained updates on the specific shootings. The danger in holding a press conference on a topic that is (yawn) not breaking news, does not deliver any new information about an arrest etc. opens the door for the news reporters in attendance to go off top and the next thing you know tomorrows headline is about something other than the press conference you held. In addition, to many press conferences about (yawn) non-breaking news you will lose the interest of reporters and they may stop coming. Best news management strategy is use your own agency "media" (Web site, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) for all news distribution unless the topic/incident is so hot, so breaking and/or there is a clear an present danger to the public you need to have the news media involved. (CLICK HERE - ABC NEWS STORY LINK)
