Social media is the gift that keeps on giving. (iStock Photo)
FEATURED IN TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
It’s that time of year when we reflect on the meaning of the season. Regardless of religious affiliation, many of us use it to evaluate our place in life. Are we doing all we can as individuals and collectively to improve the world around us?
As police agencies continue to face increasing pressures every day, hopefully by now your agency has realized that social media offers a way to ease some of those pressures.
The opportunity to talk with people, have truly meaningful exchanges and give out as much information as you receive is incredible. This social media quick tip is about the three simple gifts your agency should be receiving by now.
Reach Out & Touch Someone
Thinking back to the reasons you went into law enforcement, most would say to “serve and protect” their community. Never before in history has an agency had such a tremendous opportunity to do that as it does today with the various social networking tools available. If there’s a part of the community your agency has trouble reaching or if there’s an extremely important message for your regularly attentive audience, with the proper forethought and planning, your agency can communicate whatever, wherever, whenever you need to.
Make it Bigger
Whatever your agency has planned as agency-sponsored holiday activities, well-used social media promotion will make it bigger and better. Whether you’re raising funds for a Christmas Cop event or welcoming St. Nick to town, your event is sure to be an even bigger success thanks to the magic of social media.
Help Spread Your Safety Message in the Community
Too often the seemingly simple messages you want to relay to help the public stay safe and secure get lost in transmission, if they get sent at all. The route from point A (your agency) to point B (citizens) used to be filled with road blocks and either the message reached only a select few or was completely lost along the way. Check out this Nixle message from the Fremont Police about safely receiving holiday packages. It went out not only to their followers, but was retweeted by many, making their message to their citizens beneficial to a worldwide audience.
If your agency hasn’t yet implemented any of the new interactive methods of communicating, here’s to hoping that 2012 will be the year it does. Happy holidays!
The next SMILE (Social Media Internet Law Enforcement) Conference will be held March 25-28 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Click here for more information!
