Telling our story in the 21st Century 1
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Telling our story in the 21st Century Flip through the pages of your hometown newspaper or scan the TV newscasts and you will find a pretty complete rundown of the local public safety news. There are reports on crimes, traffic accidents and even profiles on police officers volunteering in their communities. Police stories have long been headline stories.
“What we as a profession need to intently focus upon is ensuring our stories are told,” Chief Paul Cell wrote recently in Police Chief magazine. “Not just the heroic stories of running into the line of fire… it’s the more subtle moments that need to be shared on a consistent basis.”
But as police chiefs in communities big and small are experiencing, the “news of the day” is not just being written by professional journalists who work at traditional media outlets. Facebook feeds are also filling up with crime reports written and shared by friends and neighbors, your critics and the police themselves. The outgoing president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) recently appealed to members around the world to devote more resources to telling the police story.
21ST CENTURY TOOLS
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Each year more Minnesota communities invest in the tools that will allow them to become that consistent, credible presence. Society’s shift to mobile devices like smart phones and watches means it is easier than ever to publish stories and engage directly with the people you serve. More importantly, many tools can also quickly inform and alert citizens to lifesaving information. “We talk a lot about social media strategies and storytelling,
but police agencies should also consider personal media because that’s going to make a big difference when it really matters,” says Andrew Wittenborg, MCPA’s managing director for marketing and fundraising. “When there’s an incident in town, there is a growing expectation citizens will hear about it directly from you, whether it’s a social media post or text alerts sent directly to their device.” The platforms are interactive which means citizens can share information and respond with useful tips. But they can occasionally spread bad information too. For several years now, technology researchers like Gartner have warned of the creation of false information – by humans and bots - that can sometimes outpace efforts to detect and stop its spread. “Despite what you often read, MINNESOTA POLICE CHIEF
local and national surveys show police remain the most trusted institution in their communities,” says Wittenborg. “Whenever we work with local police agencies, we try to demonstrate how they have great opportunities to be a steady, reassuring voice to the people they serve.”
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While social media platforms have generally been considered free and easy to use, they are constantly changing and innovating. It is important to set aside time and money to train officers and PIOs on new features. For many agencies this includes basic use of graphics, video and even the most effective ways of responding to critics or trolls.
WEAR THE BADGE Leveraging social media was a key consideration when MCPA launched the Wear the Badge one year ago. The campaign tells the personal stories of why Minnesota men and women choose to pursue law enforcement as a career. But the video and short stories are also designed to improve the narrative around policing in the 21st Century. “This emerged as a key part of our tactical plan when we went through strategic planning a few years ago,” says Andy Skoogman, MCPA’s executive director. “We built Wear the Badge program with the idea that police departments, especially smaller agencies, could adopt and easily share the message as part of their own community outreach work.” In 9 months, Wear the Badge videos and posts have been viewed 100,000 times and shared across Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and other platforms. “What we have learned along the way is that Wear the Badge has not only helped future officers explore the profession, it is also opening up police work to citizens who want to better understand how and why police do what they do,” Skoogman says.
ADAPTING THE ROLE OF THE PIO In some police agencies nationally and locally, the storytelling strategy has gone beyond the tools used to the people using them. IACP and other law enforcement organizations cite a recent growth in the use of civilian public information officers. Last year Duluth police chief Mike Tusken hired Ingrid Hornibrook as his department’s first civilian PIO in its nearly 150-year history.
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“In police work, sometimes you miss those compelling stories in the day-to-day work that we do,” Chief Tusken explains. “Ingrid has a different perspective of someone who’s not entrenched in police work and see things from a different angle.” Editors note: You can read Hornibrook’s perspective on her first year in the civilian PIO role on page 6 of this issue of Minnesota Police Chief.
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One key consideration reflected in both the national research and local experiences is the importance of operationally connecting the work of the PIO to the police chief. “It doesn’t matter whether you have a sworn officer
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or a civilian in the role, people are going to associate the message they deliver back to the chief,” says Skoogman. “So, it is important that there is strong and open relationship between the police chief and the PIO.”
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA While media organizations big and small are losing audience share and struggle with a business model that eats away at profits, newspapers, TV and radio continue to have a big impact on how Americans view and interact with police. “I like to remind people they still call it broadcasting for a reason,” says Wittenborg. “A story in a major newspaper or evening newscast still reaches thousands of people. It’s not something you want to ignore.” “Engaging with citizens, whether through traditional or social media, is a key part of protecting and serving communities around
Minnesota,” says Skoogman. “That is why our association offers our members media relations and social media training as well as one-on-one guidance and support when requested. We want our
members to feel comfortable and confident delivering important public safety messages using all the communications channels available in the 21st Century.”
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A civilian steps into the role of PIO As the first-ever civilian PIO for the Duluth Police Department, I came into this position with no law enforcement experience. While my past skillset fits the job, I filled out the application for this newly created position with much apprehension. If I got the job, I knew I would be immersed in a world of grizzly details.
INGRID HORNIBROOK DULUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT
As a civilian, it was nearly impossible for me to read the headlines of the more heinous and violent incidents police have to deal with. I would try to breeze past those articles while catching up on local news, but my mind would take a snapshot of the headline that would stick with me through the rest of the day. My only solace was going home to hug my kids. Given the headlines and how they tend to focus on the latest mistakes of law enforcement and the violence in communities, it’s no wonder the profession of policing is in crisis. As a civilian with very little contact with law enforcement, I’m the norm. Based on what I see in the headlines, why would someone like me pursue a career in law enforcement? I’ve been in this role for a year now. When I first started, Chief Tusken joked that I would be in my role for a short while before deciding to become a police officer. I said I would make a terrible COP because I’m not authoritative enough. Now I know it’s because I don’t understand the human struggle the way an officer does. Over the past 12 months, I have seen DPD officers treat people with respect who were anything but respectful. I have seen officers perform life saving measures on those who didn’t want to live. I have seen these men and women come together in the middle of the night just to be together after an officer involved shooting. I have seen them laugh and play with kids. I have seen them show endless compassion and patience towards those who were at their worst. I have seen our officers do what they were called to do, which is help. Chief Tusken asked me once if this job is what I expected. It’s not. Before working here, I was indifferent about the profession of policing. I took police presence for granted and thought the career was like any job – a way to make an income. Since working here, I have come to know some of the most dedicated, honorable, noble, caring, and compassionate people I have ever met. Our officers, investigators, sergeants, lieutenants, and administrative staff come to work every day with endless passion to solve problems and bring justice to victims. For anyone who has a desire to help, law enforcement is a career you should be running towards. While the headlines of heinous acts are still difficult to read, even if I’m the one who issued the press release, I find I’m not as affected by violent news while I’m within these walls. I’m not less sensitive, quite the contrary. But what I’ve come to realize is that I can handle the grizzliest of details as long as I’m surrounded by those who have dedicated their careers to doing something about it. That’s something I didn’t expect.
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Connects Minnesotans to a more positive law enforcement narrative When MCPA gathered media from across the state for a news conference 10 months ago, the message delivered was not necessarily good news. “Quite frankly we are at a point of crisis, in terms of public safety, and men and women joining this very honorable profession,” Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo told reporters.
and other social media platforms. Thousands more have liked and shared additional posts that include personal stories about why officers were drawn to the profession. “When we look at the analytics and who we’ve reached, we can see we have connected with Minnesotans exploring policing as a career. That’s
Quite frankly we are at a point of crisis, in terms of public safety, and men and women joining this very honorable profession The news – that Minnesota police agencies were having difficulty recruiting and retaining officers – led newscasts and made headlines across the state. “We were fairly certain the subject was newsworthy and would get the attention it deserved,” said Andy Skoogman, MCPA’s executive director. “But we were actually more concerned about what would happen the day after and a year after we raised the issue.” What happened was the launch of Wear the Badge, a social media campaign that highlights how and why Minnesota men and women choose law enforcement as a profession. Since the first stories were published in December, Wear the Badge videos have been viewed more than 100,000 times across Facebook, YouTube 7
great,” says Skoogman. “More importantly, we are delivering a more positive narrative to tens-ofthousands of people about what it is really like to protect and serve. That has long been a goal for our members and association.” MCPA’s board of directors recently reviewed the results and approved a plan to extend the Wear the Badge campaign for another year. The association will continue to work with agencies and officers around Minnesota to produce and share their stories. “We started in central Minnesota, have been down south and will be up north in October,” says Andrew Wittenborg who has produced the series for MCPA. “It’s been one of the more fulfilling things I’ve done in
MINNESOTA POLICE CHIEF
awhile. I am grateful to the officers who are willing to share their stories which are all unique in some way.” Out of the dozen videos produced so far, Wear the Badge has told how some officers switched careers to become a cop, another got hooked on policing after getting into trouble as a teenager. One of the most popular stories highlights a young man living in another country who was drawn to the United States and law enforcement after the terrorist attacks of 911. “Wear the Badge has reinforced something we long suspected, which is that a significant number of Minnesotans want to see coverage like this,” says Wittenborg. “Posting the stories on Facebook and other networks has made it easy for people to like the stories and actually thank officers who serve in their home towns.” MCPA’s staff works with agencies to identify officers interested in sharing their stories. The videos are shot and directed by Cy Dodson, an award-winning documentarian who has reached international recognition for his short film Beneath the Ink. As the campaign has grown, Skoogman recognized the need
to add more resources, including dedicated marketing support to grow exposure to Wear the Badge. The Association has enlisted the help of a social media strategist, a University of St. Thomas marketing student, who is helping ensure the stories are reaching the right audiences using social media. “Adding Facebook and other platforms has made it easier for our members and others to like and share the stories,” says Skoogman. “This is how most of our member agencies connect with and share news in their communities. We want them to be able to use Wear the Badge as an engagement tool.” In addition to producing more stories, Wear the Badge will soon launch a podcast and a new law enforcement college scholarship program. Skoogman says the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Foundation will begin raising funds with plans to award the first scholarships next year. “Wear the Badge has become more than just a media splash,” Skoogman says. “It has momentum. The challenge now is to build on the brand and make a profound impact on the policing profession.”
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Critical Issues Forum focuses on suicide calls and the debate about how police should respond Wednesday, December 11 the MCPA will convene members and partners in Bloomington to focus on a topic of growing concern: How should police respond to crisis calls where a person is threatening to harm themselves or commit suicide? Law enforcement agencies in Minnesota and across the country are rethinking their approach. Some local agencies have stopped responding because of the potential dangers to both officers and the person attempting to end his or her life. These calls also present a financial liability, particularly if the situation turns violent. The MCPA’s Critical Issues Forum will explore this issue from both a legal and ethical perspective as well as discuss and debate possible solutions.
The forum will take place Wednesday, December 11 from 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm at the Schneider Theater in Bloomington. Experts will include attorney Eric Daigle, former Chair of the IACP Legal Officers Section and Chair of the Legal Section for the National Tactical Officers Association, Sue Aberdholden, Executive Director National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Minnesota and Capt. Jack Hart, San Francisco Police Station Commander and Legal Representative The Critical Issues Forum is FREE. Seats are limited. You can RSVP by visiting our website www.mnchiefs. org. The MCPA will once again offer a video livestream of the event.
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