Fifteen years ago when I was a police Explorer in New Hampshire, I remember quite a debate over using 10 codes vs. plain English. 10 codes protected information from nosy reporters and civilians; plain English was less confusing for emergency responders, especially during incidents requiring multi-jurisdictional response. All are arguments coming up yet again,...
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This blog by a Portsmouth (Virginia) civilian points up how valuable the concept of “listening” is to modern police departments—all departments, not just those who are engaging the public on social networking sites. At the very least, rudeness is a common complaint among civilians. “That cop acted like he didn’t get his donut this...
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This analysis from Crisisblogger Gerald Baron, on an interview Cambridge PD Sgt. James Crowley did with the media, makes me wonder: can social media help train officers to deal with traditional media? Cops are taught, by and large, to steer clear of the media. The PIO or a commanding officer handles them at critical...
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Some law enforcement agencies may be reluctant to jump into social media because they are unsure of how many customers are really online. What’s the point, they reason, if they’re communicating with only a tiny fraction of the population they serve? It’s a valid point. Committing already-thin resources to something that may not pay...
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In a previous post I questioned the value of a Twittering police department not following its followers back. The response from @ShawneePD (actually the city of Shawnee, Oklahoma‘s Chief Information Officer, Stephen Nolen): most followers deem it too “Big Brother.” Point well made. Especially in light of this article from the U.K. Overwhelmingly positive...
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“Crowdsourcing” is one of those terms used by social-media insiders that, on its surface, doesn’t mean much to those of us just learning the ropes. When I began to see it repeated on Twitter and in blogs, I had to Google it. What I found: in short, if outsourcing hands off a project to...
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