There is no standard system of measurement adopted by all communications professionals but comprehending the return on investment (ROI) is necessary for companies to gauge which platforms equal effective outreach to media and the public (Drell, 2014). “Digital campaigns, in particular, now come with a variety of measurement tools, including Klout for measuring levels of online influence on Twitter and Facebook, and Google Analytics” (Argenti, 2016, p. 160). For law enforcement the ROI is viewed more likely as a return on objective (ROO) concept since they are a non-profit entity (Drell, 2014). Krajicek (2015) noted in his article that teams working various forms of social media, internal communications, media relations, etc., display …show more content…
Once a police agency determines the placement of the public relations team and forms a strategy for various types of communication they can focus on the effects of their messaging with the media and the public.
Working with the Media and the Public
One of the goals for law enforcement to connect with the media is to utilize the media’s interest in crime to interact with the public. In research conducted by Huang, Wu, Huang, and Bort (2017) they reviewed three forms of communication labeled Push, Pull, and Networking which related to one-way communication (Push) and two-way communication (Pull and Networking). More specifically, in a Push strategy social media channels are used to publicize information the agency is obliged to share with the public (Huang, Wu, Huang, & Bort, 2017). An example includes daily crimes reported, apprehensions on warrants, and citations issued.
Secondly, a Pull strategy adds a call to action in the posts and requests the public to either directly interact with the agency or amongst themselves (Huang et al., 2017). Hence, Pull tactics results in comments posted to social media walls and sharing of the information. For example, an AMBER alert is released, and the police desire the public to respond with information and share the alert with their acquaintances.
Third, a Networking strategy aspires for more informal interactions with social media users and promotes trust and
The media is also another of the greatest challenges for law enforcement. The media never shows the whole story. Chances are the media doesn’t even know the whole story; yet officers are judged by what the media portrays. You can’t hear a news report or even read a newspaper without the race of an individual being identified. This is only fueling the race issue for everyone. It is tearing communities apart. In this aspect, social media appears to be a double edged sword. It can help law enforcement by connecting with the public, tracking criminals, and gathering Intel but it also puts every word or action by an
Both formal and informal means of communication help facilitate the transfer of important information within a law enforcement organization.
The police and the media have been very closely related to one another for a very long time and they will always have to have a relationship with them. They are so closely related because crime itself is considered news that is valuable to the people of a community. Without the media and law enforcement working together, many people would not know what was going on and/or how to act about certain crimes if there are any within their communities. With that in mind, law enforcement must keep up with all the advancing technologies that involve any kind of media. This includes social media, print, internet, television, and cell phones as well. Keeping up with all these different media platforms, working together with the media, and staying on
Since the up-climb of social media began in 2003, law enforcement has greatly adapted to the social media network in order to better communicate with the public and to improve their protocol. Much of police work is unappreciated and unknown of. Therefore, some departments have taken it upon themselves to educate the public via social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook. This is done in order to inform the community of what their department does, and to build confidence and trust towards their agency. Around the country, law enforcement agencies see social media as both beneficial and damaging. Thus, with the awareness that social media is here to stay, law enforcement has chosen to adjust to these social changes and to use them in their benefit.
Articles written by professional analysts who specialize in investigating specific incidents involving police delinquency, bring awareness through social media by informing millions
Policing the Media: A literature review of the Role the Media Plays in the Public’s Perception of Law Enforcement and the Criminal Justice System.
The use of social media in law enforcement has been on the rise throughout the U.S. over the past few years. According to the LexisNexis 2014 Social Media Use in Law Enforcement report, eight out of every 10 law enforcement professionals use social media as a tool in investigations, and 25 percent use it every day. The use of social media to help obtain probable cause is widely accepted, the survey shows. Three out of four respondents, or 76 percent, said that, when they used social media as probable cause, it has never been challenged. The percentage is down from 87 percent in 2012.
The use of crime bulletins and other type of news divestment is very crucial, especially if a crime has been committed. The sooner the news of a crime or wanted person(s) gets out, the greater the possibilities of bringing the case to a close, or to solving the crime. It is also very important that the police departments communicate with other agencies to share information about specific crimes, modes operandi, or any other important information that may be crucial in developing leads to solve a case or even find missing persons.
In today’s policing, crime mapping shows the areas in which the officers need to focus most of their attention and the areas in which they are efficient. Robert’s “principles are as relevant today as they were in 1829”. (Adegbile, 2017, p. 2233). Robert found that the distribution of crime news was essential in combating crime (Bohm & Haley, 2011). Most agencies today, use social media cites to pass information and stay in touch with the public.
Despite the numerous positive roles played by social media in modern policing, there are also related negative roles in the process . The most common problem involved in modern policing is the security threats that are incurred by the officers
One of the distinct benefit of social media is social media helps us to build relationship with new people. We could meet with new people who have the same interests as us and that could be the starting point of a great friendship and/or relationship ( Carlos Vieira, n.d. ). This is because social
CNA, a research facility, partnered with the National Emergency Management Association to provide research and information on the public’s expectations about emergency management’s use of social media. Before this research, the data about this connection was only done with case studies and unreliable accounts. CAN used a survey in this research to see how people felt about social media in connection with emergency management. The results found an positive approach. Many people in emergency management agencies, on local and national levels are very familiar with social media. It is usually the larger websites that are more widely known. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, are widely known and publicized. There are however many other social media sites that are not as widely known that are even more useful to nationwide security and communication such as crowdsourcing and Nixle and these are not as widely known (Su, Wardell, & Throkidsen, 2013). So while people in emergency management
B. Police public relations can be described as Activities performed by police agencies designed to create a favorable public image. (Dempsey, 2014) Their main task is to see that the law is obeyed and, at times, physically to restrain members of the public. (P.R. wilson, 1967) They are there to make their presence known, but in a sense of relief for the public they govern. An officer is on patrol and two young adults are arguing over a game of basketball, and the officer goes over and pull the two apart and he begins to play with them would be a prime example of police public relations.
The label, “Social Media”, is due to its ability to encourage people to be more social and communicative through the internet. Yet, it is now known that the name might not live up to its expectation. With less face-to-face interaction, relationships and communication skills are being sacrificed. Although one may have one thousand
Some of the top benefits of social media over the years are that it is free to anyone, the content can get out to resources virtually immediately, and it can be delivered to a wide variety of people. For these reasons, communication through social media has become an extremely accessible and convenient way to communicate. It is also popular for those who need to be in contact with others. One example that comes to mind is a teenager who goes away on a trip to visit a friend or family. They can be hundreds of miles away but still talk to their parents as if they weren’t. Another example is a person who is shy and has a hard time making friends face-to-face, social media sites are a great way to meet people and build relationships.