By Christopher Mannino
In a world where the specter of active threats and mass shootings can manifest seemingly without warning, law enforcement can ill-afford to be unprepared to respond to such tragedies. From sleepy suburbs to remote rural areas to the heart of our cities, any community can find itself in the midst of an active threat. Consequently, it is imperative that police departments, tasked with safeguarding these communities, remain vigilant and well-prepared.
From a communications perspective, every law enforcement agency, no matter its size, can take steps now to ensure effective public messaging that saves lives, instills trust in the public safety response, and reflects the heroic work being done by those whose role it is to respond in a community’s worst moments.
Let’s review some key components of an active threat communications plan:
1. Share information early
In the initial stages of an active threat, it is essential to begin sharing publicly what information is known now. While likely limited early on, it should always include the nature of what is/has taken place (to the extent known), what the public safety response entails and any action the public can take to keep themselves safe. Doing so includes considering:
- How will you communicate with the public and media? Multiple social media platforms are ideal, but we must always consider those who may not use social media. A reverse 911 system or subscription notification system that sends texts and email alerts should be strongly considered, as should a banner alert on all government websites.
- Who will be communicating? Do they have the appropriate level of access to information and the authority to communicate quickly on behalf of the organization? Have they been trained? Is there a policy to support their role?
- Plan to unpin any pinned social media content and unscheduled any pending content. If an entity has multiple departments with social media accounts, they should all direct followers to the primary account responsible for messaging through the crisis.
- Continue to provide regular updates, even if only to reiterate the public safety response in the absence of new information.
2. Implement strategic media staging
The media will respond quickly and in large numbers for high-profile events. Locate suitable sites for potential media staging, prioritizing their safety, and ensuring they are positioned away from sensitive zones while maintaining proximity to spokespersons ideally equipped with relevant expertise. As of this writing, the quickest way to communicate broadly with the media will be through X, formerly Twitter.
3. Form a Joint Information Center
A NIMS (National Incident Management System) model isn’t always reflexive for law enforcement initially in a critical incident, but those communicating on behalf of law enforcement will find the need to form a Joint Information System (JIS) to coordinate the messaging of partners from municipal, county, state and federal agencies in a large scale or high profile incident. A JIS brings all of the messengers together physically in a Joint Information Center (JIC) to coordinate messaging.
Questions to ask now include:
- Is the contact information of public information officers (PIO) of nearby municipal, county, state and federal partners readily available? Have you already established relationships?
- Where would you physically locate a JIC in your community? Plan for logistics like Wi-Fi, landline phone lines (in case cell phone service fails), backup power and availability of interoperable radios.
- Who will serve as lead PIO for your agency? For departments with full-time PIOs, this might be a simple answer, but for others who do not regularly perform PIO functions, it requires more planning. An important consideration is if they have been trained in crisis communications.
The good news is in a critical incident, there will be no shortage of public safety partners ready to assist. The key is to plan now for an effective initial response and then you can optimize the effectiveness of incoming assistance.
About the author
Christopher Mannino recently retired as chief of police of the Park Forest Police Department in suburban Chicago. He has served in a variety of law enforcement roles throughout his career, including assignments in the patrol division, investigations division, administration division, special operations, as the field training coordinator and as a team leader with a regional Mobile Field Force. He is currently VP at Julie Parker Communications.
Chief Mannino holds a master’s degree in political and justice studies from Governors State University and is a graduate of the 237th session of the FBI National Academy, an international executive police leadership course where he was chosen by his classmates as a section representative. He is also a Certified Police Chief through the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.