Leveraging videos and social media to build trust and educate the community about law enforcement is a critical piece of community policing in the 21st century. Find out how to implement a digital community policing policy in your agency in an upcoming Leadership Briefing. Subscribe here to ensure you receive a copy of the newsletter in your inbox.
By Nancy Perry
LAUDERHILL, Fla. — The City of Lauderhill has launched a new video campaign featuring local police officers sharing fun facts about themselves.
The “I am Lauderhill — We are Lauderhill” segments are emailed to residents and other subscribers in the City’s official newsletter and posted on social media.
City officials, in collaboration with the consulting firm RMA, developed a plan to foster stronger connections between the community and law enforcement by focusing on officers’ local roots, hobbies, favorite sports teams and music, along with other engaging aspects of their personalities.
“Through this campaign police officers reveal themselves as the neighbors, friends and family members they are,” said Leslie Johnson, Director of Public Relations and Cultural Arts for the City of Lauderhill. “These videos have been a tremendous tool in our overall campaign to enhance the positive connection between our officers and residents.”
RMA was hired to develop a strategic communications plan for the City, with special emphasis on creating new avenues to engage the community with law enforcement.
“During our biweekly collaborative meetings with the City’s leadership, we agreed that it was imperative for Lauderhill’s residents to feel comfortable calling the police not only in an emergency but also to report critical information,” said Sharon McCormick, RMA’s Director of Business Attraction & Marketing. “The goal of this campaign, coupled with prior initiatives by the Lauderhill Police Department, is to change the preconceived notions that some residents had about police in general, by creating a safe environment for relationship-building.
The email and social media campaign allow the police department to share success stories about cases closed through the segment, “Just Don’t, You Will Get Caught!”
In addition, the campaign features regular messages from Chief Constance Stanley who follows messages with regular communications highlighting Lauderhill’s crime-fighting strategy.
How is your agency using digital media to communicate with the communities you serve? Email examples to editor@police1.com.