When people think of police communication, they often picture formal press releases and emergency alerts, interviews with members of the media or scripted lectures on TV. That’s part of the job, no doubt. We drill for the big moments because when something major happens, we need to be calm, clear and ready.
But I’ve noticed that we also need to prepare just as intentionally for the quiet days — the “blue sky” days, the everyday micro-interactions out on the world wide web. The interactions where trust is built slowly, post by post, conversation by conversation. Those moments don’t feel urgent, but they should matter just as much.
If you only practice for a crisis, you’re missing the work that actually earns the credibility you’ll need when the storm hits. After spending time behind the keyboard and in front of the camera as a police public information officer, I’ve learned something simple and important: people don’t connect with bureaucratic statements. They connect with stories.
And they connect with people who sound like people.
Speak like a human, not a headline
I didn’t always get that right. Early on, I thought everything I shared had to sound “official.” Straight facts, clean quotes, no room for personality. But something always felt off. My words didn’t sound like me, and they didn’t sound like the department I knew — a group of kind, funny, hardworking people who show up for their neighbors every single day.
So, I stopped writing for optics. I started writing to connect.
Sometimes, that looks like a social post about a traffic backup. Sometimes it’s about a missing puppy. And other times, it’s about an emu on the loose who led three squad cars through a neighborhood at sunset. You know … real life.
What I’ve found is that when we speak like human beings, people listen. They share. They comment. They show up in our lobby to drop off cookies or just to say “thanks.” But most importantly, when something serious happens, when we need them to hear us, they do.
Connection builds trust before crisis
This communications job is so much more than simply sharing updates. It’s about building trust long before you need it. That means showing the community the people behind the badge: the officer who stopped to help a driver change a flat tire, the detective who’s been working on a grueling abuse case for weeks with no encouragement, the team that pulled together after a tragedy and still showed up an hour later to read books at the elementary school.
It also means knowing when to be quiet, when to speak carefully and when to just be present — like, “hey, we’re here. We see you.” The truth is that people don’t always need long statements or on-camera interviews about how you followed policy or how it’ll take 4–6 weeks to give more details. Sometimes they just need to know we’re paying attention. That we care. That we’re here. And that we, too, have similar feelings.
Authenticity matters. A lot. And it’s not something you can fake. If you’re always trying to sound perfect, you’ll end up sounding like you’re hiding something. People want sincerity. They want real. And yes, we all want to laugh. A well-placed joke or light-hearted humor can go a long way in building approachability.
Back your PIO — and let them lead
None of this works, though, unless leadership supports it and reflects that support in their everyday conversations. Departments that treat communication like a checkbox won’t get far. But when chiefs and command staff understand the value of honest, community-centered communication, it shows. They give their PIOs room to experiment, to tell meaningful stories and to respond with empathy and clarity when it counts.
An example of this that comes to mind involves a story about a house fire rescue I posted about — our initial posting shared the story, and the local media picked it up almost immediately. That moment of connection, of sharing something powerful and human, traveled far:
If you’re a leader, back your PIO. Stop feeling the need to approve every post — believe in the mission behind them. Believe in their power to connect. If you hired the right one, find the courage to let them free. And if you’re a PIO, don’t be afraid to write with your own voice. Your job is not just to pass along information. It’s to help people see who you are, who your officers are, and why your department shows up every day to do the thankless work of a police officer.
So, keep sharing the stories that matter. Celebrate the quiet wins. Speak truth during the hard moments. And when the moment calls for it, don’t be afraid to post about a duckling rescue or a visit to the lemonade stand. You never know — those might be the stories that bring people closer when you need them most (hint: they ARE the stories that bring people closer).
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