Images in police work typically bring to mind two things: crime-scene photos, and mugshots. The first are not releasable to the public. (Or at least, they should not be.) The second are, but by now they’re run-of-the-mill, Joe the Cop’s blog treatments notwithstanding. So how are images useful for social law enforcement? Take a look…
Tag Archive: media
Social media doesn’t bring a changing of the guard
The Munhall (Pennsylvania) News Watch posted this Pittsburgh Tribune Review article recently: While police departments elsewhere turn to Web sites such as Twitter and Facebook, some local chiefs are sticking to automated phone messages as the best way to get fast alerts to many people at once. “If you want something right away, a Web…
Branding police work via social media
“Branding” is one of those corporate buzzwords that threatens to be overused, if it isn’t already. Yet the concept–to create a set of words and images that inspire positive reactions in people–couldn’t be more important to law enforcement. How does police work get branded? Usually, through the media. The TV show COPS is a brand, as are the…