Luke Armour – Digital Marketing and Public Relations Observations, Commentary, Frivolity

Photo by Bill Davenport

I love this. Police departments across the country are turning to social media sites and tools like YouTube to fight crime. AP writer Eric Tucker wrote this article about just that. While the police are hesitant to give too much credit to the application of these tools to catch criminals, they are still embracing this new media. This isn’t a new idea, just a fresh approach.

As I’m fond of saying, these tools are tactics, not strategies and – while some PR people and companies can’t often figure this out – these police departments have. From Tucker’s story:

“This is just something else – an extra added feature that we can now use to get our message out there on a countrywide or worldwide basis,” [Sgt. Michael Bentolila] said.

“I kind of applaud the fact that police are using the latest tools,” said Michael Brady, a retired police chief in Charlestown, R.I. who teaches criminal law and criminal procedure at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I. “We tend to get stuck in technology deficits. We tend to want to stick with the old tried-and-true.”

And like I mentioned above, it’s no replacement for doing a traditional job well done. Whether you’re talking about good media relations, strategy planning, communication channel building with an influential public or keeping the peace, knowing which tactic best suits the task at hand is crucial.

“Technology,” [Patrolman Brian] Johnson said, “will never replace the feet-on-the-street.”

Agreed. For PR, technology will never replace good relationships. But it can make them easier to create…

Filed under: One to watch, Public Relations, Social Media | Tagged: YouTube |