Engaging the Public through New Means

摘要

While many saw this change as a temporary situation, the Seal Beach, California, Police Department took this as an opportunity to enhance their communication efforts permanently.One of the goals listed in the City of Seal Beach's Strategic Plan was to "improve communication with the community through enhanced use of social media and other outlets." Seal Beach's social media team and executive leadership has tried to implement this change within the agency, building community trust and engagement.The social media team has consistently shared photos and videos via the agency's Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts, posting about interesting calls, arrests, or other pertinent safety messages. This content, however, is not similar to what the agency previously had been posting. "It's not as simple as the old days of haphazardly snapping a boring picture and posting it online anymore," said Chief Philip Gonshak.The social media team has tried to keep the agency's posts humorous while also being informative.