Best Social Media Practices for Law Enforcement Departments and Their Personnel
Course Overview
Social Media Methods is a hands-on 2 day class that is designed to help personnel and their agencies who are looking to effectively manage their online presence. Social Media is the best tool available for Community Policing and public relations. There is so much more to marketing your agency than creating a Facebook Page and sending out a few tweets. Across the nation over 90% of law enforcement agencies are using social media. This sounds great, except most agencies are not using social media platforms to their full potential. This course will teach you to leverage the full power of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and YouTube. You will learn to manage each of the platforms and learn some unique marketing strategy specific to each platform. You will leave this class with the confidence, knowledge, and skills to immediately launch your agency’s social media program, or to improve upon an already successful program. You will learn the tips, tricks, and gain the contacts you need in order to reach the next level of marketing your agency. While this is not a course covering online investigations, students will gain useful knowledge about each social media platform which will undoubtedly help them with their investigations.
Who Should Attend
This class is designed for sworn officers, civilian public information officers, support staff, supervisors, and law enforcement executives.
Material Requirements
This is a hands on class. Students should bring a laptop with WIFI access. A tablet or smart phone is acceptable, but in order to leverage the full potential a laptop is preferred.
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Agenda
Day 1
- 5 Keys for success in social media for law enforcement
- Facebook Fundamentals – From creating the account to Facebook Live
- Twitter – Building your legitimacy one tweet at a time
- Instagram – It’s more than just snapping a photo. Building a following for your agency
- Getting buy in from the Chief / Sheriff / Mayor / Council
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Day 2
- Snapchat – Are there uses for law enforcement?
- Pinterest, YouTube, Periscope, and the rest – keeping current with social media trends
- Creating the social media team at your agency – who should be included?
a.Every officer is a social officer
- Social Media Management tools – Hootsuite, Tweetdeck and others.
- Policy Development – Often overlooked but is key to a successful program
- Records retention - It’s the law! Is your agency prepared?
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Day 3 (Optional)
- Hands On Activities – Attendees develop their own materials in a structured hands-on environment.
- Custom Development – Attendees work with instructor on existing case materials in need of support.
Jim Thorburn
During his tenure, Det. Thorburn has been the department’s Social Media Director, Undercover Narcotics Officer, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Taser Instructor and Field Training Officer to new recruits.
Following his promotion to detective in 2013, he established a very successful social media campaign to humanize police and bridge the gap between officers and the community they serve. Drawing from his own colorful personality, he uses a humorous tone in the department’s social media presence. That unique approach immediately resonated with the community to create a loyal, widespread social media following.
Using humor and even sarcasm on social media is uncharted territory for most police departments. However, it’s propelled Allen Park Police to become ambassadors of the city that spreads well beyond it’s borders.
Thorburn extended this community engagement from the computer screen and into the streets with the creation of “Cop on the Block.” It takes traditional community crime prevention meetings out of City Hall and into the neighborhoods. Residents get to know their officers and voice their concerns in a comfortable, non-threatening environment. The program has not only been a success in Allen Park with hundreds attending, but the program has been replicated in other communities.
With one community in mind, Thorburn started the “Extra Eyes” program. It’s a registry of which resident’s have exterior security cameras that officers can easily access. By compiling this information, it’s made solving crime more efficient when looking for video evidence of criminal activity.
A highlight of Thorburn’s career was during his 25 years as an undercover narcotics officer with Michigan State Police Downriver Narcotics Team. Unlike most undercover assignments, he had the unique experience of being in the midst of all the action with suspected drug buyers and sellers. He set up drugs buys, made the transactions himself which often ended with an arrest.
He also brings a very unique perspective with unusual insight into the media world. He is married to a TV journalist for a local Fox Affiliate in Detroit. Thorburn is a proud Michigan native and graduate of Northern Michigan University. He is a father to two boys with a deep affection for a good cup of coffee and the great outdoors.
People connecting with people never gets old, is never outdated.
Host: POLICE TECHNICAL
Location: Online Seminar 647 Ohio Street Online Seminar, 47807 Get Directions
Recommended Hotels:
No recommended hotels provided.
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