Policing and the Challenge of Communication How Police reach out to the NSW Community Strath Gordon Director, Public Affairs Branch August 2009.

Policing and the Challenge of Communication

How Police reach out to the NSW Community

Strath Gordon

Director, Public Affairs Branch

August 2009

“The challenge of communication is one of the greatest faced by any policing jurisdiction.

We need the public’s assistance in solving crime…..we need to issue warnings, advice and reassurance to our communities and importantly we need their confidence.”

Andrew Scipione APM

Commissioner of Police

Policing and Communication

• “In the absence of information, people tend to make assumptions, usually negative.”

Customer Service Institute of Australia – Customer Service Project for NSWPF 2008

Policing and Communication

• “By having confidence in police, the respondents added that they are more likely to report crime incidents in the community.”

University of Technology, NSW - Research into Media and Perceptions of Policing 2007

Policing and Communication

• “The NSW Public is poorly informed about crime and criminal justice... this is due in no small measure to the way these issues are portrayed in the media.”

• “All too often, media coverage of crime and justice and is distorted, selective and sensationalist.”

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research – Crime and Justice Bulletin August 2008

Policing and Communication

Research Outcomes

• People want to see police doing their job • A calming influence & in control• Undertaking planned activities• Didn’t like violent confrontations• Desire to see police successes• Seeing police taking drugs & guns off the

streets makes them feel safe• Strong awareness that media manipulates

reality• Want to see good spokespeople• Wanted police to be pleasant but not too friendly

Policing and Communication

• Maximise assistance and information from the public to solve crime

• Correct or clarify information• Warn people of dangers or threats• Create discussion in the community• Improve behaviour by increasing the perception of detection• Highlight good police work

• Reassure the community

Policing and Communication

NSW Police Media Policy

• Media Unit 24/7• Web-pages• Proactive media roles• New Projects Officer & Multi Media Unit• Corporate Spokespeople• Devolve media responsibilities – media training• Marketing initiatives• Community and local based initiatives, including forums • Television programs• Digital Media

Policing and Communication

How does NSWPF achieve its communications goals?

• YouTube

• Facebook

• myspace

• Twitter

Policing and Communication

Digital Media

• Television is still powerful – Gen Y watch more than kids four years ago

• Twitter now has four million registered users

• 95% of 18-25 year olds are on-line

• Gen Y three times more likely than Gen X to use social networking

• Mobile phones to become a leading source of access to internet

• Around 8% of all site visits are to social networking sites

• Traffic to NSWPF website has grown 40% in 12 months

Policing and Communication

Digital Media - Some Facts

• People want to see police doing their job • A calming influence & in control• Undertaking planned activities• Didn’t like violent confrontations• Desire to see police successes• Seeing police taking drugs & guns off the streets makes them

feel safe – reduces “fear of crime”• Wanted to see all the above in news, current affairs, reality.• Strong awareness that media manipulates reality• Need for good spokespeople• Wanted police to be pleasant but not too friendly

Perceptions of Policing

Research Outcomes

• Operational strategy• Seeking public assistance/warnings/reassurance• Encourage specific behaviours eg reporting crime• Morale boost for operational police• Investment in long term PR “capital”• Police are doing their job• Human face of policing• Recruitment• Counters negativity• Source of revenue

Perceptions of Policing

Extended Benefits

• Proactive footing in Media Unit• Creation of the News Projects Officer• Divert multi-media from internal focus• Senior Media Officer focus on Media Training• Expanded Film & TV Product • One show in 2006 to six in 2009 • Explored one on one opportunities with current

affairs programs• Massive internal education program

Perceptions of Policing

How Has This Influenced NSW Police Force

Some Issues• Are we excluding huge portions of our CALD

community?• Are we driving a wedge between older

generations and new generations?• Hate groups exploit digital platforms• Accuracy of language – more room for error

Perceptions of Policing

Communicating with CALD Communities

• Police need trust and an understanding of our role & functions

• Look at as many opportunities to communicate as possible

• Use visual opportunities to tell our story in multiple languages

• Depict interaction between police and community leaders

• Issues based forum sites

• Mobile phone marketing

Perceptions of Policing

Some Opportunities