Lodi police public information officers embrace shifting role
Officer Jerry Bahr settled into a chair in one of the Lodi Police Department’s interview rooms, taking a moment between his usual gym routine and a trip to a firearms range to discuss his duties at the department. When he’s not honing his marksmanship skills or staying on top of his physical health, Bahr serves as one of the Lodi Police Department’s six public information officers, a position he has held for the past year and a half.
Being a PIO is a collateral duty, he says, meaning that while he’s out patrolling his regular beat, he must also gather information that might be released to the public.
“I always have to keep in mind what people want to know that we can release, and what they need to know for their safety,” Bahr said.
The PIO team was started by the now-retired Lt. Bill Barry in the late 1990s with the goal of making information more easily accessible by the public, according to Lt. Sierra Brucia, who has led the team for the past six years, around when the department first established a social media presence.
“The program is more of a social media program now versus PIO. We rarely have press conferences or press releases any longer because social media has become so prevalent. It allows us to get our messaging out without the need to be so formal,” Brucia said in an email.
Although social media has become the department’s primary method of informing the public, that information must still be collected by officers such as Brucia and Bahr.
Bahr and his fellow PIOs must also consider whether releasing certain information could jeopardize an ongoing investigation or violate somebody’s privacy. A good PIO, according to Bahr, should feel comfortable giving statements and being on camera. They should also have good interpersonal skills and enjoy working as a team, as well as be able to multitask.
Most importantly, he said, they must care about community outreach.
Bahr has served with the Lodi Police Department for 21⁄2 years, having transferred after spending six years with the Rio Vista Police Department, where he was in charge of social media. Serving as a police officer has been a lifelong dream for Bahr, something he has wanted since he was 5 years old.
“I remember being little, I looked up to the deputy sheriffs, it was a pretty neat
job. Having the freedom to drive around, to not be trapped in an office all day, that’s what drew me to this job,” Bahr said.
Halloween is Bahr’s favorite time to patrol, as he says the costumes make everything more interesting.
“It’s the only time of year that I get to say things like, ‘I’m heading back with a pixie and a lumberjack,” Bahr said.