Cadets learn importance of public relations

CELINA — In addition to interactions with subjects, victims and witnesses, officers often have instances where they are put in contact with members of the media. In a lesson for the Wright State University — Lake Campus Police Academy, cadets learned the importance and impact of these types of interaction.

Police-public relations have come to the forefront in 2020 as a number of events led to the evolution of the Black Lives Matter movement and the fallout from those events was broadcast nationwide — often as it was developing live.

“Interactions that happen between officers and the public can be captured by the news media and when that happens — good or bad — it can reflect on your whole department or the entire profession,” said Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Tyler Price, the instructor for the lesson.

Price added that those interactions can make a big difference in how the public views their local police department. He explained that by treating people, especially the media, the right way on a scene, it can mean more of the good the officers do for the community makes its way to those they serve.

“If you let them get a little closer at a scene or give them some information about what is going on instead of shutting them out and saying nothing, people are more likely to help support the community policing activities that happen in your town,” he said. “Plus if you let them get a little closer this time to get their pictures, when you have an event coming up like Shop With A Cop or something like that, they’re more likely to come support those events with their coverage.”

Price encouraged the cadets to remember that the media have a job to do just the same as them and the local media can provide a safe way for the general public to learn information about a specific event. He used different scenarios — hypothetical and anecdotal — of different emergency scenes where vetted and justified news sources are permitted into areas that are off limits to the general public. According to the Ohio Peace Offi

cer Training Commission, traditional media sources include television, radio and print sources and the social media and internet accounts they maintain.

While the cadets were encouraged to be courteous with the media outlets that cover them, Price reminded them that they should avoid doing things that would violate their department’s protocol for media relations.

“There’s some information that shouldn’t go out from a regular road officer,” he said. “Typically at a police agency, you want to speak with one voice and that’s typically going to be a sergeant, the chief or a designated public information officer.”

If an officer is the one designated to release information, Price told cadets to prepare key messages and decide on one or two major points they wish to make to help keep the release on track. He also warned them to be cognizant of personal appearance and of what is in the background.

“Keep the blood and gore or other confidential information out of the background of where you are talking,” he said. “A TV camera may be pointed at

you but it is also picking up what is going on behind you so keep that in mind.”

While giving a statement, Price instructed the class to remember simple things to help get their point across such as avoiding distracting mannerisms, making eye contact but not staring into the camera and to keep their voice at a normal, conversational level as well as being aware of how their tone may be perceived.

“Remember, language that works within law enforcement circles may sound less tactful to a civilian audience,” he added. “Explaining the process of what’s happening can be helpful, even if it’s obvious to you.”

In the end, Price reminded the students that everything they do can appear on the news or in the local newspaper but he added that it may not all be bad, as long as the officer is acting appropriately.

“You guys are the people who are actually out there day to day in contact with the public and you have tremendous power to affect the public’s image of what the police department is,” he said. “And that that’s just simple little things like stopping in a shop and saying hi to people.

“A lot of cops think that’s not my job that’s not what I signed up to do. It is part of your job.”