If I did Police PR…

Tue, Jun 12. 2012

Editor: I do not know much about policing. However, I do know a thing or two about communication — mass communication in particular — including the theories and practice thereof. I also know that in public relations, in many instances, it is very important to get one’s information out as quickly as possible, even as one tries to ensure that it is as accurate as possible. This is especially the case in national security matters.{{more}}

Obviously, there are circumstances in which situations are developing and the information, while it must be disseminated quickly, must be packaged so that the intended audience understands that information might change in the future. But while one would also want to limit the extent to which that information would need to be modified subsequently, it is never wise to not say anything, especially when there is a development such as the one in Union Island on June 3. If the authorities don’t say anything, someone else might, and they might do so in a manner that is detrimental to the authorities’ public relations efforts.

Hence, if I were the officer-in-charge of the Police Public Relations Department (a post in which I have absolutely no interest), rather than waiting until Tuesday (when incorrect information was disseminated anyway), I would have sought the necessary clearances and issued the following statement six hours after the incident, at the latest:

“The Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) is investigating an incident which occurred in the waters off Union Island at [insert time of day here] in which local law enforcement agents came under hostile fire from persons believed to be foreign nationals. The persons were aboard a vessel believed to have originated from another country. The local law enforcement agents returned fire and three of the suspected foreigners died while another was injured. The injured person is receiving healthcare. The three other occupants of the suspected foreign vessel have been taken into police custody. A local law enforcement agent is unaccounted for and RSVGPF has called in personnel from several of its specialized units to aid in locating the agent, whose next of kin have been informed of the development. The RSVGPF would like to reassure residents of St Vincent and the Grenadines that the situation has been brought under control and there is no cause for fear or alarm. All necessary state personnel, including the Minister of National Security and the Commissioner of Police, have been informed and the requisite protocols activated. The RSVGPF will issue further bulletins accordingly.”

Further, I would like to advise the staff at the Police Public Relations Department that it is not in their interest to discriminate in respect to whom they send their public relations information, especially media entities, mainstream or otherwise. Your job is to get your information out there, to as many persons as possible and not to engage in narrowcasting – I hope. Every citizen should be able to request and access police bulletins. It might be a good idea to set up a website or a Facebook page, where such bulletins can be posted. In that way, the next time a dangerous person is on the loose, citizens will know where they can go to get information about the person.

Further, people can send anonymously tips to the police. My experience in communications has shown that people value the ability to be anonymous, if they so desire.

Kenton X. Chance
Taipei, Taiwan