The Police Podcast

Katie Nelson is the Social Media & Public Relations Coordinator of the City of Mountain View Police Department.  The Mountain View Police Department is a leader in the social media space for law enforcement using a scientific approach to how they execute their digital communications.  Combining pop culture, analytical insights and listening to their audience has made them tuned into how to most effectively share their public safety messaging. You can find Mountain View Police on most social media platforms where they provide individualized messaging that fits both the platform and the audience for a deep ability to be effective.  Katie is always willing to share her expertise and experience.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/katienelson210/ Here are a few of the Mountain View Police social channels.  https://www.facebook.com/mountainviewpolicedepartment/ https://twitter.com/MountainViewPD https://www.instagram.com/mountainviewpd/ Also in this episode, I open by sharing the Smart Squad App that has been created by Faction Four System Inc. This platform and its technology adaptation for police is a game changer for any police department that is looking to manage resources more effectively with increased efficiency.  The Lethbridge Police Department is one of the agencies using the Smart Squad App and you can see how they are using it and what their officers think about it in this video that was produced by the LPS.  https://youtu.be/PZO-dD2VFdI To learn more about the Smart Squad App and how it can help your agency, visit their website here: http://smartsquadapp.com/ They can also be found on social media: https://www.facebook.com/smartsquadapp/ https://twitter.com/SmartSquadApp https://www.facebook.com/LethbridgePoliceService You can find the Lethbridge Police via their website and naturally social media: https://www.lethbridgepolice.ca https://twitter.com/lethpolice Huge and special thanks to the "OKAYestCop" who pointed out the video and the Smart Squad App to me. https://twitter.com/okayestcop Note - Me talking about the Smart Squad App is not a paid endorsement... just me sharing a really great resource. 

Chase Daniels is the Assistant Executive Director of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office working under the leadership of Sheriff Chris Nocco.  Chase's portfolio includes communications, social media and legislative affairs...and a few 'other things."  You may recognize the Pasco County Sheriff's Office for their work with the #9PMRoutine and the #LivePD broadcasts, but what you might not recognize is the excellent social media strategy that has positioned the Pasco County Sheriff's Office to be one of the best social media programs representing law enforcement.  Chase is quick to point out that while he plays a part in it, the greatness of the social media presence begins with Sheriff Nocco and spans to include a team of dedicated personnel that believes in being transparent, open and connected to their community.  You can connect with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office here: Website - https://pascosheriff.com/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/pascosheriff Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pascosheriff YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/pascosheriff How would like to get your hands on one of the #9PMRoutine T-Shirts? Just visit http://www.pascosheriffcharities.org/store/ to support the Pasco County Sheriff's Charity and grab a great T.   

Today I'm joined by my good friend, Chief Billy Grogan of the Dunwoody Police Department in Georgia. Chief Grogan is talking leadership and how he is giving back to the future leaders of law enforcement with his new venture, "Top Cop Leadership". Chief Grogan shares what it takes in the current day of policing what it takes to be a top cop and how he can help you get there with his view from a man that has risen to the top level of policing serving not only as a chief but every rank needed to get there including his time as the President of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.  You can find more information about Top Cop Leadership at  http://billyjgrogan.com/ and on social at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TopCopLeadership/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TopCopLeader   In other notes: Ep 93 recap - To donate to Casie Shimanski's fundraising effort for children's cancer research via the St. Baldrick's Foundation go to: https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/getmarriedgobald Ep 96 recap - To get Melissa's book, "Crisis Ready", you can click this link to purchase at Amazon: CRISIS READY

Keynote speaker, crisis communications strategist and soon to be best selling author Melissa Agnes talks about how to become Crisis Ready so that the issues you face don't become a crisis. Get her new book, CRISIS READY by clicking here. As a strategic advisor and keynote speaker, Melissa Agnes has worked with NATO, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, financial firms, technology companies, healthcare organizations, cities and municipalities, law enforcement agencies, global non-profits, and many others, helping them understand risk and build invincible brands that can withstand even the most devastating of events. In 2015, she gave a TEDx talk in Los Angeles where she discussed the secret to successful crisis management in the 21st century. Agnes is the editor of the Crisis Ready Blog, a contributor to Forbes, and a go-to source for the press, with recent coverage including the Wall Street Journal, VIBE Magazine, USA Today, and many others. As a university guest lecturer, Agnes teaches crisis management in university courses around the world, including at NYU and McGill. You can follow Melissa on most social media @Melissa_Agnes Learn more about Melissa through her website,  https://melissaagnes.com/

Neil Dewson-Smyth is a police officer in the UK who has been in uniform operations for 26 years. In the first 7 years he covered all aspects of day to day policing. He then progressed to traffic operations for 7 years as a class 1 advanced driver dealing with all road traffic accidents and numerous fatal road traffic accident investigations.  On transfer to Cheshire he spent 12 months in the custody investigation team before promotion to Sgt, then spent 7 years as custody sergeant with compliance to PACE 1984 and the Safer Detention and Handling of Persons in Custody (SDHP) guidelines. Detainee risk assessment specialist and understanding of high risk medical issues relevant to custody. Intoximeter EC/IR specialist and trainer. He is now a Force Incident Sgt in the force control room. His role requires oversight of the whole force, overseeing all emergency and priority incidents and matching resources to demand while maintaining officer safety and public confidence. He is also the Social media advisor and engagement lead to Cheshire Constabulary but also nationally and internationally with other forces and police agencies. Helping officers, leaders and staff; remove barriers to effective use, maximize their potential to reach out to and build relationships with their communities digitally through varied media applications and platforms.  Neil has a strong passion for the dangers of distracted driving with particular emphasis on the use of mobile phones. He is the creator of the internationally recognized #DontStreamAndDrive campaign and continually campaigning to raise awareness of the dangers. Neil was the International “Connected Cops” Social Media Leadership Award winner 2016 and was shortlisted as Best Tweeting Sgt in 2017 UK Police Twitter Awards. You can find Neil online under the ID @SgtTCS.

In this episode of The Police Podcast, Tamrin Olden and Mike Bires from The Law Enforcement dot Social Podcast joined in for a special  crossover episode.  The three of us discussed what we see happening in the area of law enforcement and public safety social media use giving our own predictions / keys to success for 2018. Tamrin and Mike's five predictions of success for the coming year are: Study your analytics Focus on personal engagement Create organic engagement Invest in your presence Create professional content   My five predictions for creating your best success possibilities in 2018 are... Strategic Use of Social Media  Personal Engagement and ROI Live Video- periscope, Facebook live, Instagram live.  Invest in technology. Tools, technology, training, and resources. Professional Content What was fascinating about doing this show is we didn't share what our ideas were prior to hitting record... we took turns sharing our thoughts only to see that we had lots of overlap and complimentary points.  I'm thankful to Mike and Tamrin for doing most of the heavy lifting on these show notes. ​Facebook announced how the algorithm would be stifling to getting your posts circulated.  Facebook is going to take priority away from pages and give it back to people who contribute to Facebook engagement.  This Facebook strategy won't be entirely possible because they have a fiduciary responsibility to make money for their stakeholders.  Pages on Facebook are going to have to rely on their engagement with their audience and followers.  Pages are not going anywhere, but your profile will be critical.  Pages and profiles will only see gain success by having fun while portraying your message with fantastic engagement.  Agencies need to invest in technology and not rely on their officers to use personal equipment.  You have to have professional quality images, graphics, and videos.  The excuse of, "I'll just use what I have" is no longer a valid outlook if you want to succeed in the social media world.  People want to see authenticity in your posts.  You want to create content that is going to make people "stop the scroll."  When going live focus on providing content that helps the department gain the interest of its followers and get the focus off of you.  FAQ's, utility videos, how to's, and behind the scene live videos are what are going to grab the attention of your audience.  If you are getting a frequently asked question, go to a live outlet and answer it in depth.  Production videos are useful to post too, but the engagement from live videos with your viewers is where you're going to get the most feedback.  The polished behind the podium is not relatable, and people are going to keep scrolling.  Have organic engagement where you are not fishing for viewers.  Two-way conversations with your residence are essential.  Listen to your audience with question and answer sessions. What they want to learn about are the topics that should have precedence.  Offline customer service can increase your online customer service and engagement. Invest in both.  Don't let your obsession with online social currency take away from interpersonal interaction.  Set the tone for your fans.  Return on investment and social return on investment. If an agency isn't measuring what they are getting back, there is no need for pointless posts.  The tool of social media needs is a serious factor in reaching out to the community and making the connection with the people.  Study the ROI and see what happens. Look at the analytics and become familiar with what type of content people like.  Stay on top of your app updates, solicit expertise, study analytics, read articles and take seminars to stay informed on how social media is changing and how to properly utilize it.  Adjust the content and style of posts. What worked last week, may not work next month.  Tim had to learn to be critical of silly posts and had a realization that the unprofessional content he was seeing from officers, wasn't 'humanizing the badge,' but making a mockery of it.  Be aware of spikes in your followers. Check the analytics of who your audience is to determine whether or not they are quality followers in your community.  Public perception needs consideration.  When posting a dance, challenge or fun video; make sure that there is a purpose and a message conveyed.  Take the time to write down your goals, objectives, and putting a strategy to the purpose and the use.  Communicate to your community and internal audience. Explain your strategy, why you're doing it, how you're going to execute it and work with purpose and intent.  Explore how you're going to reach specific groups and your local community. Make sure you are communicating a positive image. Not only for the police department but the city and the workers. Portray that you care about the town and are going to make it safe and fun for people to live, work and play in.  Be transparent.  Social media and PIO work can put your agency in a positive light and change the reputation of the department.  Socia media is a multi-faceted outlet.  You must implement all of these factors to reach a successful platform.  Be sure and follow the gang from The Law Enforcement dot Social Podcast... on Instagram and Facebook @lawenforcement.social and their personal accounts, @isocialcop, @idigitalcop, and @tamrinolden.    

Anthony Rodriguez is the Social Media Manager for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in south Florida. Anthony tells the story about their social media platforms being taken over by an 8 year old girl that had been dead for 30 years and how this girl brought her cold case back to life.  This is a chilling and powerful use of social media in a case that was specifically chosen that had all the right ingredients to make it a viable case to profile. Here is a Storify that chronicles the take over and case of Christy Lina.  https://storify.com/TimBurrows1266/justice4luna Plus Anthony shares his marketing strategy to get over 600 new followers on the PBSO's Facebook Page in just a few hours, 100% organically.  You can find the PBSO at: https://twitter.com/PBCountySheriff https://www.facebook.com/palmbeachcountysheriff https://www.instagram.com/pbcountysheriff https://www.youtube.com/user/PBCountySheriff Website: http://www.pbso.org/  

Casie (pronounced KC) Shimanski and I met a couple of years at an event in Florida and have stayed in touch online since. We've crossed paths in Florida many times missing each other by a few hours here and there or realizing after, "Hey, you were there?" In December last year we actually came face to face at Social Fresh that was held at Full Sail University. Casie is part of the Cisco Systems family working with the team dedicated to telling Cisco’s employees story through social media, specifically, Instagram, Twitter and  . Casie comes from a family of police and has first responder blood also having ties to the fire department as well. Like anyone with that kind of bloodline, you know giving and caring are two traits that come naturally to her. Her Dad was with the Port Authority PD for NY/NJ for 21 years.  He worked the '93 WTC Bombing & lost many friends in 9/11 as well.  He has been a "founding" member of Team Live Out Loud (dedicated to Casie’s sister, Kellie's Memory). He’s gone bald for St. Baldricks’s many times and this year will be an extra special year as Casie is going bald for St. Baldrick’s as well…. And this is a great story. Casie is getting married on March 22, 2018 and just two days later she is shaving her head for St. Baldrick’s! Now that’s commitment to a cause and you’ll understand that more when you listen to Casie tell the story how here involvement on a personal level came to be. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation doesn't just look to help any cancer...it is targeting child cancer. Kids that get cancer aren't contracting lifestyle cancer...they are just getting a raw deal on life and could use research dollars and money to help fund treatments specific to their unique needs.  Every day 43 children will be diagnosed with cancer and 1 in 5 will not win the battle. Please consider donating to Casie. Her direct link for her fundraising efforts is: https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/getmarriedgobald This is a great video on Children's Cancer and the hardcore mission of St Baldrick's http://youtu.be/oBMd_CKEyIY Please reach out to Casie and say, “Hi” and wish her the best for her upcoming wedding and her efforts to help out the fight against childhood cancer.  Tweet or Instagram Casie at @TheNameIsCasie. Twitter Instagram Oh and in case you missed it... OPEN YOUR WALLET AND GIVE GENEROUSLY OR AT LEAST SHARE THIS EPISODE Give here: https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/getmarriedgobald

This is a long episode coming in at 2 hours. A couple of highlights... 41 minutes I gave a list of successful black people: police officers, politicians, business, entertainers. According to Desmond, not one is successful based on merit, skills or abilities.  62 minutes The School Resource Officer Program   One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Benjamin Franklin…. “Love your enemies for they will tell you your faults.”  Prior to Franklin saying that, Antisthenes said, Pay attention to your enemies for they are the first to discover your mistakes. And I’m sure he got that from Socrates who said every man needs a faithful friend and a butter enemy. One to advise and the other to make him look about him. Today’s guest to many in the policing environment in Canada and certainly Toronto is viewed as the enemy. Challenging the norms, shaking up the status quo and forcing police and government to look at how things are done.  Many will question his motives and many more will refuse to listen to him at all but you can’t ignore what he has done. In 2015 he penned an incredibly passionate article that allowed readers an insight into the perspective of a man that has been treated differently his whole life because of the colour of his skin. He can be credited with not just changing how the Toronto Police conducted street checks or ‘carding’, but how the he got the Province of Ontario to change the practice for all police officers. Was it a system that needed to be fixed? Yes… did anyone expect the results that happened? Probably not. But then when you don’t listen to your critics, and worse, you don’t raise a strong voice to offset what is being said… then you’ll lose every time. The new target of the man…the Toronto Police Service School Resource Officer program. The program that has proven to be incredibly valuable to all youth. But as you hear Demond Cole talk, you’ll soon notice that he has no interest in the positive outcomes and the positive influences that police officers play. He focuses on nothing but the negative… just a few negatives, which are almost completely anecdotal. He easily asserts that he can’t be questioned because these are his experiences but disregards the experiences of others. Desmond represents his views through his lens and believes anyone that has success didn’t create their own path using merit and hard work, the likes of Oprah, Lincoln Alexander, Mark Saunders, Peter Sloly, Keith Forde or even President Obama… the got to their positions by other means. I learned some things from listening to Desmond speak. I made notes of things I want to research further. He gave me food for thought a couple of times… but he refused to see any other point. I shared knowledge from a perspective he doesn’t know. My perspective as a police officer, coming from a single parent home, lower socioeconomic background and yet, he had no interest in hearing the ‘other side.’ We agreed that this is a much bigger problem than he or I, the police or the SRO program. It’s a historical problem of underfunding, a lack of resources and a lack of commitment to fix problems. You will notice, that while some people change, adapt and evolve with the times, learn from their mistakes and become better… others refuse to do so and therefore will continue to be bitter and combative about any possible better future.

Everyone in the Orlando area remembers vividly the events that happened in the early morning hours of June 12th, 2016. At 2:02 am, The Pulse Nightclub Shooting began and over the next couple of days the reality of one of the worst shootings in the history of the United States took place. But, for the Orlando Police Department Public Relations Office, June 10th and 11th were very busy days that prepared them for what was about to take the worlds attention. Wanda Miglio and Michelle hold down those responsibilities in a truly team approach to keeping the public informed through the Orlando Police Social Media channels and the main-stream media. The end of Operation Safe Streets took place on June 10th, the culmination of a month long project to help make Orlando safer removing crime guns and offenders from the streets. Later that night, the murder of Christina Grimmie, an up and coming YouTube star who was performing at the Plaza Live Theater, took place. Due to her rising fame and recent success on The Voice the national media ascended on Orlando to cover the story. June 11th, the team made sure that the information about Christina Grimmie went out throughout the day. Add into the mix a couple of full SWAT callouts, they department and the PIOs were kept busy. And then… The Pulse Shooting took place. Wanda and Michelle quickly went into action determining the priorities that had to be identified to effectively do their job. Listen as they share the events from their perspective.  You can follow OPD on social media: Twitter.com/OrlandoPolice Facebook.com/orlandopolicedepartment YouTube.com/opdpio Orlando Police Online: http://www.cityoforlando.net/police/ Radio Traffic Audio Complied from City Of Orlando http://www.cityoforlando.net/cityclerk/pulse-tragedy-public-records/

MC - AKA Jason Hoschouer was the very first guest I ever had on The Police Podcast... I knew at some point I would have him back on. We've kept in contact since that first episode and I've been an avid listener to his podcast, The Crossover Show that he co-hosts with Justin Bieber. MC has been online talking about his duties since 2008 and letting the world know, "If got stopped, you deserved it." He talks about some of the current events that we've been seeing around North America, finances, quality of life and what he thinks are the most important things in life. Last time MC was on the show he talked about his interest in financial matters after going through debt struggles and finding his way out through training he received from Dave Ramsey. Well, MC is now taken this to the next level developing the, "Motorcop Mindset" which is a system to help people improve their lives. MC has always been an author focusing on blog writing, but now he has just published a new book on focusing on budgeting for the first responders, "Badges And Budgets - Personal Finances From A Law Enforcement Perspective".   Here is the link to his book on Amazon.  I bought MC's book and it is filled with actionable content and financially sound advice. If all you do is implement what MC talks about in this book, you'll be better of than you are right now...take it to the next level and...well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. BIG NEWS FOR OUR LISTENERS OF THE POLICE PODCAST... Jason is offering a free webinar for you on Saturday July, 2nd at 1:00pm ET / 10:00am PT, in which he will walk you through The Motorcop Mindset and Budgets & Badges. Here is the link that will take you the registration page.  https://themotorcopmindset.webinarninja.co/my/wnwebinarlist/index?webinar_id=7361  Follow MC: Twitter https://twitter.com/motorcop1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/motorcopblog Blog www.motorcopblog.comNew Website - TheMotorCopMindset MC is also a contributor to Uniform Stories. Check out his work there as well: http://uniformstories.com/ Make sure you get on the list for his upcoming book to subscribing to his blog. Thanks to MC for taking the time to join us on The Police Podcast! I'd be honored it you would take the time to rate The Police Podcast and/or leave a review. It would help me be sure to focus on the content you want to hear. Thanks  Tim

Mike McCormack is the President of the Toronto Police Association, the largest of it's kind in Canada representing over 8,000 members both sworn and civilian. Mike comes from a deep policing tradition and like he mentioned in the interview, his dad went up the management side to become Chief and Mike chose the other side to become president. I'm not sure which title I would rather hold, Chief or president. What the two men have in common is an incredible duty of service to others and Mike has taken the police association in a direction that has increased awareness of the importance to tell the message of what it takes, "to protect those, who protect others." During this episode, Mike talks about the Toronto Police Transformational Task Force*, public safety, "Carding" and offers advice to other associations. I hope you enjoy this episode.  You can contact / follow Mike and the TPA at: The Toronto Police Association Website Email Twitter Facebook Note: * When this episode was recorded, Mike had not seen the final report so any comments he made at the time were not based on the report itself. 

Two incredible power houses in their own fields joined forces to help parents writing the book, "Outsmarting Your Kids Online - A Safety Handbook For Overwhelmed Parents".   I read this book in about two days. I know some of you could do it in about three hours. It's an easy read but more importantly it's got immediately actionable things you can do to help protect your family. Amber and Michael talk about the must do's, the need to do's and the should do's that can make an immediate difference in your awareness and knowledge of not only what is happening in your children's life, but what they are doing in their online environment.  More importantly than that, you can recognize the hazards and dangers that might be knocking on their virtual door trying to get into their real world.  Amber and Michael have shared their expertise in the cyber world with you in this book in a way that even the most tech challenged individual can get what they are talking about, relate it to your life and show you just how important the information is.  Think you know everything there is to know? Think again. I've studied both Amber and Michael. I've listened to them teach, I've read their books, I've taken their courses and this book still taught me plenty.  ABOUT MICHAEL AND AMBER... Amber Mac(Arthur) started her career in San Francisco and Boston during the dot-com boom in the late 1990s. As a strategist for Razorfish and Director of Marketing for an e-procurement software company, she spent four years in the technology start-up trenches. Amber left the start-up world to join Microsoft to build one of the first female-focused lifestyle portals. In 2006, with her brother, she started her own digital agency called Konnekt. The company’s first client was world-renowned business coach, Tony Robbins. Her company’s clients include Microsoft Xbox, Ford Motor Company, Tony Robbins, Canada Goose, Fast Company, PayPal, Canadian Blood Services, and many more leading organizations. In 2010, she wrote the national bestselling business book Power Friending (Portfolio: New York).  Amber has keynoted more than 250 events around the world, in which she addresses the topic of business innovation and what it takes for companies to adapt and grow. Michael Bazzell spent 18 years as a government computer crime investigator. During the majority of that time, he was assigned to the FBI’s Cyber Crimes Task Force where he focused on "Hackers" and various computer crime investigations. As an active investigator for multiple organizations, he has been involved in numerous high-tech criminal investigations including online child solicitation, child abduction, kidnapping, cold-case homicide, terrorist threats, and high level computer intrusions. He has trained thousands of individuals in the use of his investigative techniques.  Michael currently works and resides in Washington, D.C. He also serves as the technical advisor for the television hacker drama "Mr. Robot" on the USA network. His books "Open Source Intelligence Techniques" and "Hiding from the Internet" have been best sellers in both the United States and Europe. They are used by several government agencies as training manuals for intelligence gathering and securing personal information.    You can find them online everywhere, but for simplicity sake, I'll share their websites and their Twitter links: Amber  Web Twitter   Michael Web Twitter   BONUS: For you Mr. Robot fans, off air I got Michael to open up about Season Two...OMG!!! You will love it...well, at least I think you will. He wouldn't say a word other than he's excited about it and look for it JULY 13!!! If you're not one of the first five to email for your free copy, then click this link to buy the book from Amazon.

Ben Gardner is probably better known as @TrooperBenKHP is one part of the Kansas Highway Patrol that has become infamous in law enforcement social media circles as, "The #TweetingTroopers". Trooper Ben has been using Twitter as his primary tool for outreach to help educate, inform and entertain his community of followers talking traffic safety. You can find him at crash scenes and community events, conferences and cruisers and you can always be sure that he will be talking about ways to stay out of jail, in your car and on the road safely. While he is in uniform though, you won't find him in a donut shop but you will find him advising what the Chili Index for the day is.  You can follow Ben on Twitter as he tweets for C Troop of the KHP.

"Connecting great people with great people to do great things." I could leave the show notes right there to tell you everything you need to know about Brian Fanzo. Brian has a deep, deep history with online activities, which began with cyber security in the Department of Defence. Brian has been on stages talking about the online world for many years but what he is currently in demand for is his thought leadership with building communities and audiences. Brian is a social and digital strategist who works with many companies introducing them to the space and or making them better in it. His motto is, "Think Like A Fan" which has led to a movement in personal branding and story telling based on delivering content to your audience that appeals to them because it speaks to them and it is what they want. "Give people access to people, places or experiences that they can't get anywhere else", you build an awesome audience that gets to live through your world virtually.  I love relating what brands do in the social space to what police can do to mirror their success and Brian breaks it right down to show how to that. One of Brian's big points in this episode is being relatable with your audience and that is one of the great benefits of livestream. Authenticity is so vital. Showing how awesome he is, Brian also "recorded" this episode. He actually live streamed it on his Periscope Channel while we were recording. Here's  a bit of technology for you... Brian was in Virginia. I was in Nevada. I was recording via Skype. Brian was broadcasting via Periscope. His recording was published 13 days before mine. Hmmmm You can watch the scope here:  https://www.periscope.tv/iSocialFanz/1mnxePAERBEJX I hope you take the time to go and learn more about Brian and follow him in the social space. Website:  http://www.isocialfanz.com/    http://www.brianfanzo.com/ Twitter Facebook Snapcode

Chris Lewis was the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police before retiring in 2014 to start his consulting firm, Lighthouse Leadership Services. Commissioner Lewis is also a special correspondent to Bell Media covering issues relating to policing.  He was very candid in this interview discussing his feeling on Street Checks (Carding) and that when he was the boss, he had no problem telling his boss the Premiere Of Ontario (respectfully) exactly what he thought.  Lewis’ leadership experience is wide and varied, including tenures as Deputy Commissioner of OPP Field Operations; Commander of the Investigations Bureau; the Information Technologies Bureau; and the Emergency Management Bureau; as well as the Director of the Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario at the then Ontario Ministry of Solicitor General. He was Regional Commander of the OPP’s East Region; served as Director of the Criminal Investigation Branch; and worked with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to establish and lead the Cornwall Regional Task Force. You can find him here: Lighthouse Leadership Services Twitter Facebook LinkedIn

He's best known online as Mike_TheCop on all things social, but he also has a second persona as one of the contributors to, "Humanizing The Badge." Mike is a Metro Detroit area police officer who infuses his wicked sense of humor within the day to day happenings of a police officer.  His antics on Vine, Instagram and Facebook are the stuff that legends are made of which has brought a global audience to the things he does in policing and offers a comedic, behind the scenes look at police life. But, he has a serious side and that can be found at Humanizing The Badge, which is a website and blog dedicated that is described on their website as, "...a group of creatives seeking to participate in the growing voice of support for law enforcement officers around the world." You can find Mike: Twitter Facebook Vine InstagramSnapCode Don't forget when you follow Mike, also take the time to visit Humanizing The Badge on their social channels as well. FacebookTwitter Thanks Mike for taking part in the podcast.   

From The Oakland Police Department via Nixle The Oakland Police Department would like to apologize for the recent press release addressing traffic safety enforcement during the Cinco de Mayo holiday. We acknowledge that the language in the message sent was completely insensitive to the cultural holiday. We have worked extensively to build trust with all our communities and value the amazing cultures that make up the heart of our City. We are taking appropriate steps to insure that this does not happen again. Our intentions were to raise awareness about drunk driving and notify the community of traffic safety during the important holiday. As for every holiday and celebration, we want to remind everyone to celebrate responsibly and safely. "We acknowledge that the language in the message sent was completely insensitive to the cultural holiday."...HUH??? What in the world did the OPD say????? “Cinco de Mayo has become synonymous with festive fiestas and salty margaritas,..." Well that's true. I don't understand why police leaders feel the need to apologize because someone gets offended over something that is not offensive.  The statement, the press release, the stats.....everything was informational, not confrontational and didn't single out a class, culture or group.  A group on Facebook were the ones offended. Literally saying that the police were targeting Latinos What??? Oh come on.  Yes, someone put their own words into the release and that's what the police apologized for.  Then....I saw it. What led to the reversal and apology. A Facebook Group posted it and there were 14 comments and 51 reactions. Oh the horror!!! And not all the comments were against it! Oakland City Councilman Noel Gallo says the police department’s warning about the dangers of drinking and driving during Cinco de Mayo twisted the holiday’s rich cultural history into a caricature. No it didn't!! Taco Bell has done that along with every other marketing company that is trying to gain market share on social media for the 5th of May. Leaders lead.   

Officer Tommy Norman of the North Little Rock Arkansas Police Department is one of a kind! When I first began following Tommy, I believed that he must be a community relations officer or school resource officer.  The guy is all over social media talking with the community, showing their good work, this guy interacts with everyone!  I was surprised to learn that he is a front line patrol officer that answers radio calls, arrests bad people and does his calling with incredible respect and integrity. I also learned that it isn't just his style of policing, but an a philosophy that permeates the North Little Rock Police Department from Chief Mike Davis on down.  Tommy was quick to point out that the North Little Rock Police Department truly wants to embrace their community and knows the value of building relationships and trust go a long way in building a better community for everyone!  A couple of weeks ago Tommy went to Prom with a young lady, he delivers toys and clothes out of the back of his patrol car and always has time for a kind word. If I had to pick three words to describe Tommy Norman from the short time I spent with him and from the digital footprint he has created they would be: Servant Humble Honorable Follow Officer Norman of his social media channels: Twitter Instagram Facebook Snapchat - Scan the Snap Code below.               Follow the North Little Rock Arkansas Police: Facebook Special thanks to Sgt. Brian Dedrick, the Public Information Officer for setting this interview up.   

Yael Bartur is the Digital Strategist for the NYPD and you can bet that with 116 Twitter Accounts and a massive community she has her hands full but she takes it all in stride. With a solid strategy and a plan for growth that includes proper training, monitoring and management of the department's social media accounts the task she has comes with a great potential for many agencies to follow.  Yael chats about the wins, challenges and who she looks to for inspiration as she looks for new and innovative ways to promote the department and the men and women who serve and protect North America's biggest city. Yael even teases about a test Facebook account that the department is using as the pioneer for growth on the world's biggest social network... and because you are reading this, you get to see it for yourself. Like https://www.facebook.com/NYPD34pct/ and see how the community of Washington Heights is being served on Facebook by their police.  Follow Yael on Twitter https://twitter.com/yaelbt

Nick Selby Talks Data...Big Data What happens when you use data instead of anecdotes to study the information behind police shootings? You get facts and not rhetoric. You get a place to start a real conversation about situations that need a deeper look.It's amazing what Nick Selby and his team are doing with data research to get to the bottom of the real story. You can't argue with facts and physics and when those get backed up by data, you have a pretty solid foundation for understanding.  You have to go look at the study that the team put together here: Police Killings In Context About Nick Selby Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder StreetCred CEO and co-Founder Nick Selby was sworn as a police officer in 2010, and currently serves as an investigator at a police agency in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. His focus is on crimes that leverage the Internet, such as fraud, organized retail crime, identity theft and child exploitation. He was an information security analyst and consultant for ten years, and has worked in physical security and intelligence consulting in various roles since 1993. He is co-author of Blackhatonomics: An Inside Look at the Economics of Cybercrime (Syngress, 2012) and technical editor of Investigating Internet Crimes (Syngress, 2013). In 2005 he established the information security practice at industry analyst firm The 451 Group, where he conducted in-depth interviews with and consulted more than 1000 technology vendors, and a range of Fortune 1000 and government clients. In 2007 he was appointed 451’s VP of Research Operations. Since 2008 he has focused on law enforcement intelligence, while managing a boutique consultancy that provided cyber-incident response services to Fortune 250 companies. He co-founded StreetCred Software, Inc., in 2012. Nick has consulted hundreds of venture-backed startups on understanding their competitive landscape, on product development and feature enhancements, user interface and security. He has consulted US and European governments, more than 80 investment banks, more than 20 venture capital firms: on the investment side, to better understand the technology and landscape of the companies into which they invested, and on the operations side on securing their intellectual property and processes.

FAN BOY ALERT!!! I love Larry Winget. I love everything about him from his down home country southern style, to his cowboy shirts and boots, his social media use and of course his common sense approach to pretty much everything life has to throw at us.  Larry is very candid in his time with us and admits that he is a fan of police, not a fan of people who don't like police and does a favorite police officer...his son.  Larry is a professional speaker, author and personal development expert who has written 6 New York Times and Wall Street Journal best selling books: Your Kids Are Your Own Fault People Are Idiots And I Can Prove It It's Called Work For A Reason You're Broke Because You Want To Be Shut Up Stop Whining And Get A Life  and my personal favorite.... GROW A PAIR. You can find Larry on social media through his Facebook Page, YouTube Channel, Twitter and Instagram Accounts.  Enjoy.  

Yes police fans...you read / heard / saw it right. The Police Podcast is back for it's second season. Now I know how Netflix feels every time it rolls out a new season of House Of Cards. The anticipation is incredible, the new season drops and in 15 hours, I've binge watched every amazing moment and then I am feeling left empty and lost again. But, not to worry...I am not dropping an entire season on you at once and then walking away. Although there are 2 older recordings ready to go, 2 new recordings ready to go and 2 new interviews scheduled to record I still believe in offering relevant content, which is timely and appropriate. Now this episode is more of a fun one to let you know that The Police Podcast is returning so no deep thoughts, or interviews...just some music, a couple of minutes of me talking and an invite for future guests and listeners. I'm not even sure what I'm going to call this episode... S2.Ep1?Ep40?PTP39?Ep78? Good grief...decisions, decisions.  

This podcast is brought to by... For something a little different...this podcast was origianlly recorded as a 'Scope on the Periscope platform, so you'll hear references to the audience and Periscope specific terms...let's see how this goes. 5 Tips To Help You Trick Facebook's Algorithm Facebook, as a publicly traded company has a responsibility to earn money for it's investors, not to give you what you want...views.A+B=C, if C then D. If D=T+L then, M.I have no idea what that means but I know it's a very basic algorithm. A mathematical equation or formula. The language of computer program functionality. Facebook uses algorithms to determine exactly how your experience will be using the platform based on a multitude of variables, all designed to accumulate data to provide to advertisers to make money to please investors....plain and simple. "...you mean very little to Facebook..."Most of us aren't paying Facebook for anything but we are happy to use their infrastructure to post our messages, thoughts, pictures, videos,...you know, content. For a page, this means you mean very little to Facebook unless you are 'paying to play'. But, fewer and fewer people are actually seeing that content, even if it is awesome. How do you get around this algorithm problem and trick Facebook into pushing your content without paying? You play within the rules of the algorithm for your own benefit. You understand how the algorithm works and you manipulate it. Here's how. 1) PicturesFacebook loves pictures. Make pictures part of your content. Make the pictures good so that they get attention. 2) VideosFacebook after allowing native video has seen a dramatic rise in video use and views. Post videos on a regular basis...even if they aren't yours but make sure they are videos people will view. 3) Interaction / EngagementMake sure you reply to people who comment on your content. Like their comments (if appropriate) and reply, even if it's to just say "Thanks". 4) Share Great ContentIf someone else has produced great content that is popular, share it with your audience AND make sure to include where the information came from. 5) Keep Eyes On Your ContentThink long, sticky content. Facebook is now rewarding content that keep eyes on it longer. With your picture, video, shared content, be willing to write "War and Peace". Write a long post that will keep eyes on your content. Just look at what Facebook had to say on one of their own recent blog posts about this: "For example, you may scroll quickly through your News Feed and like a photo of your friend’s graduation, followed by sharing a funny post from your sister. You keep scrolling and happen upon a post your cousin shared detailing everything she did and saw on her recent trip. Her post even includes a photo. You spend time reading her post and the interesting discussion about the best places to eat that had broken out in the comments on this post, but you don’t feel inclined to like or comment on it yourself. Based on the fact that you didn’t scroll straight past this post and it was on the screen for more time than other posts that were in your News Feed, we infer that it was something you found interesting and we may start to surface more posts like that higher up in your News Feed in the future." Adding into the end of tips number five....if you have made it this far, you now see what it means to have a long, sticky post. Even if you don't "like" the post or comment or share it, Facebook will reward this page because your eyes stayed here a lot longer so Facebook knows, there was something to it.

Today's podcast is brought to you by: Need? Do you really need to follow the police on social media? Very simply put, yes you do. You need to follow your local city police, county police and state police. Some of you may be thinking that, “Tim, I already abide by the laws, I’m a good citizen, why do I need to follow the police? ” Well that’s a great question and the best answer I have is because you are exactly who they need to follow them. That’s right, the police need you to follow them. Your name is John or Jane. You’re married in your mid thirties. You have 2 children, commute everyday to work in an office, enjoy dinner with your family playing with your kids after eating and on the weekends you do your shopping, get your kids to their activities, catch up with friends and don’t give a second thought to your personal safety. You are the perfect follower for the police. You see, you make up the vast majority of the tax base of any given community. You rarely require the services of your police and chances are the only contact you have had with them is though a traffic stop or because of that ‘stupid thing you did as a teenager’. The police need you because you are their secret weapon. You want to know that when you are at work your home is protected. You want to know that you will be safe travelling to and from your office and that while you are there you won’t become the victim of a crime. You want to know that there won’t be any bad people trying to talk to our children in real life or online. You want to know that the police are there for you, but you never want to need them. Your police department also wants life to be exactly like that. But because of life isn’t just that “Mayberry” you need to follow your police on social media. The police are holders of vast information and they want to share that information with you because they know something else about you. You will share that information with your friends and family because it will make them safer and protect them from the same things that you are protected from. The police will share crime prevention information. Things that most of us take for granted like why the bushes in front of our windows should be the kinds with thorns on them or what that little mirror on the bank machine is actually for. Some police officers will try to inspire young children with creativity and showing them there is more to life than they sometimes see or take them on a camping trip to get them out of the concrete walls that are sometimes their only existence. They will let you know about crashes and traffic disruptions to ease your commute and the local weather so you know how to dress for the day. The police will warn you about the bad guys and girls that could cause you harm and the ways they will do it, like when you aren’t paying attention on the subway and you find yourself the victim of a smart phone theft. A great police department on social media will tell you that there are three things needed for a crime to occur: §  A victim §  An opportunity §  A criminal They will show you how to insulate yourself from becoming a victim and how to remove yourself from the opportunity equation and how to avoid the criminal. When active crime is happening, you know you can turn to your police for the facts and the information that is credible because they don’t work in speculation or innuendo. Your police aren’t on a timeline for keeping viewers on their channel so they don’t start massive fishing expeditions for the next great rumour. Is there a criminal in your midst or a new type of crime that is looking for fresh victims? Your police will be providing that information to help make you safer. Here is one of the best reasons that you should be following your police. They actually want to talk to you! They want to know what concerns you. They want to know what areas of your town you won’t go to after dark. They want to know what you believe they could do better to serve your community. Reach out and say “Hello” to your police department and there is a really good chance they will say hello back. Need a laugh? There are police departments that specialize in adding humor to the social stream because they know the world can be a pretty depressing place some days and everyone could use a little laugh from time to time and they like to show their lighter side… To give you the best reason to follow your local police, I have to go back 185 years to the birth of modern policing and the man who put in place the rules that still exist today. Sir Robert Peel is the father of modern policing and in 1829 he developed the Peels Principals of Policing. One of those principles, the seventh, states, “… the police are the public and that the public are the police…” In other words, we all need to be there for each other. The police are members of the public and while they will come to our aid, we must also come to theirs and also to one another. If following, liking, retweeting, subscribing and sharing their information is the best we can do then we should all do it. Ever think what your town would be like without crime? Imagine a place where tax dollars can be directed at social programs, school lunch and breakfast programs, senior care programs because as a community you insulated yourself so well against crime and made such a strong stance against criminals that the purpose of the police was just to maintain order and give advice as opposed to chasing the bad people around and burdening the courts! Sure, that’s a bit of a pipe-dream, but where would we be today if the dreamers of yesterday didn’t succeed. Search the name of your police department, go to their website and look for their social icons so that you can help your city, your community and yes, even yourself be a little safer, more aware, educated and sometimes even entertained. If your police aren’t everything I’ve described, let me know. I’ll reach out to them for you.

The episode is brought to you by....   Chris Rasmussen has been a police officer for 20 years and works with the Redwood City Police Department. He is a devoted family man, community member and all around great guy. I've been following Chris for many years and consider him one of the "OGs" of law enforcment's social media use.  Redwood City has a diverse population but the greatest population base there speaks SPanish so it only seemed logical to Chris that they should establish a Spanish Police presence with their social media efforts. Chris is repsonsible for the creation and implementation of his departments social strategy and is the primary point for dissemination, monitoring and engagement...and he is also a front line officer...kind of takes away the excuse for no time. Follow Chris and the Redwood City Police:Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisraszFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisrasz Twitter: http://twitter.com/redwoodcitypdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedwoodCityPDFacebook (Spanish) https://www.facebook.com/PoliciaDeRedwoodCityWeb: http://www.redwoodcity.org/police/#

This episode is brought to you by:   You can't argue that great use of social media for your agency (business) is both an art form and a science. Chances are you want to increase your voice in the social space and understanding how to use both artistic creativity combined with science will improve your ability to be shared. 1) Quote or ReTweet:I have become a huge fan of the Quote feature especially in those instances that I want to add my thoughts about why I'm sharing the information.  2) If You Don't Ask, You Don't Get: Be willing to ask your audience to retweet you. While "Please RT" is good, actually spelling it out is even better, "Please RETWEET." 3) Make it Valuable: While some tweets can be 'just for fun' or 'just because', nothing is as important to sharing as the actual content you put out. Put out great content that is value based on your audience needs and you'll see more shares. 4) What's In A Number: If your tweet has a number in it, use the numerical value instead of the long version. Using a number shows an increase of 17% in retweets, not seventeen percent. 5) Think About News and Instructions: Everyone wants to be on the front edge of sharing great information that is relevant or helpful to others. The most popular things people want to share are news, instructional information, entertainment, opinions and products. 6) Timing: If your audience is most active online at 2:00pm on a Saturday, that would be a great time to put out your content for maximum shares. Commuter times, weekends, lunch time are all considerations to help you make your best time. Your own analytics will tell you as well if you're paying attention. 7) Picture This: Adding pictures to your tweets can dramatically increase the retweets. Pictures also can tell your story for you leaving you with less typing to get your thoughts across. 8) Hashtags: Like pictures, good hashtags can slice your character count. They can act like chapters in a book explaining the content without using a lot of words. Be careful on how many you use. 2-3 maximum per tweet. Going beyond that can make your tweet look like spam. 9) Link It: Using link in your tweet has shown positive retweets and better awareness of what you are trying to message. Placement matters here as well. Links that are between 75 and 90 percent of the way into a tweet increases their purpose. 10) Be a Retweeter: One of the cornerstones of social interaction is 'returning the favor'. Want to get retweets? Retweet others AND GIVE CREDIT. When you see other people's great information share it, but make sure you include that person in your tweet as a "@ via", "@mention" or just an organic retweet itself.      

Today's point to ponder is brought to you by: Policies, procedures, guidelines and training all attempt to help and guide a law enforcement officer's decision-making and set the boundaries for what should and shouldn't be done. But, is that enough? Police are to be neutral and leave their opinions at the door when they walk out on the street to enforce laws and protect the public. All too often lately we are seeing that the opinions expressed while off-duty can easily carry over into their on-duty existence. Agencies are struggling with the idea of protecting an individuals right to freedom of speech while balancing that freedom with protecting the reputation of the department, or more importantly the reputation and effectiveness of the officer. It is very easy to get emotionally charged up and try to express what you are feeling on the playground of social media but that expression can cost you. Yes you have rights protecting your speech, but in the grander scheme of things, should you exercise them? In  some cases, absolutely not. Officers are getting investigated and disciplined for expressing their thoughts in their private lives which may never be shown or expressed while working. You may be incredible at dividing your personal feelings from your work obligations and never do anything wrong, but one post, like, share on social can be used against you in your profession, rightly or wrong...that's reality. The BEST way to protect yourself is just to refrain from making a post that will bring your integrity, reputation and professionalism into question. Related Articles: http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/can-police-agencies-restrict-officers-freedom-spee/nj5ZY/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/04/police-facebook_n_6615782.html http://www.policeone.com/columnists/val-van-brocklin/articles/7986820-understanding-court-decisions-on-public-employees-first-amendment-protections/

Today's Podcast is brought to you by:   Chief Billy Grogan has been a fan, user and teacher of social media for law enforcement as long as he has been the Chief. In fact, he is the @LESMChief on Twitter! Chief Grogan knew from the time that Dunwoody Georgia Police came into existence, social and digital media would play a role in how they would engage with their community, build relationships and foster an environment that allowed a trusting relationship to grow. In the beginning it was only Chief Grogan at the controls of the Dunwoody PD presence, but with your executive supporting the medium, it didn't take long for the agency to put more and more people into place to carry the voice of the agency. Chief Grogan has complied all he has learned into the pages of a brand new book,  Chief Grogan has put some considerable thought into this book. Tips, tricks, tools, policy, examples...every page has information that has the most important element you would want...useable content!  I highly recommend Chief Grogan's book which you can order by following this link: Twitter: A Guide For Law Enforcement To get to know Chief Grogan and the Dunwoody Police better, connect with them:Twittter: @DunwoodyPoliceFacebook: /DunwoodyPolice Chief GroganTwitter: @ChiefGrogan @LESMChiefWebsite: http://lesmchief.com/

  This episdoe is brought to you by...  Instagram is the social media platform that out performs every other platform in terms of pure engagement. Instagram Tips   The Basics – Point and Shoot Fill Out Your “Bio” Section Make sure your bio is complete. Take the time to fill it out correctly. You really want people to know who you are and what you’ll be sharing. Learn How to Take Great Pictures on Your Phone The mobile nature of your smart phone combined with Instagram is the perfect pairing for an awesome presence, but you have to take great pictures to start. Learn about the settings in your smart phone. Most high end smart phones now have some pretty amazing options that can compete with a decent DSLR, but it really is still just a camera on a phone…it will never be as good as a full blown camera. (See filters for more on this.) Get the most out of your DSLR Share your DSLR photos with your mobile device. New cameras have WiFi cards that make this process seamless and transfer your pictures directly to your phone. Get in the habit of taking pictures continually and loading them to a file that can be accessed through your phone for easy posting at a later time. Scenery Rules The five best pictures I have shared on Instagram have been scenery pictures. Sunsets, blue skies, a stream and a spider’s web rocked the likes and comments. While they may have nothing to do with policing, people like to see great scenery shots so give them your best once a week. If you like it then you better put a filter on it. Instagram offers awesome filtering capabilities. Experiment with them. Even though some appear the same, there are subtle similarities that you can have a lot of fun with. Not every picture looks great with the same filters so play with them. The other toys Blur, contrast, sharpness, tilt, warmth…so many choices to play with that can have a dramatic impact on your pictures. Experiment…you’ll be amazed with what you can do to a normal picture to turn it into an art piece.  Intermediate – Start thinking beyond immediacy and ‘build’ a picture using tools for editing photos. Brand your pictures. Every picture should be branded with something that says ‘you’. Add at the very least your Twitter ID on the picture and keep it in the same place every time. Add quotes, sayings, memes. Have a picture of a police officer and a member of the public shaking hands, hugging, high-5’ing? Add Peel’s quote, “The public are the police, the police are the public” to it. Working together Memes tend to get a lot of traction on Instagram, so take advantage of this type of viral-style image by creating your own graphic and text combinations.  Use the Meme Generator website to research current meme trends, as well as make your own to share. Experiment With Video Clips Use the video capabilities. You can tell a lot with those 15 available seconds if you do it right. Every week, do a 15 second safety video. Give a “Behind the Scenes” Look Show your followers an inside look of policing. Things that we take for granted, the public might really like. A locker room, a roll call (parade) shot, the radio, fingerprint tools (livescan / old ink blotter), Hashtags If you like using hashtags, then Instagram is for you.  Instagram allows up to 30 per image so think of all the hashtags you can add to your art. You want to build an audience so think about what your fans talk about and also what other police interests are. Here’s a list: #police #policeofficers  #hero #cops #cop #coplife #policelife  #lawenforcement  #corrections #correctionofficers #911  #heroes  #thinblueline  #officers #respectthem  #brotherhood #blueblood #family #bluefamily  #copfamily  #policefamily  #firstresponders #copwife #policewife Pro Tip: use two hashtags in your image description then post it. Then be the first to comment on your picture using all other relevant and useful hashtags. I love using the desktop for this multiple hashtags tactic. Share your Instagram Pics on other platforms Don’t limit your Instagram pictures to Instagram.  Post your Instagram links to Facebook, Twitter and any other social media service you use in order to grow your user base and provide followers on other networks with valuable content. Instagram allows for cross populations, but be careful doing this. Once you have filtered and touched up your photos and they are perfect, then take the time to add that photo natively to the other platforms. Focus on Community Build a following through your Instagram account. You want your following to feel like a community around you so build it with that in mind. Give your followers a ‘name’  and refer to them collectively in posts. Create an Instagram contest Contests are great for getting people involved and bringing attention to your program. Have a contest where your audience sends you great Instagram worthy pics around a theme, “people and the police” or caption this photo are some great ideas for you to try out. Engage If someone comments on your pics, thank them. If someone asks a question, answer them. Go through your followers and comment on their pics, like their art. Show you are part of their community as well. Story telling If a picture can tell a story, think what a progression of pictures can tell. Create a hashtag around a specific event or a title for a series of pictures and tells story using the pictures.  Think of a recruit class…follow them along through their training with a few weekly pictures of their activities from first class to graduation. Collage your pictures If you are at an event share lots of pictures from that one event using a third party app to collage the pictures.  

Today's point to ponder is brought to you by... So many of us started out our working life by sitting at the side of a road, at the end of our driveway with a sign that read, "Lemonade." It's almost a childhood rite of passage to try and earn some extra money by selling lemonade, kool-aid or cold water on a hot day. I can't tell you how many times while riding my police motor or driving the squad that I would stop at a lemonade stand and buy a glass and talk with kids and parents alike...brings back sweet memories of happy kids, appreciative parents and a kind of interaction that went unnoticed but never unappreciated.  Sgt. Ben Becchetti + Officer Dave Pecoraro of the Palo Alto Police Department know that exact feeling and they shared their love of community building through taking the time to chug back some lemonade, sharing a laugh with kids, letting them see the inside of a police car and learning more about serving and protecting with Lieutenant Zach Perron.  Lt Perron got to thinking and saw a great opportunity to get more of the Palo Alto Police involved with this form of community outreach and invited the public to let them know where road side stands were so that officers could indulge on a hot summer day. The feedback from the community has been amazing and the initiative is spreading across the country. This once unseen form of community building now can now be seen through the use of social media.  #CopsLoveLemonadeStands is being embraced by police officers and agencies because of how simple it is to take part in and how much of a positive impact it has in their communities.  How much good will is being created with communities by a simple act like this? What kind of price tag can you put on leaving a lasting, good and positive memory in the mind of our youth?  Get out there and join this movement...who knows, in the winter we can swing back for a visit becasue, #CopsLoveHotCocoa Lt. Perron also wrote an excellent piece about this for the International Association Of Chiefs of Police: http://blog.iacpsocialmedia.org/Home/tabid/142/entryid/423/Default.aspx Take a look on Twitter at the hashtag #CopsLoveLemonadeStands to see how great this is. Thanks to Lt Perron for joining on The Police Podcast today. You can follow along with the Palo Alto Police on social media:Twitter https://twitter.com/PaloAltoPoliceFacebook https://www.facebook.com/PaloAltoPoliceNextdoor https://nextdoor.com/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/PaloAltoPoliceFlickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/paloaltopoliceLt Perron on Twitter https://twitter.com/zpPAPD  

The episode is brought to you by... How would you like to get 1.2 MILLION Facebook likes, in 48 HOURS??? Nick Whitney, owner of Tread Armament and Weaponry put out a challenge to help equip Tank, a Washington Utah police K9 in training, with body armor if Tank could get 1 million likes in one year. Well, Tank got the 1 million likes but it only took 48 hours!! That got my attention and I had to talk to Nick about his offer and why he put it out there with Vesting America's Police K-9s, Tank and Tread Armament. Nick is a down to earth business owner who just wants to give back and it was great talking to him about his efforts. There was a bonus in all of this that Tread Armament and Weaponry is a huge police supporter and provides equipment for both law enforcement and the general public. Please visit all of those involved in this great effort to get one of our K9's equipped with potentially life saving gear...did I say one? My mistake...a side part of the campaign was the establishment of a "Go Fund Me" initiative that has raised enough money (at the time of recording) to outfit 11 K9s!!! Tread ArmamentFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TREADArmamentWebsite: http://treadarmament.com/ Vesting America's Police K9sFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/VestAPoliceK9Website (Go Fund Me) http://www.gofundme.com/VestAPoliceK9HavocK9Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Havoc-K-9-Inc/139336626147943Website: http://www.havock9.com/ and of courseTank on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TankPoliceK9

Today's episode is brought to you by...Public Information Officers from across the country gathered in Arlington, Texas for the International Association of Chiefs of Police Mid-Year Public Information Officers Conference hosted by the Arlington and Fort Worth Police Department's. It was a great three days of learning, teaching and networking with like minded people that are all committed to advancing the ability of police agencies to build relationships, trust and transparency within their communities. In this episode I recap what went on and some of the major take-aways that I had.   

Today's episode is brought to you by; About a week ago, online superstar, celebrity, marketing maven, fitness expert and tribe builder Chalene Johnson got the surprise of her life...she got hacked! Chalene wasn't the target of the hack because she is famous, a celebrity or wealthy...she was hacked because she was an accessible target like thousands of others that become victims on a daily basis.  There are always three elements needed for crime to happen. A criminal An opportunity A victim The goal of crime prevention is to remove any one of those elements and when you do, you will remove the crime. That is exactly what this episode and show notes are about...crime prevention. The more educated you become, the less likely you will be a victim. The more you insulate yourself, the more you remove the opportunity.  Chalene wants this story shared so that other's don't also become victims. Click here to go to Chalene's podcasts about what happened to her. Here are my top 10 tips to help insulate yourself and avoid, or at least make it a lot harder, to be a victim. The time in the podcast is listed when I talk about these points specifically so you can jump right there. 1) BE SMART:5:30 2) UPDATES:6:45 3) PASSWORDS:7:26 4) PASSWORD MANAGER:8:22Here are some very highly rated password managers that can work great for your needs. Dashlane, Lastpass, Roboform, Password Manager Pro, 1Password, KeePass 5) 2 FACTOR AUTHENTICATION / TWO STEP AUTHORIZATION:9:45 6) LOCATION SETTINGS:13:18 7) DON’T US APPS FOR LOGINS:13:51 8) CREATE A DEDICATED SOCIAL EMAIL ADDRESS:14:46 9) DEDICATED CREDIT CARD:15:55 10) STOP PLAYING GAMES:16:26 In Episode 6 of The Police Podcast, I spoke to Los Angeles County Sherrifs Deputy, Tony Moore who is a cyber safety expert. Hear what he had to say about cyber safety and the advice he gave by listening to that episode as well.  Deputy Moore spends some time focusing on Facebook...which we all know has some serious privacy issues.  Click here to hear Deputy Moore. 

Today's podcast is brought to you by... I woke up yesterday morning to a Twitter stream full of one of the worst things possible in my mind...a police department under attack by a man with assault rifles and bombs. By now most of us know the story of James Boulware and his attack on the Dallas Police Department.  I became aware of it because of the awesome feed by the Dallas Police Department and Major Max Geron on Twitter. It didn't take long to see a few tweets and turn my office into an information centre for streams on Facebook, Twitter, Periscope and Instagram. As the day wore on and it went from breaking information to re-caps, CNN personality Fredricka Whitfield decided a good way to describe Boulware was as, "...courageous and brave..." As I said on Twitter, could you imagine what CNN would do if a police department said something like that? They would have live reporters out front of the department interviewing everyone they could who hated the police demanding the police department be shut down, investigated by the DOJ and all members charged for crimes against humanity. But now, 36 hours later, nothing from CNN and an apparent, I "mis-spoke" from the reporter. Here's the clip just in case anyone thinks that her words are taken out of context.  But let's never forget, she has a right to say those words and every police officer worth their weight in gold will protect that right even if they don't agree with her. Thank you police, everywhere.  UPDATE: June 14 2015... Ms Whitfield and CNN agree that this is an appropriate apology. I think it's an even greater insult to be so flippant and arrogant. What are your thougts? http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnns-whitfield-misspoke-when-calling-dallas-gunman-courageous-and-brave/#ooid=lhZmZudTo25rSz4we7OjQxRbraLzeQnM UPDATE: June 18, 2015...I missed this when it happened but since I called out CNN and Ms Whitfield for their words and actions, the very least I can do is also share the reversal. http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/tv/2015/06/15/fredricka-whitfield-apology.cnn.html  

Today's podcast is brought to you by: Mike Russell has been a mainstay as the face of the Victoria Police Department in British Columbia, Canada for a few years now. He is well known within both the policing community and also the everyday people community. Mike is also known online as "Community Mike" because of his committment to building communities and being part of the greater good. From his website you learn everything there is to know about Mike in the first line,  "I connect communities. How can I help you?  I'm Mike, a community advocate, social media strategist, digitial media innovator, community collaborator, professional communicator, father of four and husband to an amazing woman.   I've worked in communities in BC and Alberta engaging residents in community-driven solutions to complicated problems.  Using social media, digital resources, engagement strategies, and lots of coffee, our innovative solutions have been replicated and studied across North America. From #VicPDHelps, Canada's first twitter crime reporting to the first Canadian interactive police app 'mobileVicPD' and using Pinterest to return recovered stolen property, innovation and collaboration are key tenets of our work. I am an advocate of online security and privacy and have trained and presented on open source investigations, internet security and the implications of information sharing in our digital environment.  The successful parterships I develop, lead to great collaborations between community, police, government, social agencies and the business community, with the end goal of creating a caring, safe community for all.  I am a passionate volunteer and advocate, having volunteered thousands of hours with charities throughout Edmonton and Victoria and am passionate about giving back to the communities I love. Nice to meet you, how can I help?" You can follow Mike and the Victoria Police here: http://sidengo.com/communitymikehttp://twitter.com/communitymikehttp://twitter.com/vicpdcanadahttps://www.facebook.com/VictoriaPoliceDepartmenthttps://vicpd.ca/

Today's episode is brought to you by Robert Tornabene is an active sworn police officer from the Greater Chicago area. He has taken what he has learned in policing and helps police officers and the community become safer and better prepared in the social age.  Robert has experience as a school resource officer, gang officer, public information officer and front line patrolman and supervisor that have all leant themselves to helping him establish Gate America, a training resource for the betterment of our communities. Robert was having a conversation on Twitter the other morning with a couple of people and the issue at hand was how posting information to social media regarding active situations with police activity could jeopardize the safety of not just the community but the public at large as well. Robert was inspired by the conversation and took to his blog to write about it. Read his post here:http://gateamerica.blogspot.com/2015/06/social-media-posts-tweet-smart-in.html I knew this was an issue that deserved more attention so I reached out to Robert and this episode is the result of that. We would ask that our communities share this information so that the next time an event happens; the public will be more cognizant of the potential outcomes.  This episode will also serve as the topic for #CopChat on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. You can follow Robert here: https://twitter.com/gateamerica/https://www.facebook.com/gateamericahttps://www.youtube.com/user/gateamericainc/http://www.gateamerica.blogspot.com/

Today's podcast is brought to you by... Mark Economou is the Public Information Officer of the Boca Raton Police Department which is situated on the Atlantic Coast of the great state of Florida. Made famous by Seinfeld, Mark is quick to point out that it's not just all old people eating at 4pm and living in retirement villages...Boca is much more than that and is one of the fastest growing parts of Florida. Mark is a transplant from the New England area and is a die-hard Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and Patriots fan who is still trying to find ways to defend Tom Brady!!! The Boca Police Department is one of the original law enforcement social media agencies and even after 6 years in the social space, they are still keeping ahead of the curve through innovation and the use of new technology as it emerges.  Led by Chief Dan Alexander, the Boca Police have embraced community engagement and outreach particularly through the use of video, building campaigns around the "Kindergarten Cops". You can learn more about the Boca Raton Police by following them on social media and visiting their website.  Website:http://myboca.us/police/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bocapoliceFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BocaPoliceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/bocapoliceChief Alexander: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BocaChiefTwitter: http://twitter.com/bocachief

Nick Selby co-founded StreetCred Software, which is a software-as-a-service offering created by police officers who understand how police officers use information, data and leads. StreetCred helps law enforcement agencies manage their arrest warrants, eliminate warrant backlogs and improve efficiency while increasing officer safety. Nick also serves part-time as an investigator for the Midlothian (TX) Police Department, focused on organized retail and cyber crime, and volunteers as a reserve officer at another DFW-area police agency.Nick is co-author of Blackhatonomics: the Economics of Cybercrime (Syngress, 2012) and technical editor of Investigating Internet Crimes (Syngress, 2013). He co-founded the enterprise security practice at analyst firm The 451 Group.Nick consulted hundreds of venture-backed startups on understanding their competitive landscape, on product development and feature enhancements, user interface and security. He has consulted US and European governments, more than 80 investment banks, more than 20 venture capital firms. From 2006-2011, he served on the faculty of IANS Research. Since 2008 he's focused on law enforcement intelligence.Nick speaks regularly at conferences and events such as Code for America Summit, The RSA Conference, BSides, IACA, SecTOR, NOBLE, SMILE, IANS, Security Standard, CXO Interchange and SANS WhatWorks. Based in Eastern Europe and Europe from 1990 to 2004, Nick has spent more than two decades immersed in emerging technologies, including open source and wireless technologies, and software piracy. An IFR pilot, Nick published pilot resource Flyguides from 2001-2005.Specialties: Law enforcement technology, intelligence, intelligence operations, joint operations, data leakage, data loss, log management, vulnerability assessment, change and configuration management, security, anti-fraud, anti-money-laundering You can keep up with Nick: Twitter: @nselbyor reach him through email at nick.selby@streetcredsoftware.com

Today's podcast is brough to you by: Chief Devon Clunis is committed to youth and his community, which shows through as we talk about policing and change.  Chief Devon Clunis began his career with the Winnipeg Police Service in 1987 and has served in major areas of the organization including Uniform Patrol, Traffic, Plainclothes Investigation, Community Relations, Organizational Development & Support, and Duty Office (city-wide operational command), as well as a number of administrative leadership roles. Chief Clunis is an avid community volunteer and has helped to raise over $1 000 000.00 on behalf of the Children’s Wish Foundation of Manitoba. He was appointed police chaplain in 1998 and has provided support to his members in that capacity, as well as providing support to members of New York City Police Department in the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center. The Winnipeg Police Service formally recognized his excellence in policing and community work by awarding him the James Toal Award of Excellence in 2002. Chief Clunis was promoted to Patrol Sergeant in 2002, Sergeant in 2004, Inspector in 2007, Superintendent in 2010, and appointed Chief of Police October 2012. In addition to his leadership and management skills, Chief Clunis has overseen the development of an in-house leadership development program for Service members. He is a well- respected leader who believes the future of our city hinges on the creation of a culture of safety for all citizens and is honored to help lead in this area. Devon is married to his wife Pearlene and has two daughters Taylene and Atira. Early in the episode Chief Clunis gave his thoughts on having an informed community, "I think it’s important we educate the public, that we have a very informed public. Regarding police practices, procedures and why maybe we can’t tell you. I think when we have a public that is more informed, more engaged; when we have to make those difficult decisions, they will understand." Later the Chief had this to say about being good to each other, "A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle." Here is the link to the information piece Chief Clunis wrote about telling his community why the police can't always tell you everything: http://winnipeg.ca/police/insidewps/20150415.stm You can follow the Winnipeg Police:   Web Twitter @wpgpolice YouTube Channel WPGpoliceservice.    

Today's point to ponder on The Police Podcast is brought to you by: This is a pretty hallowed week for law enforcement. May 15th is the Peace Officers Memorial Day which makes the Police Week and Why I wear the badge is an initiative created by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to recognize and celebrate our heroes in blue. Organizations that help out with Police Week, the Memorial and families: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), which sponsors the annual Candlelight Vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.Phone: (202) 737-3400 | Email: vigil@nleomf.org Fraternal Order of Police / Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary Fraternal Order of Police/Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary (FOP/FOPA), which organize the Peace Officers Memorial Day Service at the U.S. Capitol.www.policeweek.org Concerns of Police Survivors Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), which holds the National Police Survivors' Conference.Phone: (573) 346-4911First year survivors, call: (800) 784-2677 | Email: cops@nationalcops.org IACP #WhyIWearTheBadge Initiative http://www.theiacp.org/whyiwearthebadge http://blog.iacpsocialmedia.org/Home/tabid/142/entryid/420/Default.aspx  

One of the most talked about events to come out of the Baltimore riots so far has been the mom who saw her son on TV and went down to where he was and smacked him around a little then got him out of the area. After she was identified and had her opportunity to tell her side of the stroy she was quoted as saying, "That's my only son and at the end of the day I don't want him to be a Freddie Gray,". When the video was shared around the world, a common caption or opinion was she should be seen as the "Mom of the Year." Really? Mom of the year? I think we all got a little notalgic over seeing her smack her kid a little bit but to call her the mom of the year is an incredible insult to every mom out there who wasn't worried about her son being on the from t lines of a riot hurling rocks at police becuase their children didn't put themselves in harms way. Here's the video from CNN "Baltimore Mom". http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/28/us/baltimore-riot-mom-smacks-son/    

Today's episode is brought to you by... The Arlington, Texas Police Department has developed a reputation for brining high quality, relevant content to the 4th largest urban setting in America and a big part of the great work being done in the social space is the dynamic duo of Lieutenant Cook and Officer McDonnell. Zhivonni McDonnell is a subject matter expert in the field of social media for law enforcement and media relations for public safety. As a sworn police officer for the Arlington Police Department, she oversees the department’s social media platforms and citizen engagement efforts. Officer McDonnell has pioneered the way for APD to be considered one of the most successful agencies in the world when it comes to connecting with citizens through social media. While serving as the social media coordinator, the department has been awarded the Most Innovative Use of Social Media for three consecutive years (2012, 2013, & 2014) by the Texas Center for Digital Government.  Lt. Christopher Cook is an award-winning speaker and recognized leader in media relations and social media management. Lt. Cook has an M.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice from the University of Texas. He is a 2012 graduate of the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas Leadership Command College.  One of my favorite things about APD is their use of video. Chris and ZhiZhi have committed themselves and the APD to being connected with their community and delivering the best posible program they can. They have always been available to help other agencies develop their programs and become better. Presenting at many conferences and training sessions, the dynamic duo prides themselves n improving others which is a big part of why the Arlington Police will be hosting the IACP Mid-Year Confernece...http://www.theiacp.org/PIOMidYear After the mid-year IACP confernece they will be presenting at the National Information Officers Association Confernecehttp://www.nioa.org/site/training-conference/ To follow the Arlington Police Department:Twitter: https://twitter.com/arlingtonpdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArlingtonPoliceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/arlingtonpolicemediaWeb: http://www.arlington-tx.gov/police/  

Today's Point To Ponder is brought to you by LexisNexis...visit lexisnexis.com/publicsafety   Yesterday the Philadelphia Police Department released a new recruiting video that was like nothing we have ever seen in the way of a recruiting video before. Outside of the box is one way to describe it...memorable is another. Unique? No question. Some purists will be up in arms while those that live in the new digital communication age will see it in an entirely different light. To be honest, neither view will be wrong on the surface...some depth will be required.  You be the judge...https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153169207445910&set=vb.16703910909&type=2&theater May 4th (AKA May The Fourth Be WIth You) is coming up...challenge issued. Did you stick around to hear the out-takes of me trying to start today's Point To Ponder?

Today's podcast is brought to you by: Ever wonder what some of the legal concerns you should be considering with the use of live streaming platforms such as  Periscope and Meerkat are? Kerry O'Shea Gorgone sure has, and she shares her knowledge with us about those and a while lot more! A former college professor, Kerry develops training programs forMarketingProfs, and has addressed audiences at industry conferences including the B2B Marketing Forum, the Social Brand Forum, Vocus Demand Success, and the B2B Marketing Forum, as well as private corporate events. Kerry frequently speaks on topics relating to marketing and social media law, including intellectual property, disclosure requirements for brands and bloggers, and contest regulations. She offers practical, entertaining tips for avoiding the legal pitfalls that impact marketing and communication professionals. Previously, she taught New Media Marketing for the Internet Marketing Master of Science Program at Full Sail University in Florida, and taught undergraduate courses in marketing law and business law at Bentley University. Kerry hosts the weekly Marketing Smarts podcast for MarketingProfs, named one of the top business podcasts on the internet byFastCompany. The show features 30-minute in-depth interviews with smart marketers from all walks of life. Geoffrey James, a contributing editor for Inc., listed Kerry as one of 8 Great Role Models for Wowing a Crowd (along with Steve Jobs, Tony Robbins, and Marsha Collier). She is a contributing writer for numerous sites, including MarketingProfs, Huffington Post, the {grow} blog, Social Media Explorer, Entrepreneur, SpinSucks, and MackCollier.com. When she was a university professor, Kerry consistently made Social Media Marketing Magazine’s list of the Top 100 Marketing Professors on Twitter, and was also included on the MBAPrograms.org list of the Top 50 Business School Professors on Twitter. Kerry is also a movie buff, a Joss Whedon fan, and a chocolate enthusiast. You can follow Kerry here: http://www.kerrygorgone.com/https://twitter.com/kerrygorgonehttps://www.facebook.com/kerrygorgonehttps://plus.google.com/+KerryOSheaGorgone/postshttps://instagram.com/kerrygorgone/Learn more about Kerry's favorite people by checking them out as well!Anne Handley: https://twitter.com/annhandleyMarsha Collier: https://twitter.com/MarshaCollierMack Collier: https://twitter.com/MackCollierMark Schaefer: https://twitter.com/markwschaeferMarketing Profs: https://twitter.com/MarketingProfs

One of the questions I am asked most often is, "How do we get the bosses to buy into social media." In this point to ponder, I tell you the best ways to get the support from the top of the food chain of your organization. This Point To Ponder is brought to you by:

The ultimate goal is naturally to gain many followers, subscribers, fans, friends, likes and everything else in terms of vanity metrics but the real key is to be an influencer. Today on the Point To Ponder I talk about strategies to increase both and give you 5 great tips (and maybe a bonus 6th tip) to be an influncer.  

This episode of The Police Podcast is brought to you by: Today we catch up with Lieutenant Andy Green of the Lima, Ohio Police Department. Andy has extensive experience in the world of law enforcement social media having brought Lima PD into the social media sphere along with teaching other law enforcement agencies the ins and outs of the tools. He can truly be considered one of the early adopters of social media in getting into the use of Facebook in it's early days and then while on a deployment in Afghanistan, he realized the power of the tools for communicating on behalf of law enforcement. When he returned to US, he set his sights on making a voice for the Lima PD to connect with their community. You can follow Andy and the Lima PD: Twitter: https://twitter.com/LPDagreenTwitter: https://twitter.com/LimaPoliceFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LimaPoliceDepartmentWeb: http://www.cityhall.lima.oh.us/index.aspx?NID=168

Today's podcast is brought to you by:John A. Bertetto is a sworn member of the Chicago Police Department. His current areas of study and work include criminal street gangs, social network analysis, and asymmetric threat mitigation. He is the author of Counter-Gang Strategy: Adapted COIN in Policing Criminal Street Gangs, Countering Criminal Street Gangs: Lessons from the Counterinsurgent Battlespace, Designing Law Enforcement: Adaptive Strategies for the Complex Environment, and Toward a Police Ethos: Defining Our Values as a Call to Action. Officer Bertetto’s most recent research article “Reducing Gang Violence through Network Influence Based Targeting of Social Programs” has been accepted to the Industry & Government Track of the 2014 Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD) annual conference, a conference with a 20% acceptance rate. Officer Bertetto has worked street patrol, organized crime, and research and development assignments. His applied research projects have led to collaborative partnerships with students and faculty at USMA West Point, George Mason University, and the University of Maryland. He is one of the primary designers and the law enforcement SME behind the GANG social network analysis software, which has been featured in Popular Science, Governing, and on MIT’s technology blog, as well as profiled on ABC and BBC news. Officer Bertetto holds a Master of Science degree from Western Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration degree from St. Xavier University. John is one of those coppers that doesn't just see policing as a job with set hours or responsibilities, but he likes to go the extra mile to see a better community and a smarter police agency through educating officers. This is highly evident by not only his writing, which can be found at https://www.scribd.com/john_bertetto#, but also with a very heart touching story that he shares with our listeners about the death of a yong man and the lasting impact his mother made on John when he met her. That meeting gave way to the #DriveForDemario. A push to get a school transport vehicle to help ensure that kids aren't killed trying to get to or from extra-curricular activities at their schools, as is what happened to Demario. You can find John online: Twitter: http://twitter.com/chitowncopperScribd: https://www.scribd.com/john_bertetto#Web: http://foreign-intrigue.com/  

In an ongoing battle to elicit attention for our social, digital and real lives in this attention deficit society we find ourselves being surrounded by more and more apps and platforms that allow us to deliver live streaming content trhough many mediums, but most notably now using Periscope and Meerkat. Today on the podcast I discuss tips, strategies and cautions about choosing to use these platforms. I also introduce a new sponsor to our audience which is an excellent partner for the podcast...   Very excited to be partnered with LexisNexis...Welcome to the show. To learn more about LexisNexis, please visit... http://www.lexisnexis.com/risk/government. In this episode, I mention Mark Economou of the BocaRaton Police Department and Chris Hsiung of the Mountain View Police Department along with Owen Williams of The Next Web and an article he wrote referencing Periscope.     

Today's episode is brought to you by... Stewart Reynolds is best known online as the one and only Brittlestar! He gained notoriety through his cutting edge development of his presence on Vine, but there is way more to Brittlestar than just Vine as we find out in this episode.  Brittlestar is Stewart JW Reynolds.  Based in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, he has established a worldwide following thanks to his books, music and videos. “I used to want to be a coroner because I loved the TV show, Quincy M.E..  I quickly realized that being a coroner did not guarantee you your own TV show, so I changed direction.” He’s happily married to a beautiful woman well out of his league and has two talented sons that have both enjoyed more chart success than he has (he’s more proud than bitter about that). You may know Brittlestar from Vine. Millions of people have enjoyed his vines on the app and other social media and best of the web sites. His Vines have received over 145 million loops! Brittlestar is also an author of the Shortcuts Book Series and he is also a musician having written, recorded and produced songs that have been heard on American Top 40, MTV’s Real World, Kim Kardashian’s The Spin Crowd and radio stations around the world. Brittlestar share’s some of his success on know how on his creative secrets behind making videos that get plays from around the world and how you can use them to your advantage as well! You can find Brittlestar: VINE: http://vine.co/brittlestar INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/brittlestar TWITTER: http://twitter.com/brittlestar SNAPCHAT: brittlechat WEB: http://www.brittlestar.com/ Although we never discussed it, Stewart is available to assist you and your online presence with creating Vine’s for your agency or speaking at your conferences. Reach out to him via his website. From Stewarts Site: Top 5 Tips for Vine Success Keep it simple Initially, 6 seconds seems like a very short amount of time but once you start working in Vine you realize that there is a tremendous amount you can fit in that time frame.  At that point you need to back away from iphone and remember what your core message/concept was to begin with and stick with that. ~ Relatable rules/Show people themselves Some of the most successful Vines are the ones who show the viewer a version of themselves or a familiar experience.  Those Vines get shared a lot. It doesn’t have to be realistically portrayed but it should show the viewer something that makes them say “I know this feeling!” ~ Know your audience If you have an idea for a Vine, ask yourself who you think would appreciate it… and make sure it would make sense to them. Though the majority of Vine’s audience is young adults (teens to early twenties), there is a huge number of other demographics on the app that are desperate for content that speaks to them. That said, the younger the target audience, the more visible the engagement (Likes/Revines). ~ Let the camera tell at least part of the story If there is a prop, person or action that is integral to your Vine’s concept, use the camera to make sure it is seen.  Don’t be afraid to move the camera from establishing shot to close-up and back again if it will help you tell your story. ~ Have fun! No one wants to watch someone forcing themselves to ‘do it for the vine’.  Have fun making Vines!  Be creative.  Test what works and what doesn’t with your audience.  Vine is an amazing creative outlet that can be used by individuals and businesses alike to spread happiness worldwide.