172536_CPCA_2020_Spring Magazine - Final | Page 43

Our connection to our community is key for two prominent reasons –
1 This is a time of uncertainty, and our community needs a confident,
steady connection with those serving to keep them safe.
2 As the frontline responders, and traditionally the most frequent
communicators when safety is of the essence, we need to keep
the lines of communication open and tuned to our channel.
Our team - Public Information Officer Michael Haobsh and
Community Relations Officer Jeanine Luna - truly found the balance
between broadcasting crucial information and maintaining normalcy
for our community during a very difficult time.
CRO Jeanine Luna
“We made sure we kept our usual ebb and flow of our media-E’s: Education,
Enforcement, & Engagement. We seek to balance our posts between enforcement
information, safety tips or resources, and fun engagement messages. We kept the
same rhythm and increased the frequency. This consistency helped us to relieve our
residents from the Coronavirus monotony.
When our shelter in place started, we were heavy on the education
phase - informing people about the health order, teaching them about
social distancing, advising our community on what was allowed and
what wasn’t. With the shelter-in-place, things really slowed down.
We seized the opportunity to be more human and relatable to our
followers. We jumped at every opportunity to engage our community,
starting with our youngest residents…”
Sergeant Joe Hickman, the father of two little girls, came forward
with an idea for officers to read books virtually to kids sheltering
at home and feeling isolated. We recruited several members of our
team to read one book a day, including books read in Spanish. Books
‘N Badges aired on our social media channels daily.
We also acknowledged our Police Activities League youth with April
birthdays in a video birthday shout-out and had officers cruise by the
homes of birthday kids, tooting our horns and running the lights for
them in acknowledgement.
Both SMPD and the local area Emergency Operations Center
operating within our building received almost daily lunch deliveries
from local businesses. Donations of Personal Protective Equipment
poured into the department in the early days of the crisis. Our
community posted encouraging signs throughout the city, making
sure we had what we needed to stay motivated and safe on the front
lines. In turn, we made sure to be there for them.
Partnering with different nonprofits and businesses, officers assisted
with food deliveries to those who needed it the most. Our Police Activities
League spearheaded deliveries of pantry boxes of essentials
items to families in need. In a four-hour period on the first delivery
day, officers that included the Chief of Police, delivered 100 boxes.
The following weekend, we delivered 150 Easter bags to children
who are less fortunate. The pantry boxes continue to be delivered
due to generous donations from our community members.
SPRING 2020 | CALIFORNIA POLICE CHIEF 43