APD Annual Reports - 2019 Annual Report | Page 30

Communications The award-winning Media Office represents the team that is responsible for internal and external communications. Team members are assigned a variety of tasks in the unit to compliment the department’s strategic communication objectives. From representing the department at incident scenes with the news media to proactively creating messaging to keep citizens informed, the team works hard to ensure that all citizens have awareness and are engaged with the police department. The unit commander is Lt. Christopher Cook, a veteran in the communications arena and leader in the Public Information Officer field. The unit supervisor is Sgt. Michael Chitty who is a recent addition to the team. Sgt. Chitty oversees the day-to-day operations. Officer Jesse Minton is fluent in Spanish and assists with internal communication products and social media. Brenda Van Sickle manages corporate publications. Tim Ciesco manages video projects. In 2019, the team made a renewed focus on revitalizing monthly Inside APD video productions which take an inside look on department operations. The unit launched an Instagram account to connect with younger audiences. The team manages the department’s website and assisted with the city’s overhaul and revamped website. In addition, the unit launched a series of guidebooks to connect the community with specific programs of interest. These guidebooks can be viewed and downloaded on the website. Social media affords the agency the opportunity to connect directly with residents in a contemporary and relevant manner. The department utilized Facebook and Instagram for 30 | 2019 Annual Report storytelling and work being completed by the organization. Twitter is primarily being used to keep residents and visitors informed on incidents. In 2019, a viral post on Facebook led to significant media exposure 1,641 Instagram Followers 127,123 Twitter Followers 115,211 Facebook Likes 81,215 Next Door Residents YouTube Videos Produced in 2019: 32 YouTube Video Views (all-time): 2,928,062 115,855 web visits ArlingtonPD.org 98,368 web visits Active Calls Listing 42,324 web visits Public Reports