X marks the spot – American Police Beat Magazine

X, formally known as Twitter, is viewed widely by journalists and politicians as the gold standard for social media-based communications. It’s tenured, and unlike other applications that cater to younger audiences, X consumers tend to be more mature. I know this because younger police officers whom I mentor tell me so, as they describe how X is for “old people.”

But mature audiences are generally viewed as high-propensity voters, which is why most of your local politicians who have direct influence over your career are probably on it. Journalists recognize the value X brings in directing traffic to their news pieces. Got a local journalist who spends a lot of time waiting for someone in your agency to trip up? I can guarantee you they are on X, and likely, they aren’t even “good” at it, with flatlined engagement levels. All of this translates into incredible and evolving opportunities for law enforcement entities to use X as a tool for advancement.

Our local FOP lodge jumped onto X about a year and a half ago. And to be clear, it was a jump, as we had little, if any, experience on the platform. During this time, we learned something very important about X: There is a lot of pro–law enforcement energy on the platform. It’s paid off for us. We now have 15,000 followers, with posts routinely generating 5,000 to 10,000 views. We have had posts with tens of thousands of views, and we continue to grow. I’ll provide some tips on how we did it, but first, I’ll share some of the ways the platform has become a powerful tool for us.

We’ve been able to use X to engage with many people who have influence over our careers, and, by default, our lives.

Relationship building

We know that in law enforcement, we answer to people. Perhaps it’s a city manager who answers to locally elected officials. And don’t forget, elected officials answer to people as well. We’ve been able to use X to engage with many people who have influence over our careers and, by default, our lives. In one case, a well-respected businessman and community leader found us on X and began engaging with us there, “liking” and reposting some of our content. We ran into him at a community event and the first thing he mentioned is how much he loves our stuff on X. He has become a tremendous supporter.

We also routinely engage with our locally elected officials on X. While we are blessed to have city leaders who support law enforcement, we continue to cultivate positive relationships with them by interacting with them on X and reposting their content from time to time.

We have even started developing relationships with journalists who, we think, respect the engagement levels our account has started to generate. For example, we frequently repost X content from one of our local newspaper accounts. The payoff? They have been great about turning our press releases that highlight our various charitable community events into news stories. These are positive police stories that our locally elected officials, with whom we engage on X, are also learning about in the local newspaper.

Media watchdog

Some in the media like to bill themselves as watchdogs constantly on the lookout for some form of corruption that they can expose and correct. Great, we need that. But what if it’s a law enforcement story, and the reporting isn’t exactly fair? What happens when the need to generate controversy outweighs the importance of journalistic integrity? After all, controversy sells.

We have been able to use our X account as a platform to monitor the media and, if necessary, provide their audience with a more complete set of facts when appropriate. For example, one of our member officers got into a tasing incident with a shoplifter at a local big box store. The officer was textbook, using appropriate force to deal with a suspect who was not only resisting but becoming combative. It took more than the ideal number of taser deployments to subdue the suspect, but each one was in response to the suspect’s actions. A local news figure took to X with the story, focusing intensely on the number of taser deployments by the officer. We commented on the post, politely explaining that we did not believe the story was fair in that it left out relevant details, which we were happy to share with their audience. The passionate police supporters who follow us on X were directed to the injustice and also began commenting on the post. When it was all said and done, the comments section for this piece was dominated by pro–police sentiment backing our officer. The fact that X is such a revered platform for journalists made the victory (yes, victory) even sweeter.

Positive reporting

We are constantly working against this label, which attempts to define us as a greedy police organization that protects dirty cops. It’s false, and it’s offensive. We don’t sit back and take it quietly. We use X to demonstrate proactively that, in fact, we are a police organization that does amazing things out in the community. At least monthly, we donate time, energy and money to various charitable causes. We do good things for people in need. People need to see that. People need to know that. So, we routinely post content about these causes and what we do. Not only have we taken control of the narrative in terms of how we are defined, but we are also bringing further attention to these causes and encouraging others to get involved.

If you are going to jump onto X (and if you are a law enforcement organization, you should), here are some things to consider:

1. Most law enforcement officers, even off duty, will be subject to an employer’s social media policy. Know it and don’t violate it.
2. Jump in. You don’t have to be an expert to start. It’s OK to learn as you go.
3. It takes some focused effort. We post on X at least once in the morning and then we will re-post in the evening (these are times when people are home and more likely to be on the platform). Stay active so that your account doesn’t appear stale.
4. At the end of the day, people are on X for entertainment. They want to be engaged. Don’t repeat the same formula over and over. It’s OK to post things that aren’t even law enforcement-related (i.e., people respond to content with animals). It’s OK to be edgy or even controversial as long as you remember tip number one. Try new things. Consider the type of material larger law enforcement-related accounts post.
5. Political commentary should be pointed. If someone is attacking law enforcement, focus on the behavior. We refrain from referring to one political party or the other. If you go political, understand the implications to relationships with your locally elected officials.
6. Understand that X con-sumers are scrolling. You only have a brief moment to catch them and foster engagement. Long, rambling posts will not be read. Short, concise posts are often better. Close-up photographs with easily recognized details are better. Videos are great; keep them short.
7. We welcome disagreement that fosters dialog, and we have supporters from all walks of life. Recognize that there will be haters. Don’t waste energy trying to fix them. We either don’t engage with them or respond simply with something like, “Respect your opinion” before moving on.
8. We engage in the comments section with respect to our posts, thanking people for support or “liking” their comments.

Remember, law enforcement organizations have an amazing opportunity to use X as a tool. But it can also be entertaining and fulfilling, especially when you recognize the volume of people on the platform who support law enforcement. Jump in.

Dave Goitia

Dave Goitia is a 22-year veteran with the Glendale Police Department (Arizona). He spent the majority of his career as a detective doing undercover work and investigating auto theft. He teaches auto theft investigations at the local police academy, and he also teaches investigations lessons for a criminal justice class at a local high school. He has survived multiple critical incidents and was a 2006–2007 National Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor recipient and was recognized by President George W. Bush at the White House. Currently, Dave serves as the president of the Glendale, Arizona, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #12. He maintains his status as an active-sworn police officer.

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