This has been a particularly difficult year for law enforcement. We have all seen and experienced the angry, anti-police rhetoric and witnessed the heightened scrutiny of the profession.

At the same time, we continue to face the daily threats and dangers of the profession. According to preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 64 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty during the first half of 2015. This represents a 3 percent increase over the same period in 2014.¹

When I came on board as IACP president, I did not imagine the extent to which I would be defending the profession as a whole. I have had countless media interviews with national U.S. affiliates such as Fox News, CNN, PBS, ABC, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, and others—too many to list them all. In each of those media appearances, I spent time explaining law enforcement’s actions, challenges, and concerns and the work we are doing to safeguard our communities, further enhance our relationship with the public, and build trust. Not only have I spent my time educating the media, which hopefully trickles down to the public, I have also been actively involved in discussions with the U.S. administration, government officials, and members of the U.S. Congress. I have testified before the U.S. Congress, provided important feedback on legislation as it is being drafted to ensure it takes into account law enforcement considerations, and participated in several meetings with the White House and federal officials on policy items of concern. I have enjoyed the challenge every step of the way, and I know that my successor, Chief Terrence Cunningham, First Vice President of the IACP, will continue to defend the profession and actively work to showcase all the positive things law enforcement officers do on a daily basis.

Based on feedback we heard from you, our members, we realized it was imperative that we showcase the positive side of law enforcement and arm our members with the tools they needed to speak up for the profession. In response to this, we launched the Protect and Serve Initiative and the #WhyIWearTheBadge campaign.

The Protect and Serve initiative was launched in February 2015. This involved the creation of a webpage that provides officers and executives with the tools and resources they need to educate the public on the role of law enforcement and help build sustainable community relationships. The site brings together a collection of new and existing resources. On the webpage, you will find good stories from the field, talking points, model policies, facts and figures about law enforcement, research reports, legislative resources, communications materials, and much more.

We have enjoyed showcasing positive stories on law enforcement on Protect and Serve, the shining examples of the things you do for your communities day in and day out that often go unrecognized or noted. I also hope the fact sheets and talking points we have put together have helped enhance your communication with your communities on an everyday basis and during tough conversations or when an incident arises.

In May 2015, the IACP launched the #WhyIWearTheBadge campaign to highlight the diversity and commitment of law enforcement professionals. Officers from all over the world are using the hashtag #WhyIWearTheBadge to share photos, videos, and stories on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. The public needs to hear why we do what we do. Future law enforcement leaders need to know why wearing the badge is so important. Our communities need to know that we care and take the call to serve and protect very seriously.

Our goal is to keep this campaign going. Please continue to share your stories on social media using the hashtag #WhyIWearTheBadge.

In addition to public outreach, and the Protect and Serve and #WhyIWearTheBadge initiatives, we have been actively working on an internal plan to enhance our communication efforts publically and with the IACP membership. We have already offered several webinars during my time as president to provide important IACP information and to provide timely updates and analyses on issues of importance like the release of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing report. The IACP board also recently participated in a media training session to better prepare us all for media interviews and learn how to enhance our messaging and outreach. The session was extremely informative, and we plan to offer the same session at the IACP conference, so you, too, are better prepared in your dealings with the media.

In closing, we need to all work together to fight public misconceptions and to showcase the good work we do on a daily basis. Thank you for your service and the daily sacrifices you make in order to keep our communities safe. ♦

Note:
¹National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, news release, “64 Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Nationwide in First Half of 2015,” July 21, 2015, http://www.nleomf.org/newsroom/news-releases/mid-year-report-2015.html (accessed August 17, 2015).

Please cite as

Richard Beary, “Enhancing Communications Efforts with Law Enforcement and the Public,” President’s Message, The Police Chief 82 (September 2015): 6.