Media and public relations are critical in policing because they help shape perception, build trust, share public safety information, and foster community partnerships.

The key component in this is leaders’ ability to understand and manage their communication strategies. This task becomes more complex in instances that are multi-jurisdictional or when an agency either does not have a full-time public information officer (PIO) or the PIO is not specifically assigned to the agency, such as a municipal PIO who has responsibilities for a larger governmental entity.

I have served in agencies with a PIO and agencies without a PIO—and I speak from experience when I say if you are fortunate enough to have a PIO, you need to do everything you can to integrate them into your agency’s operations to help you enhance communication with your community and, in doing so, build trust.

Leading an Agency with a PIO

The best advice I can give to police leaders with a PIO is to make sure that your PIO has a direct line to you. Your PIO should not have to go through someone else to get to you, but rather should report directly to you, as the chief executive or head of agency. This will allow for expediency and also provide the opportunity for your PIO to get to know you, your leadership style, your thought and decision-making process, and community expectations, as well as ensure direct communication to prevent any possible miscommunication or confusion.

Where possible, you should try to include your PIO in all appropriate meetings and briefings, with an understanding that having perspective and knowing the totality of circumstances is a vital component in the PIO’s ability to communicate with the community and the media. At all times, PIOs should be up to date and aware of the state of the agency or a specific incident that is likely to draw attention. Consider including the PIO in the agency notification process, so they can hear firsthand from supervisors and commanders in the field.

For those looking to hire a PIO, as with any hiring decision, make sure you hire right. A good PIO is someone with high integrity, good judgment, strong communication skills, confidentiality, loyalty to the agency, and the ability to gauge public perception and adjust messaging accordingly.

Non-sworn PIOs with backgrounds in journalism or public relations often bring these skills to the table and can be a great asset to your department. They’re especially effective when partnered with sworn officers who can provide institutional and procedural knowledge.

A good PIO is proactive and tells the stories of the good things happening in your agency. To do that, they need the trust of staff members, who can tell them about what’s happening at the line level. Executives should encourage officers to share this information and foster internal trust in the PIO. Authorize your personnel to report “good news” stories directly to the PIO and encourage them to take photos when appropriate (for use in media releases).

Proactive communication is important in keeping communities safe.

With a focus on transparency and honesty, executive leaders should rely on their PIO’s discernment and communications abilities to provide information to the media and public. When information cannot be shared for some reason, the PIO should be allowed to explain a situation as clearly and directly as possible, releasing information that is not to be kept confidential while explaining, to the extent possible, when additional information may be released. In an information-saturated society, saying “no comment” or declining to speak on an investigation or evolving situation is not an effective media strategy. Proactive communication is important in keeping communities safe, being transparent, and fostering community partnerships. The role of the PIO is to facilitate proactive communication from the agency to the media and the public.

Transparency does not mean compromising an ongoing investigation or violating any legal constraints. Instead, it is about explaining those constraints clearly to the media and the public. An important dynamic of proactive communication is admitting when you don’t have all the answers and committing to provide updates as more information becomes available or as soon as the situation changes.

Leading an Agency without a PIO

As I have mentioned, I have worked in an agency without a PIO. The best advice I can give to police leaders in the absence of a PIO is to be prepared to communicate directly with the media and community and to take on the role of the PIO. You may also consider appointing a senior staff member to serve in the role of PIO as a collateral duty.

Before making any public statement, it’s vital to ensure that all information is accurate and comprehensive. Be mindful of tone and language, avoid jargon, and frame information in a way that is understandable to the general public. In all cases, it is best to communicate in a simple and direct manner.

To help prepare you or your selected PIO, I recommend participating in media/PIO training. Leaders may also consider relying on the guidance and help from a neighboring agency or governmental entity that utilizes a full-time or part-time PIO.

Hiring a consultant also can be an effective strategy for an agency when a dedicated PIO isn’t available. A consultant can provide guidance on communicating with the media and developing a comprehensive communications strategy. Look for consultants who have experience working with law enforcement.

The IACP’s PIO Section is also an available resource for guidance on the role of the PIO as well as networking with PIO consultants.

The PIO Section has more than 230 public information professionals who work in agencies across the United States and Canada. They have vast experience in nearly every imaginable law enforcement communication challenge.

Identifying the Lead PIO in a Multi-jurisdictional Event

We train for an untold number of critical incidents, but how much of that training includes practicing a public information response? PIOs should be at the table long before a large-scale event occurs, which gets back to the importance of incorporating PIOs into your meetings, briefings, and everyday operations. They should be included in table-top and functional exercises as well as some tactical planning sessions. They should be exposed to training in Incident Command and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and should be part of your Joint Information Centers (JIC) and media release systems.

A critical incident is not the time for PIOs at neighboring agencies to meet each other. PIOs should build relationships with other PIOs across jurisdictions—
including at the local, state, and federal level—and maintain regular contact. When a large-scale incident does happen, this makes it much easier to decide what role each person will play.

As they would in a multi-jurisdictional investigation or large-scale incident response, absent a specific agreement, the local agency in whose jurisdiction the event originally occurred should dictate who will take the lead informing the public. Consider the following factors, as well:

• Who has the most direct knowledge of the facts of the event?
• Who has experience successfully handling a large-scale, critical incident public information response?
• Who has the best relationships with the media?

In a multi-jurisdictional event, there are plenty of PIO duties to go around. In addition to the lead PIO, other PIOs can assist with responding to media inquiries by phone and email, writing news releases and talking points, updating social media, coordinating news conferences, and gathering updated information about an incident. Consider discussing these issues with your local and regional counterparts and prepare a plan as to how you will respond to media issues and requests long before the crisis occurs.

While every agency is different in size and budget resources, I hope that my experience leading agencies with and without a PIO is helpful in your endeavors, and I thank the IACP PIO Section for their advice and assistance.d

Please cite as

John Letteney, “The Critical Role of Public Relations and PIOs,” President’s Message, Police Chief 90, no. 7 (July 2023): 6–7.