In the midst of everything that the noble profession of policing endured in the past year, one constant remained—the value of providing timely, accurate, and relevant information to communities.

Agencies had to deal with a multitude of issues including civil unrest, calls for reform, and a raging pandemic that claimed many lives. Police executives juggled many important items and unprecedented challenges in their respective jurisdictions and brought to light a critical element of public information management and control that should be in the forefront of every police leader’s mind as the profession strives to bolster community trust and elevate the positive image of policing—an assigned public information lead.