In the ever-changing field of public safety, transparency is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. This was the core message of the recent Lexipol webinar, “Transparency Through Video: Best Practices for Creating Critical Incident Videos,” presented by Tamrin Olden. The owner and CEO of TOC Public Relations, Olden drew on her over 20 years of government public relations experience to instruct her audience on how to help improve perceptions of law enforcement officers and their departments.
Olden’s main message is simple: As public expectations for immediate and clear communication continue to grow, law enforcement agencies must adapt in order to maintain trust and credibility. Below are some key takeaways from this insightful webinar session.
Embracing Transparency in Law Enforcement
Many public safety agencies are shifting towards a greater focus on transparency in their communications. “‘Community relations’ was kind of the buzzword for a long time,” Olden says, “when there was a big push for needing to do a better job at connecting with the community.” Now that many agencies have succeeded in fostering improved relationships with those they serve, “there is a big push for transparency.”
Olden highlights how transparency is now an expectation from the community. This is driven, at least in part, by the widespread use of smartphones and social media. Incidents are often captured by bystanders and shared in real time, making it imperative for law enforcement agencies to provide official narratives promptly and accurately.
Consistency is key here. The people in your area should come to expect regular videos from your department explaining incidents soon after they happen. When you establish a history of being transparent, “the community, the public, will rally around your organization because they know you have a history of taking ownership over incidents that have happened and that it’s not conditional,” Olden says.
As law enforcement continues to navigate the challenges of modern public safety communication, embracing transparency through practices like the timely release of body-worn camera footage is essential.
The Role of Body-Worn Camera Footage
One of the most critical tools in achieving transparency is the release of body-worn camera (BWC) footage. Though public video releases have been happening since BWCs were first deployed in law enforcement, the practice has now become a de facto requirement.
“Everyone’s doing it,” Olden says, “…it is now standard common practice. We see it all the time. It’s now become an expectation, and people want that from their department. They would rather have it from a reliable source. It exudes transparency.”
Some of the main benefits of releasing BWC footage include:
- Building trust: Regular, consistent release of critical incident videos fosters trust within the community, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to transparency.
- Educational value: Critical incident videos can serve as educational tools, helping the public understand the legalities and complexities of law enforcement actions.
- Media utilization: Providing footage to the media ensures the public receives a more comprehensive and accurate portrayal of incidents.
- Recruitment and retention: Transparent practices can enhance the agency’s reputation, making it an attractive place for potential recruits and helping retain current employees by showing support and acknowledgment of their work.
According to Olden, one of the biggest challenges when it comes to public perceptions of police action — especially in use of force scenarios — happens when a member of the public or even the media takes a few seconds of video from an incident and posts the footage on social media without any context. People will view these clips and then “fill in the blanks,” without ever knowing important facts about what happened immediately before and after the few seconds of video they see.
Deciding When to Release a Video
One of the questions faced by law enforcement agencies is when to release critical incident videos. Some large departments have frequent incidents, while smaller ones may experience them much less frequently. Obviously, it’s impractical to expect an agency to release a video for every single incident, but at the same time, releasing videos on a regular basis has some benefits.
One benefit is that community members will see the department’s commitment to open, transparent examination of its activities, which can go a long way toward building trust with the people your department serves. As Olden notes, “it’s important to put it out there even when it doesn’t look good, because it’s important to … educate people and to show up every time.”
And when things do look good—when everything goes right and conflicts are resolved in positive ways—that’s another great time to release a video. It’s good to balance the negative with the positive, Olden says, “to look for opportunities, to seek out opportunities, to highlight the good work.” Doing so can improve your agency’s reputation.
Finally, in some jurisdictions, laws mandate the release of critical incident videos, both edited and raw footage. It’s critical for department leaders to know the laws in their state so they can fulfill those mandates.
Best Practices for Creating Critical Incident Videos
Olden shares several best practices for creating and releasing critical incident videos:
- Timeliness: Release footage as soon as possible to ensure the agency’s narrative is part of the initial public discourse. The more time you allow to pass after a critical incident, the more opportunities you create for community members to come up with their own “stories” about what actually happened.
- Consistency: Ensure that transparency is not conditional. Agencies should release videos for all significant incidents, not just those that have sparked community interest.
- Clear messaging: Videos should provide context and explanation, helping viewers understand the full scope of the incident.
- Highlight positive actions: Proactively release footage that showcases positive interactions and successful outcomes to balance public perception.
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Legal and Policy Considerations
While transparency is crucial, it must be balanced with legal obligations and policies. Olden reminds participants that laws and policies vary by state and organization. Agencies must navigate these carefully while striving to be as transparent as possible. The webinar also addressed the importance of consulting with legal advisors and ensuring that all releases comply with applicable regulations.
Above all, remember that someone from your department will likely be required to defend the video release in court. Because of this, it’s critical to stick to the facts and avoid the temptation to varnish the truth in order to make your personnel look better.
“You don’t want to change the story because you are then doing exactly what people accuse the media of…. And, unfortunately, I have seen agencies do that,” Olden says. When that happens, lawyers and the media will eventually get access to the full, raw footage, which will in turn generate questions and distrust. You need to ensure the story you tell in the video matches the facts as shown in the video.
Final Analysis
As law enforcement continues to navigate the challenges of modern public safety communication, embracing transparency through practices like the timely release of body-worn camera footage is essential. As the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) noted in its report on body-worn cameras, “One thing that is clear is that a body-worn camera program cannot be a standalone effort, but when implemented in concert with community policing strategies, BWCs may be an important tool for promoting transparency and trust between the police and community.”
Olden cautions that those in charge of BWC programs should pay close attention to the recommendations of agency and city leadership: “Listen to those with stars and bars and who are actual attorneys when it comes to getting definitive answers and direction on this.”
Creating and releasing timely critical incident videos represents a positive move by law enforcement agencies in fostering transparency, accountability and trust within their communities. By proactively sharing accurate, official accounts of incidents, agencies can address public concerns swiftly, demonstrate their commitment to integrity, and strengthen the relationship between the police and the areas they serve. Embracing this practice not only enhances the credibility of law enforcement but also paves the way for a more informed and engaged community.
