Happy June 21 Fellow Bloggers,
Today I would like to talk to you all about the use of electronic communication and services such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and how these services can greatly impact one's ability to effectively run for a political office; most notably sheriff, as this is primarily a law enforcement related blog. I also want to talk about how these services empower our citizens through action and political change which is so desperately needed in our country. This "I Want To Be Sheriff" blog will examine three current sheriff's, one from Florida, Georgia, and Texas and how they use, or not use, electronic communication to enhance or hurt their current offices.
First, lets introduce the term E-democracy to our repertoire of "E" terms. What is it? E-democracy is a combination of the wordselectronic and democracy that incorporates the latest communication technology and information to promote the democratic process. This new form of government process allows each citizen to equally participate in the democratic process through the development and creation of laws by putting all citizens on a level playing field. It can also decide elections! This way, you as the average citizen can effect just as much of a change in the process as the Koch Brothers or George Soros. However, for the purpose of today's discussion, we are looking more locally to the only law enforcement position recognized by the United States Constitution; the position of Sheriff, the highest and most powerful law enforcement officer in a county.
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| BSO Sheriff Scott Israel |
Let us first look at Broward County, Florida (Fort Lauderdale, FL for those who do not know) and we will look at Sheriff Scott J. Israel who has held his position since 2012. The Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO) is the nation's largest fully accredited law enforcement agency. To be Broward County's top cop, you'd have to be current with the times and be willing to get yourself out there using social media. In order to do so, Sheriff Israel has done several things to achieve this. First, he has an active Twitter and Instagram account which he updates almost on a daily basis to keep in personal contact with his constituents. Second, on the BSO home page (www.sheriff.org) features a fully interactive menu including the ability to send messages to the sheriff, and while we know he does not read them all, the fact that he provides a handle to address concerns is a step in the right direction. Also, Sheriff Israel is doing something that is a brilliant in terms of election campaigns. Although he may run unopposed in 2016, he already has attack ads and social media campaigns touting his accomplishments and shutting down any idea that an opponent would have to run against him. When voters go to the booth in 2016, they are likely going to have Sheriff Israel on their minds. This keeps him current, active, and being talked about by the residents of Broward County, FL. See the video below as Sheriff Israel discusses his community outreach program for new officers:
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| Sheriff makes new hires connect with community |
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| DCSO Sheriff Lupe Valdez |
Moving on to Dallas County, Texas (Dallas, TX for those who do not know) we will look at Sheriff Lupe Valdez who has held her position since 2005. Sheriff Valdez is one of only four female sheriff's in Texas and the only Hispanic female sheriff in the country. Sheriff Valdez follows the e-democracy and uses it to her advantage. She has a very active Twitter and Facebook account which is updated almost daily. One thing she does is reach out to her community using personal touch messages which gives the impression that she cares about her constituents. She has two-way interactive communication on the Dallas County Sheriff's Office home page found on the web at (http://www.dallascounty.org/department/sheriff/sheriff_index.php). On her personal election campaign page, she solicits donations while getting her message out to would-be voters. She takes a preemptive strike campaign stance by letting voters know of her accomplishments and what her future plans are which minimizes bad press. Also, I found it interesting that the opposing party tried to play against her Hispanic heritage which not only backfired by securing her election and subsequent re-election, it gave her something "evil" to run against in her campaign process. As long as Dallas County provides a mechanism for less affluent voters to have equal access to the democratic process, the system I believe, will work well for her in her next campaign run.
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| FCSO Sheriff Theodore Jackson |
Finally, we look at Fulton County, Georgia (Atlanta, GA for those who do not know) and will examine Sheriff Theodore Jackson who has held his position since 2008. This is one sheriff who does not use e-democracy to his advantage and his position has been mired with political controversy and claims of inappropriate activities and incompetence. Here is why I believe he suffers. First, he does not use any electronic communication that I could find. So no Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. This also means there is no personal connection to his voters or any way for him to tout his accomplishments. There is also no direct interactive communication to his constituents on the Fulton County Sheriff's Office homepage (http://www.fultonsheriff.org) so he cannot solicit feedback or address concerns. All communication is handled by his public information officer which is good for official media press releases, but if you want voters to trust you, personal messages like those from Sheriff Israel and Sheriff Valdez makes a big difference. This makes Sheriff Jackson subject to political attack and very vulnerable during his next election campaign which he is expected to face several well-qualified candidates. And right now for him, there is a slew of bad press that is being fed to Fulton county residents on an almost daily basis which he is not able to counter because he has no means to do so.
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There you have it. Three sheriffs, two enjoying great success by following the e-democracy model, and one having a tough go at it by not doing so. So bringing this back home to our agency. If we are the top cop, no matter how big or small our agency, we have to be current and relevant. In order to do so, we have to use the media that our constituents use. Personal touches using these media outlets is a great idea and to preemptively attack potentially bad media in advance of a news outlet. Yes it hurts, but transparency and trust is paramount in our position. Take the wind out of their sails and put the story into context for us. When we lack the ability to tell our side or let people know why we matter, we will find ourself as the former sheriff (or chief, commissioner, director, etc.). Thank you for reading today, I know it was longer than usual. Until next time.
Gary
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