Transcript

INTERVIEWER:

OK, Ben, what kind of channels and media of communication are used in community policing work?

BEN:

I think it operates on a number of levels. On the top level, we work closely with our own news office to make sure that we are putting out stuff to the local news agencies at the high level. But then I think you start to scale down and get more focused. So we use a range of methods such as Facebook pages, Twitter, whatever the new social media feed is going to be, because these things change very quickly, and then sometimes it's face-to-face contact. But as resources start to become more scarce, getting away from face-to-face is something that we're going to have to accept and find other ways of dealing with.

INTERVIEWER:

So how do you differentiate between the different channels and media that you use or the different methods that you use with different stakeholder groups?

BEN:

I think what you have to look at is the audience you're trying to reach. And it's often related to the problem that you're trying to solve at the time. Sometimes a wide, broad approach will get the best result because you know that you'll get a lot of listeners through a particular radio channel. It might be you have a specific problem on a particular estate, and actually a leaflet drop or a very local Facebook campaign is the way to go. So it's about knowing your audience.

INTERVIEWER:

So what kind of work is done with neighbourhood crime prevention groups?

BEN:

The key to working closely with a crime prevention group, I think, is being able to provide them with really good information and current information. Quite often, things that they don't get through the normal media channels, because you've got to build a sense of involvement. People will want to get involved with you if they feel like they're participating in something. So most of the work involved in getting a good crime prevention group together is information sharing and making them part of the problem solving.

INTERVIEWER:

Ben, thank you very much.

BEN:

Thank you.

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