More than just the facts, ma’am

Where have you gone, Sgt. Friday?

Law enforcement communication, once a bastion of deadpan, just-the-facts accounts, is entering a new era in Los Angeles.

And not a moment too soon for Sheriff’s Captain Mike Parker. His agency, along with the LAPD and some others in the county, is an enthusiastic early adopter of Nixle–a direct communication service that beams official news dispatches instantly by email or cell phone text message.

Originally intended as a mass emergency alert system, Nixle has quickly evolved as well into a way for authorities to pass on information about everything from how to find a bathroom at the Lakers’ victory parade to how to avoid a ticket for parking overnight on the street during the holidays. Detectives with missing persons cases have turned to Nixle to get the word out quickly to thousands of potential witnesses.

And agencies, once dependent on a media middleman to carry their messages, are suddenly speaking directly and instantaneously to the public. In the process, some time-honored conventions of the press release are getting a makeover, with attention-grabbing headlines, colorful quotations and even a little up-close-and-personal storytelling.

“We don’t want to do salacious,” says Parker, who’s leading the charge to train sheriff’s officials in using the new system. But there’s nothing wrong with zeroing in on “What is unique about this? Convince me to open this email.”

“You tell a story,” Parker says. “You don’t have to be a tabloid.”

This week, for example, an item went out from the sheriff’s Century Station under the headline “Crossing Guard Beaten & Robbed of Stop Sign and Whistle in Front of 20 Schoolchildren & Adults. 2 suspects arrested.”

The accompanying narrative told the tale of a plucky crossing guard standing up to two suspects in a black Ford Expedition who were trying to push through her intersection without stopping. “The crossing guard raised her stop sign higher in the air and told the suspects, ‘You have to stop, the children come first.’ “

According to the Nixle account, the suspects responded by swiping her stop sign, grabbing her lanyard and whistle and knocking her to the ground. They were arrested nearby and the crossing guard, who had only minor injuries, went home.

That left Lieutenant Mike Thatcher of Century Sheriff’s Station with the last word–a classic “kicker” quote that would not seem out of place in a news story: “We have never seen anything like this before and hope we never do again.”

The LAPD and the sheriff’s department–which together reach about 80,000 subscribers who’ve signed up for the free service–report that Nixle usage increases during a major news event, like the Crown Fire near Palmdale in August.

Sheriff’s Deputy Bob Boese, who’s helping to train his colleagues on how to take advantage of Nixle, says the system is valuable in conveying both “local, local, local” information and the really big stuff.

“The goal is to get every Los Angeles County resident to sign up for Nixle, so that in the event of a catastrophe, we can provide information directly to their cell phones,” Boese says.

Sheriff’s officials say using Nixle helps make good on Sheriff Lee Baca’s pledge of openness and transparency.

“In addition to transparency, we’re providing a sense of community,” Boese says.

Over at the LAPD, Lt. John Romero calls Nixle “a game-changer for the region.” His agency has used it as a secure internal communications system during events like awards shows as well as for specific happenings like the Lakers parade and a hotel evacuation after an explosion.

In an email, he said he expects the system to become “a major success story” as its audience grows. (Those who wish to sign up for Nixle start by registering their email address and setting up a password. Once signed in, people can adjust their settings to receive alerts from as many agencies as they like, which range from the tiny South Pasadena Police Department to the 405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project. Those who want to receive text alerts only can text their zip code to 888777.)

The sheriff’s department’s no-cost contract with Nixle was approved by the Board of  Supervisors in June. The company’s business model calls for it to begin charging other agencies for its “enterprise software” in the future. It also is planning to go to market with a specialized mobile device that agencies could use for for a variety of communication needs. Nixle will remain free for the public to receive alerts–although, depending on their phone plan, they may have to pay standard text-messaging rates. The New Jersey-based company says more than 4,000 agencies across the county now are using Nixle to reach some 500,000 subscribers.

Parker, who has a degree in finance, says that learning to make the most of Nixle’s communications potential is important for many in his department because they never received such training working on a school newspaper, for example.

“I have yet to meet a cop who, when he was in high school, was thinking, ‘I want to be a public information officer for the sheriff’s department,’ “ Parker says. He tells them, “Were not trying to make you into reporters. We want you to be accurate. Don’t be salacious. Don’t be inflammatory…A balanced statement about what really happened–we’re trying to get it out there.”

For Parker personally, new tools like Nixle and the sheriff’s recently revamped website represent more than just technological progress. They’re also a chance to hold his head up a little higher at family get-togethers.

“My entire family is in marketing. In my family, you’d better be able to tell a good story or people make fun of you. If you sit there quietly, they make even more fun of you.

“They’ve been laughing at me for years at how lame the sheriff’s department was at marketing itself.”

This year, he’ll be the one laughing.

Posted 12/1/10