Case Study | Walls Police Department, Mississippi
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Walls Police Department
Walls, MS
The Walls, MS Police Department experienced community outreach challenges within its small town (pop. 1,362). The department relied on city administration to maintain website presence, and using social media wasn’t sufficient. A new communications method increased transparency and resident engagement with the PD.
The Walls Police Department didn’t have a reliable way to communicate public safety information to residents.
As a small town police department, Walls Police Department wanted to provide a higher, modern standard in the service and communication they provided for their community.
They needed an open channel of communication that would allow them to effectively deliver information to the public. They also wanted the public to have a safe, private and accessible tool to communicate with their police department for non-emergency issues.
The channels of communication that the Walls PD used up until that point were the city’s website and the Walls PD Facebook page.
The city website was an extremely limited channel of communication for the Police Department. It did not include their events or allow for police-related news posts. The website also lacked any ability to contact the police department. But what bothered them most, was the lack of control they had to make updates to their information on the website. The Police Department was completely reliant on the city’s administration and its schedule for any communication with the public. They had no way to communicate real time information, especially on nights and weekends.
The Walls PD needed a tool that would allow them to freely deliver information to the public. And because Walls is a small town without an IT department, it needed to be simple and user-friendly. That is the reason they turned to social media, and specifically - Facebook. The Walls PD opened a Facebook page, and could publish their news and events there. But it didn’t take them long to realize that Facebook has its own set of challenges, and that it was not the right solution for them.
Facebook is open to the public, allowing citizens to post irrelevant or unflattering responses. Additionally, other citizens refrain from using the application, or other social media altogether, limiting their audience.
The second challenge was the lack of ability to deliver information to the public in real time. The information would be seen only if the citizen actively chose to scroll down the Facebook feed, or if the Facebook algorithm would choose to present the post.
The Walls Police Department Enhanced Communication and Transparency with CityGuards Mobile App
The Walls Police Department used the CityGuards mobile app to post their own news, events and notifications through a user-friendly portal. The department was able to fully onboard and implement CityGuards in a matter of days with no IT knowledge required.
Instead of relying on city administration, Walls PD assigned authorized users on their staff who can access the portal, directly post updates or news items, and send real-time alerts about road blockages, traffic congestion, severe weather and other important information.
Additionally, the Walls PD team was able to post event information on a dedicated calendar and send reminders and event updates to attendees. Residents can save the events to their private calendars, navigate to the event, or conveniently order an Uber or Lyft service directly from the app.
Residents who previously had no means of communication with their Police Department for non-emergency matters, can now report incidents via the app’s “CrimeTip” button. The CrimeTip feature allows residents to attach a picture, location, provide their personal information or report anonymously. In turn, the Police Department can obtain information that may not otherwise reach them due to residents’ unwillingness to dial 911 or provide contact details on certain occasions. Offering Walls residents this means of communication with their Police Department increases their sense of security and transparency. They feel protected when connected to their law enforcement agency.
Increased resident engagement with the department, such as sending in anonymous crime tips.
Walls Police Department is able to effectively communicate department news and alerts directly to residents.
The department can manage its communications without any additional IT support, enabling the distribution of real-time information at any time of day.
One unified platform to manage all forms of engagement, including public surveys and polls.
WPD has experienced increased productivity, a reduced number of walk-ins to its precinct, and found a pragmatic tool to distribute urgent information to residents.
Use of state-of-the-art technology results in an increase in productivity across the unit.
Implementing tools to enhance trust between the public and the police can lead to more effective community policing.
It’s vital to give citizens a tool for communication with the police department, that does not raise privacy issues, such as social media.
Residents will embrace user-friendly technology that makes them feel more secure and engaged with public safety.
Any size law enforcement agency where community oriented policing is a priority and existing communications systems are ill-equipped to meet their specific needs.
Danny Bridges, Chief of Police
Problem Addressed
The Walls Police Department didn’t have a reliable way to communicate public safety information to residents.
As a small town police department, Walls Police Department wanted to provide a higher, modern standard in the service and communication they provided for their community.
They needed an open channel of communication that would allow them to effectively deliver information to the public. They also wanted the public to have a safe, private and accessible tool to communicate with their police department for non-emergency issues.
The channels of communication that the Walls PD used up until that point were the city’s website and the Walls PD Facebook page.
The city website was an extremely limited channel of communication for the Police Department. It did not include their events or allow for police-related news posts. The website also lacked any ability to contact the police department. But what bothered them most, was the lack of control they had to make updates to their information on the website. The Police Department was completely reliant on the city’s administration and its schedule for any communication with the public. They had no way to communicate real time information, especially on nights and weekends.
The Walls PD needed a tool that would allow them to freely deliver information to the public. And because Walls is a small town without an IT department, it needed to be simple and user-friendly. That is the reason they turned to social media, and specifically - Facebook. The Walls PD opened a Facebook page, and could publish their news and events there. But it didn’t take them long to realize that Facebook has its own set of challenges, and that it was not the right solution for them.
Facebook is open to the public, allowing citizens to post irrelevant or unflattering responses. Additionally, other citizens refrain from using the application, or other social media altogether, limiting their audience.
The second challenge was the lack of ability to deliver information to the public in real time. The information would be seen only if the citizen actively chose to scroll down the Facebook feed, or if the Facebook algorithm would choose to present the post.
Solutions Used
The Walls Police Department Enhanced Communication and Transparency with CityGuards Mobile App
The Walls Police Department used the CityGuards mobile app to post their own news, events and notifications through a user-friendly portal. The department was able to fully onboard and implement CityGuards in a matter of days with no IT knowledge required.
Instead of relying on city administration, Walls PD assigned authorized users on their staff who can access the portal, directly post updates or news items, and send real-time alerts about road blockages, traffic congestion, severe weather and other important information.
Additionally, the Walls PD team was able to post event information on a dedicated calendar and send reminders and event updates to attendees. Residents can save the events to their private calendars, navigate to the event, or conveniently order an Uber or Lyft service directly from the app.
Residents who previously had no means of communication with their Police Department for non-emergency matters, can now report incidents via the app’s “CrimeTip” button. The CrimeTip feature allows residents to attach a picture, location, provide their personal information or report anonymously. In turn, the Police Department can obtain information that may not otherwise reach them due to residents’ unwillingness to dial 911 or provide contact details on certain occasions. Offering Walls residents this means of communication with their Police Department increases their sense of security and transparency. They feel protected when connected to their law enforcement agency.
Outcomes
Increased resident engagement with the department, such as sending in anonymous crime tips.
Walls Police Department is able to effectively communicate department news and alerts directly to residents.
The department can manage its communications without any additional IT support, enabling the distribution of real-time information at any time of day.
One unified platform to manage all forms of engagement, including public surveys and polls.
WPD has experienced increased productivity, a reduced number of walk-ins to its precinct, and found a pragmatic tool to distribute urgent information to residents.
Lessons Learned
Use of state-of-the-art technology results in an increase in productivity across the unit.
Implementing tools to enhance trust between the public and the police can lead to more effective community policing.
It’s vital to give citizens a tool for communication with the police department, that does not raise privacy issues, such as social media.
Residents will embrace user-friendly technology that makes them feel more secure and engaged with public safety.
Who should consider
Any size law enforcement agency where community oriented policing is a priority and existing communications systems are ill-equipped to meet their specific needs.
Government project team
