Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/303456
COMMAND & COMMUNICATIONS 7 www.officer.com May 2014 Law Enforcement Technology COMMAND & COMMUNICATIONS T he scene is a staple of TV cop shows and police movies. A crime occurs. The press corners the department spokesperson, the Public Information Officer (PIO), peppering her with questions. Flustered, and a little intimidated, she replies, "No comment." Dramatic? Sure. Realistic? Not so much. In fact, public information profession- als will rarely, if ever, say "no comment." "Anyone who responds to a ques- tion with 'no comment' has failed mis- erably as a communicator," says Sgt. Charles Warner, Police Public Affairs, Franklin (Tenn.) Police Department and president of the National Information Officers Association (NIOA). "We know it, from experience, to be the one phrase that incenses journalists and causes the person who said it to immediately lose credibility with their constituent public. Public safety PIOs should, instead, put information into three categories: 1) Information that I know and will tell you; 2) Information that I do not know; and 3) Information that I know, but will not tell you—followed by a rea- sonable explanation as to why the information is currently off-limits." A positive relationship with news media is beneficial for police and public By Keith W. Strandberg The trouble with "No comment" Communicating with the various publics served is vital, in good times and bad, to foster trust and to build positive relationships. Photos courtesy of the Aurora (Ill.) Police Department LET_07-11_Media0514.indd 7 4/18/14 3:29 PM