Behind the Badge
As the importance of transparency and communicating with residents through social media platforms continues to be an integral aspect of police work, more police departments are adding Communication Coordinators to their teams.
Bakersfield Police Department is currently recruiting for a Communications Coordinator and is inviting applicants to submit their resumes through Friday, June 3rd.
We had a chance to speak with Public Information Officer (PIO) Sgt. Robert Pair, who shared details on what this new position entails and what it means for the community.
Why has Bakersfield Police Department created this specialized opening?
There’s a couple of reasons, we are looking for someone involved in journalism and public relations industry who can help us spread our message. We have a significant amount of information and social media (these days) is the primary driver of how people get it.
Right now, my position as Public Information Officer (PIO) is dealing with media requests. I don’t have a lot of time or the background to properly devote to engaging people on social media platforms. This new role will cut out the go-between.
The Communications Coordinator will allow us to have direct communication with the public we serve. We think there is value in that … value in telling our story, and in the services, we provide with the speed of information that seems to travel the fastest – social media. It’s important for us to have someone paying attention to that.
Why create the job now?
It’s just representative of a culture shift. Usually, police officers go about their jobs and perform good deeds, and we don’t say anything. But this is a disservice to us and our community. We have to share all of the good we are doing with the community we serve.
What are some qualities you are looking for with this new role?
We are looking for someone who is a go-getter, self-motivated, and creative. We seek someone with a background in public relations, communications and someone who can help take our digital and video content to the next level. Someone comfortable with making videos, getting on Tik Tok, creating content for social media channels, and knowing how to disseminate information to our community through all of these social media platforms.
It’s an exciting new job with a ton of growth. We plan on launching a series spotlighting Cold Cases, so having a love for true crime is a real plus for this role.
What are a few things applicants should know about the new position?
This a position that definitely higher stress, it’s crisis communication and it’s not always going to be covering things that are warm and fuzzy. There may be overtime, after hours work and being able to be present when there is breaking news. With that in mind, the person hired for this position will manage police records and will have to pass a background check.
The job is in-house, Monday through Friday, and the hours are typically 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. but allowing for shift flexibility, which comes with a job in law enforcement.
The deadline for the Communications Coordinator position is Friday, June 3rd, for more information please go to www.bakersfieldjobs.us
