Deputy Josh Dubin of the SCV Sheriff's Station wrote in to tell me that my criticism of the new Sheriff's site isn't fair. He says the new website might be similar to other LASD station websites, but contains lots of local content.
And the Station now communicates with the public directly via Nixle & Twitter, and soon, Facebook:
But yes, Dubin is right, the SCV Sheriff's Station does communicate well to residents through those other sites. And I like that it doesn't have to go through Downtown.
I stand corrected and look forward to the Facebook page.
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The many faces of SCVSheriff.com, ctd
And the Station now communicates with the public directly via Nixle & Twitter, and soon, Facebook:
The website of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (www.lasd.org) shares information pertaining to the entire jurisdiction of the LASD and content is prepared by Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau. Meanwhile, our new community-based website mirrors the look and feel of www.lasd.org but is geographic and topic specific to our community.I wasn't criticizing the Station itself or its Deputies, of course, I was just a bit nostalgic for the old web sites. Perhaps I'm somewhat of a retrogrouch too; I like my SCV RSS feeds tight and organized, and now I don't have one for the Sheriff's Station.
Specific deputies (such as myself) are trained in the Nixle system, our department’s website content control, social media use and tracking, and press release protocols here at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. An example of this is our use of the Nixle service. By use of the Nixle service we work daily to engage residents and provide current crime information. We are able to distribute information to the public as to how they can get involved by using crime prevention tools, such as Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers and Crimemapping.com.
As a station we are able to send out geographically specific information to Santa Clarita residents. Once you create an account at www.nixle.com and configure your settings, you as a resident will be able to receive local information sent out by deputies who work here at Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station.
In addition to Nixle, if your goal is to communicate directly with Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station personnel we encourage you to follow us on Twitter @SCVSheriff. Our station’s Twitter is auto-populated via Nixle and has thousands of followers. Local Santa Clarita deputies also engage residents and provide crime trend information, and answer questions relating to law enforcement in the Santa Clarita Valley. Our Twitter account is managed at a local level and does not go through “downtown.”
In the near future the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station will also be launching a local “Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station” Facebook page. Facebook is just another social media avenue that allows local Santa Clarita deputies to engage and dialog with the residents we serve. When we officially launch our local Facebook page, a press release will be sent out.
We are in an exciting time when police agencies can create their own content and share it directly with the public via Websites, instant messaging (Nixle), and social media (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube). Few agencies are actively engaging the public in as many ways as the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. We remain on the cutting edge of information sharing and communication with our local residents through use of social media.
But yes, Dubin is right, the SCV Sheriff's Station does communicate well to residents through those other sites. And I like that it doesn't have to go through Downtown.
I stand corrected and look forward to the Facebook page.
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