Episode 5: Image in Law Enforcement | Judy Pal

EPISODE 5 SHOW NOTES:  

Image in Law Enforcement: An Interview with Media Relations expert, Judy Pal.

Released October 7, 2019

Opening Quote: “Next to doing the right thing, is letting people know you are doing the right thing” - J.D. Rockefeller 

Judy’s Background:

With more than 35 years of experience, Judy Pal has served in executive management positions for police, private sector and the professional sports and entertainment industry in both Canada and the U.S. Prior to embarking on a full-time teaching and consulting career, she was as an Assistant Commissioner with the NYPD serving as the Advisor to the Police Commissioner. Before that, she served as Director of Operations for FBI-LEEDA, Chief of Staff with the Baltimore and Milwaukee Police Departments and was a member of the command staff in charge of public information with the Atlanta, Savannah, and Halifax (Canada) police departments.

She is proud to have conducted image and media training for thousands of law enforcement professionals during her more than two decades of work in law enforcement including more than 800 commanders with the NYPD. She is also a regular contributing instructor at FBI Regional Command Colleges across the country.

She has worked with international police agencies in Canada, Chile and Trinidad as a consultant, and has taught and spoken at events across North America, as well as Australia, Uruguay and Manilla. Pal is a past president of the National Information Officers Association, holds a Master’s Degree in Public Relations and earned her Certificate in Police Leadership from Dalhousie University in Canada. She spent five years in television news, is the proud owner of a Stanley Cup ring from the Edmonton Oilers and worked for the New York Rangers and Madison Square Garden. 

This is the first of two podcasts that Dean talks with Judy about topics regarding police and the media. 

IMAGE DEVELOPMENT

• It is important to understand what ‘image’ is – not a logo or marketing program, it’s the perception and values one has about you or your agency.
• People see ‘police’ as police across the country – one bad event affects us all.
• PERF talks about developing trust and legitimacy to help prevent violent extremism, the President’s Tasks Force on 21st Century Policing talks about legitimacy, as does recent reports from David Weisburd about how legitimacy can help prevent crime.
• Developing our image in the past was left to the media – didn’t turn out so good for us.
• We need to do better.
• Become a humble profession.

WHAT CAN WE DO AS LEADERS?

• We have to ‘be’ what we want people to ‘think’ – always and in all ways.
• What words do you want people to think of when they see you, your cars, buildings, social media presence? Then BE THOSE WORDS.
• Brand is a department-wide effort – EVERYONE needs to know the brand and the role they play in creating it. A single interaction can set the brand and is more important than any PR campaign.
• 3 image-makers: direct contact, word of mouth (social media), and traditional media.
• Be conscious of what you are ‘selling’ as your brand.  People perceive things differently – be acutely aware of that.

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