Exactly, LE needs to shed this attitude of “Us versus Them”. When I “was on the job” (and even now that I’m “retired”), I tried to adhere to the philosophy of treating the public as I would want my family members and/or friends be treated/serviced.

Mike, I absolutely agree with the concept of relationship-building as a way to manage reputation and mitigate damage. What worries me is that too many LE agencies still see social media as primarily a “broadcast” tool rather than being willing to realize its full potential. The problem is not with the execution but rather the attitude toward public interaction that underlies the communication strategy. That is a much taller order than the relationship-building itself.

A lack of trust already exists with many PD’s and the communities in which they serve, so these “expected” apologies only further hinder relationship building. However, if LE works to consolidate trust and reach out to their communities before a mistake happens, then the public would be more responsive to an apology. LE may not be able to fix mistakes through apologies but they can definitely minimize the backlash they receive by having that foundation of trust. I bet people a lot more willing to forgive those police officials they have communicated with on a blog than one whose face they cannot even recognize. For me its about relationship and credibility building so backlash is minimized when a mistake happens and an apology has to be given. Social media is just one tool police can use to start garnering that trust.