Spilled coffee, dropped ice cream cones and howls of…approval? These are among the possible outcomes when Seattle residents click on their beloved SPD Blotter and see that it has gone all fancy on them. Yes, there are buttons, windows, tabs and slides. More icons than you can shake a night stick at.
Right now you are probably asking, “why the change?” Well, we’re glad you asked!
We launched the SPD Blotter back in September of 2008. This was the police department’s first foray into the blogosphere and while there have been a few bumps it has generally been a fun ride. We here in the Public Affairs Office enjoy posting crime news and department information. We also know that we can do a better job by delivering more content, more frequently.
So, in the spirit of service to the community and to our friends in the news media, our office has committed to providing even more police information in a variety of different ways. Along with this new look comes a new philosophy: we will make every effort to keep the public informed to the best of our ability. We will do so in ways that are interesting and engaging.
The more public safety information we can share with the community, the greater the likelihood that Seattle residents will make good decisions concerning their safety and property. For instance, if we post about an increase in car prowls, we hope to make residents think twice about leaving a purse or a briefcase in a parked car; if we post a sketch of a dangerous criminal, we hope to generate more tips for our detectives to work from.
Our aim is nothing short of being the go to place for Seattle crime news. Admittedly, we have a long ways to go and there is much to do. Still, this is a good first step. Drop us a note on Twitter or Facebook and let us know what you think.
As part of the SPD 20/20 – A Vision for the Future reform plan, the SPD Public Affairs Office is responsible for Initiative 17 – Provide Better Information to the Public. The first milestone in this initiative is to develop and implement an integrated news channel to distribute a variety of content in multiple formats including print, video, audio and photo.