On July 2, the page introduced the story of a street cat who has been “on duty” with the Youngtong Police Division for the past five months. (image: GNPPA Facebook Page)
SUWON, July 16 (Korea Bizwire) – The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency (GNPPA) is hiring a unique set of experts and creative talents that would normally seem unfit for a normal police recruiting operation.
The agency is hiring young officers with experience in marketing, blogging, and even cartoon drawing, all to connect with SNS (social networking service) users. The job these officers are tasked with is simple: spearhead creative marketing and promotional efforts to provide useful public safety and crime-related information via SNS platforms.
On July 7, a news graphic was uploaded to the agency’s Facebook page, with pictures and infographics providing various examples of hidden camera-related crime, monthly and location-based statistics, the legal implications for committing such crimes, and potential preventive measures. The post was met with positive feedback from SNS users. The story, which might normally have been a bit dry, especially if limited to written text, was instead developed in a much more comprehensive and engaging manner.
“I wanted to raise awareness of (hidden camera-related) crimes and inform citizens of preventive measures,” said officer Lee Sun-young, who created the news content using Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft PowerPoint. “And I feel proud when I see people being informed of the issue.”
These officers also present interesting or touching stories that the force’s police officers come across.
On July 2, the page introduced the story of a street cat who has been “on duty” with the Youngtong Police Division for the past five months. Pictures of the cat high-fiving an officer and sitting on top of a patrol car, seemingly guarding the area, were met with a vibrant response.
These so-called ‘communications officers’, who share stories and information in intriguing and creative methods, were first established by the GNPPA in May 2015, and the agency’s Facebook Page follower numbers have increased since, from 20,000 to over 72,000. The number of these officers serving the force also increased from the initial 16 to 107.
According to the agency, thanks to the newly recruited officers, the content has grown much more diverse on its Facebook page, and now even includes WebToons (Internet cartoons), and videos of acting, dancing, and singing. The officers also step out of the office and pay visits to schools, colleges, and public centers for the elderly to promote crime awareness and connect with local citizens.
“The communications officers are listening to citizen voices out on the streets,” said an agency official. “We’ll look for things that citizens are in need of, and reflect them in our policies, while promoting the issues through SNS.”
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
