Badges, guns and now cameras too: the Minneapolis police launch a YouTube channel to ‘tell our own story,’ putting up footage of everything from press conferences to dealings with Occupy Minnesota protesters.
Several police departments are working on the principle that it is better to be proactive, than reactive, in communications. The police departments are using blogs, social media, and YouTube to apply that proactive principle.
… build trust, transparency, and communications.
— Minneapolis Assistant Police Chief Janee Harteau
Minneapolis police want to show people what they do. They have started a Minneapolis Police YouTube channel to show press conferences, public service messages and raw video they have obtained from surveillance cameras or other sources. They also published videos to show how Occupy Minnesota protests have been managed. Protesters have alleged police did not give enough warnings before beginning arrests, but the Minneapolis Police Department point out that their videos published on their YouTube channel show proper warning.
Baltimore Police Department also has a similar YouTube Channel — BPD TV.
Boston Police Department as high quality, high content blog, known as , and a YouTube channel, known as BPDNEWS.COM callthecops1.
A man who had been hanging on the outside of a Minneapolis freeway overpass fence contemplating suicide is rescued by Minneapolis Fire Department and Minneapolis Police Department personnel when he approached a hole in the fence. Two untethered firefighters and 4 untethered officers pulled him to safety. Semi-trucks were positioned by MN State Patrol so if the man jumped he would land on the trialers and not the freeway.