SCPD to Host Burglary Crime Prevention Presentation April 9 on Facebook Live

Keeping Stores Safe from Burglaries in the
Time of the Coronavirus

The Santa Cruz Police Department is hosting a "virtual presentation" via Facebook Live for local businesses on Thursday, 4/9/2020, at 3:00 pm designed to help shop owners protect their business from burglary crime.

 With many companies closed due to COVID-19, cities everywhere are seeing an uptick in commercial burglaries. SCPD has increased patrol enforcement, made arrests, and seen success with Burglar Suppression Units. We are also offering this free webinar to educate the community on crime prevention to protect against commercial burglary.

Chief Andrew Mills and Sergeant Carter Jones will outline critical ways businesses can cut liability risks, apply security tactics, improve the environmental design, and best practices to thwart opportunistic thieves.

Chief Mills is also waiving false alarm fees during this public health crisis. Learn about the most effective equipment and resources to protect against commercial burglary.

Presentation will stream live on SCPD Facebook.
Thursday, April 9
3:00 – 4:00 pm

Submit questions in advance by email to askSCPD@cityofsantacruz.com

Recorded webinar and presentation materials will be made available www.SantaCruzPolice.com

SCPD Turns to Social Media for Hiring

Over the last few weeks the Santa Cruz Police Department has tried a new tactic to reach potential employees: social media. Traditionally, the department would advertise positions on its website, the City website, local print publications and sometimes statewide police publications. However, as the success of  the department's technological outreach has shown, people are accessing information in new ways and social media is one of the best methods to reach them.

“People consume information in more ways than they used to, and it’s important for us to put the information in a medium they’re using,” Police Chief Kevin Vogel said.

Given that the next generation of law enforcement officers use social media as a primary communications tool, the department decided to take out ads on Facebook to reach new employees. In addition, the department has been using Twitter for new employee outreach. Right now SCPD is hiring lateral officers (officers that work for another agency or were recently laid off) and police academy graduates. The Facebook ads link to an employment page that allow lateral/academy grads to apply.

In the last few years the Santa Cruz Police Department has greatly expanded its technological outreach to include mobile apps, Nixle crime alerts, online crime maps and crime tips, a blog, predictive policing, Facebook, Twitter and a bilingual website. The department will test to see what response is received from social media advertising - but early indications are positive. It has been shown to be a much less expensive advertising tool that highlights other elements the department is doing. It won't serve as a replacement for other outreach methods, but might help the department reach potential employees that wouldn't have been reached before. Click here to see the Facebook page.

What Would You Like to See on our Facebook Page?

We have created a Facebook page and now we need your help. Let us know what you'd like to see on there! We have created a poll on our page where you can let us know the things that you'd like to see. More photos? Information about how our sections work? More media information? Just let us know - Thanks!

Santa Cruz Police Launches Facebook Page - Expands Social Media Presence

Today the Santa Cruz Police Department launched a Facebook page, expanding our extensive social media presence even further. We plan on using the page as an interactive tool with the community: to share stories, notify the public about events, provide photos and receive feedback from you. This is just one part of our effort to be as accessible and transparent as possible. It includes our iPhone app, our public crime maps, our Nixle alerts, our blog, website and online tips and crime reports. Our agency is proud to be a leader in this field. In fact, we have one of the largest amounts of available public information for any law enforcement agency in the region.

Click here to see the new Facebook page.