Cabra Community Policing Forum

Cabra Community Policing Forum

Cabra Community

Policing Forum

Communications Strategy 2013 - 2014

Niall Counihan

Introduction

The communications strategy will set out how we inform local people about progress and how to engage and empower them to make our communities safer. We will use a variety of mediums to communicate our messages effectively. Cabra Community Policing Forum will continue to look at innovative ways to communicate.

Through effective and sustained contact with local communities, Cabra Community Policing Forum will be better placed to keep local people apprised of its work and encourage them to become willing stakeholders in creating a safer forum area for the benefit of everyone.

Aims of the Strategy

The purpose of this communication strategy is to ensure that Cabra Community Policing Forum’s efforts in tackling crime, anti-social behaviour and estate management issues are communicated to the local community through a clear and co-ordinated approach, which helps to raise the profile of the Forum and encourages local people to participate in making the forum area a safer place to live, work and visit.

·  Increase the profile of Cabra Community Policing Forum

·  To support our commitment to community engagement and involvement, and encourage increased involvement in the work of the Forum

·  To explain to the local community how Dublin City Council, An Garda Síochána, Finglas-Cabra Local Drugs Task Force and other key stakeholders are working together to make the forum area a safer place

·  To ensure the public is informed of the achievements of Cabra Community Policing Forum

·  To deliver appropriate and widely accessible information to the target audience

·  To demonstrate that Cabra Community Policing Forum has listened and responded to public opinion when setting the strategic direction of the Forum

Objectives

·  To promote clear, consistent and co-ordinated communication

·  To provide appropriate and effective mechanisms for communication

·  To increase understanding of the role of the Forum for the public and all stakeholders

·  To involve, inform and reassure local communities

Target Audience

·  Communities served by Cabra Community Policing Forum

·  Locally Elected Representatives and Oireachtas members

·  Our main stakeholders – An Garda Síochána, Finglas Cabra Local Drugs Task Force and Dublin City Council.

·  Other organisations working in the forum area

·  Business people in the Forum area

Cabra Community Policing Forum Brand Identity

For Cabra Community Policing Forum to communicate with the public about its work, it is important that it has a strong and unified brand identity. This identity will be used to ‘badge’ all aspects of the Forum’s work, including all publicity materials, posters, leaflets and the website etc.

The aims of adopting a unified Forum identity are:

·  To create a single, consistent, and clear visual identity for Cabra Community Policing Forum.

·  To project the Forum as a professional, reliable, and contemporary organisation.

·  To standardise the Forum’s visual presentation in a number of applications, thereby increasing efficiency and consistency of the image projected.

·  To ensure that the logo for Cabra Community Policing Forum is the only one to be used to represent the Forum

Guidelines

The Forum should:

·  Be an open and transparent organisation

·  Communicate in a timely and appropriate manner

·  Work in partnership to communicate more effectively

·  Communicate in a clear and concise manner

·  Build on best practice to drive continual improvements on communications work

·  Appreciate and respond to community’s need for knowledge

·  Have good working relationships with media

Key Messages

When communicating to the public it is important that key messages are incorporated in all publicity to ensure consistency for the Forum and increase confidence.

The following statements will form the basis of the key messages Cabra Community Policing Forum wish to portray:

·  Cabra Community Policing Forum is an action based problem solving forum comprised of DCC, the Gardai and local residents working together to make the forum area a safer, more pleasant place in which to live, work and visit.

·  The chances of becoming a victim of crime are rare – that fear is far greater than reality

·  Free and simple crime prevention steps like keeping doors and windows locked, make a real difference

·  Cabra Community Policing Forum will look for long term solutions to improve the quality of life of people – not ‘quick fixes’

·  People deserve to be able to live their lives peacefully and without fear of disruption

·  Encourage community involvement

·  To increase public confidence

How to communicate

To capture the attention of as many people within our target audience as possible, Cabra Community Policing Forum will always try to use a combination of methods of communication including:

1.  Media

Reputation is built on experience and perceptions, and the more people know of the Cabra Community Policing Forum the more informed they will feel. The media can be used to transmit key messages about the forum, which have a lasting effect and are communicated to the whole forum area. It is important to establish good relationships with the local media in order to build positive perceptions over a period of time.

2.  Website

Cabra Community Policing Forum will launch its website in 2013. The site contains up to date information on various issues, including the work of the Forum, details of upcoming meetings and events and good news stories.

3.  Cabra Community Policing Forum will contribute wherever possible to other stakeholders communications.

4.  Public Events

Cabra Community Policing Forum will engage and support relevant local public events which provide an opportunity for the Forum to communicate and network with the local community.

5.  Advertising

Cabra Community Policing Forum will use advertising to provide details of Fora meetings amongst the wider community. Leaflets and posters will also be distributed and displayed around the local community.

6.  Newsletters

Annual newsletter can be used to publicise the work of Cabra Community Policing Forum and promote future events and campaigns as well as acknowledging community and stakeholder involvement. Newsletters can raise the profile of the Forum, increase public understanding of its work and reach a wide audience.

Review and Evaluation

This strategy will be reviewed annually to make sure that it is achieving its aims. We will also measure the impact that our communications are having through set targets. The monitoring and evaluation will include:

·  Surveys of our key audiences to measure the penetration of key messages

·  Feedback at community events on community safety issues

·  Review local media on a regular basis. This will include how often the work of Cabra Community Policing Forum gets coverage.

·  We will record the level of public enquiries generated by information campaigns.

·  Monitoring traffic on the Cabra Community Policing Forum website.

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