White House Author

With the rapid advances in social media and instant communications, Captain Mike Parker saw the opportunity for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) to improve public safety through online partnering with the public, other policing agencies and emergency services. The LASD website was redesigned and LASD Nixle text and email messaging, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest were implemented. The LASD's new 100+ community based communications platforms have evolved into interagency crisis communications systems that partner with the public and news media to routinely improve community safety and reduce unnecessary fear. He and the newly formed eComm Unit of Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau (SHB) have also presented 8-16 hours of formal training to over 1000 personnel from 150 agencies including five foreign countries. He has published over 100 articles with an emphasis on communications, community policing and problem solving, and created a website to provide implementation information for other agencies. He is a 29-year veteran of the LASD, and Unit Commander of SHB since 2009.