BD McCray, Deputy Director, United States Customs and Border Protection, IACP Law Enforcement Fellow

Transitioning into the online and social media arena can be daunting and stressful, especially as the need for transparency is coupled with requirement to maintain the integrity and security of personally identifiable information (PII). However, as many of IACP’s more than 26,000 members make that transition, the IACP is meeting your changing needs by launching a new, revamped online accompaniment to their flagship publication, The Police Chief.

After years of resistance and lack of understanding, I, too, am obligated to get involved in the digital and social media space. A creature of habit and comfort, I have been encouraged by professional necessity to get into the action (better late than never).

My first rotational assignment as an IACP Fellow is with the IACP Outreach Team and my tasks include familiarizing myself with the IACP tools and efforts to keep our membership informed and in touch. To this end, I was asked to prepare a blog about the newly redesigned Police Chief magazine website. (Candidly, I had to look online to determine the meaning of the word “blog” and then review the internal policy for writing a blog.)

As many of you are aware, IACP publishes a monthly magazine that is distributed to all IACP members and other subscribers. In October 2016, the IACP launched the new Police Chief magazine website. Police Chief Online is not a replacement for the hard copy of the magazine, rather it is a supplement to it. The new website provides IACP members and subscribers with all of the information contained in the print magazine, as well as other helpful content such as weekly online-only articles. Other new features of the online magazine include

• the translation tool (Google Translate) – facilitating seamless communication with our international membership
• sharing functions – allows user to send articles by email or share via social media
• subscribe or submit features – allow the user to subscribe to the magazine or submit an article for consideration

The new website is user-friendly and logical. It provides you with 24/7 access to all of the Police Chief magazine content and more. The online version facilitates the participation of a larger audience, the photos and graphics are pleasing to the eye, and the summary paragraphs provide you with narrative information to encourage further reading or bookmarking for later review. The content headings provide you with a quick reference to the topic of the article and help you quickly navigate to the topical areas you are focused on.  From my viewpoint this is an important tool for current and aspiring executives who must stay informed, engaged, and aware of changing trends.

Effective on December 7, 2016, exclusive access to Police Chief Online will be granted to IACP members and magazine subscribers. Not an IACP member yet? Click the Join button on the Police Chief website or visit www.theIACP.org/membership to join the association.

Visit us at www.policechiefmagazine.org and let us know what you think of the new website!