Ricky Smith
Charlotte,NC
Summary
Accomplished Public Affairs Officer and Police Detective at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, adept in strategic communications and crisis management. Spearheaded initiatives that decreased crime by 9%, leveraging skills in media relations and problem-solving. Excelled in fostering community trust and enhancing organizational visibility, demonstrating exceptional decision-making and social media proficiency.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Public Affairs Officer / Police Detective
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
10.2021 - 03.2024
- Cultivated relationships with influencers and thought leaders within the industry, amplifying positive coverage of organizational activities.
- Provided timely responses to media inquiries, ensuring accurate representation of the organization''s positions on critical issues.
- Developed strategic communication plans to support organizational goals and objectives, driving positive change in public perception.
- Served as a spokesperson for the organization at conferences and other public speaking engagements, articulating core values and priorities to diverse audiences.
- Enhanced community relations by organizing and executing public events and outreach programs.
- Collaborated with media outlets for increased visibility of the organization''s initiatives and accomplishments.
- Communicated with media weekly to build relationships and optimize press coverage.
- Executed social media plans to create cohesive online presence.
- Used social media (i.e. Facebook) outlets to create and distribute press releases to media outlets.
- Wrote compelling press releases, speeches, and talking points that effectively conveyed key messages to target audiences.
- Monitored news trends and conducted thorough research to inform proactive messaging strategies on relevant topics.
- Engaged is customer facing activities, such as strengthening relationships with law engorgement agency leaders and directing detectives as well as business leaders.
- Addressed over 50+ crime alerts/incidents on a daily basis from various media outlets as well as departments heads.
- Prepared comprehensive reports on solved crimes to the Crime Stoppers Board of Directors to determine rewards and cases of interest as well as facilitated briefings before presenting to the public, department representative and government leaders
- Worked collectively with other detectives to highlight and provide solvability factors in homicides, sexual assaults, and robberies.
- Engaged in community events to champion public trust and strengthen the relationship with law enforcement by encouraging the public to engage in aiding with solving crimes as well as prevention.
- Managed the Crime Stoppers tip system of record used for anonymous tip reporting which helped decrease crime by 9% between 202? - 202?
- Appeared in court and testified under oath in [Type] and [Type] cases.
Police Officer
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department
03.1996 - 10.2021
- Leveraged working and proficient knowledge of protective intelligence, threat assessment analysis and recognition to develop dynamic operation plans to decrease crime.
- Executed criminal case investigations according to police department policies and procedures and searched various techinical databases, including public and confidential databases to locate suspects criminal associates, and witnesses.
- Participated in ongoing training opportunities to stay current on best practices, maintaining a high level of expertise within the field of law enforcement.
- Displayed sound judgment under pressure when making critical decisions that impact public safety during emergency situations.
- Utilized excellent communication skills when interacting with diverse populations, fostering trust between law enforcement and the community members they serve.
- Answered emergency calls for help from citizens and business owners.
- Adhered to Federal, State, and Local laws and ordinances and refereed appropriate cases to juvenile authorities and other governmental agencies while promoting close contact to prevent juvenile delinquency.
- Contributed significantly to developing emergency crisis plans and building security as well as the grant implementation process, timeline, curriculum, databases, websites, social media, and evaluation strategies.
- Protected life and property by actively patrolling assigned areas, receiving, and disseminating confidential information within the department and controlling emergency personnel during accidents and disasters.
- Implemented security plans for city and department events, travel programs and residential security.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Management
South Carolina State University
Orangeburg, SC05.1993
Skills
- Strategic communications
- Crisis Management
- Policy analysis
- Internal Communications
- Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate -NC Justice Academy
- Crisis Intervention - NC Justice Academy
- Basic combat medical Certificate Academy of Health and Sciences San Antonia, TX
- Multimedia storytelling
- Web Content Management
- Media Relations
- Social media proficiency
- Crisis Response
- Problem-Solving
- Decision-Making
- Team Management
- Data Entry
- Social Media Management
- Information gathering and analysis
Accomplishments
- Served as Crime Stopper Coordinator, initiating P3TIPS software implementation and increasing tip and rates by 3200 yearly as par of better dialogue between department and community.
- Awarded Coordinator of the year - 2023 and 2024
Timeline
Public Affairs Officer / Police Detective
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
10.2021 - 03.2024
Police Officer
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department
03.1996 - 10.2021
Bachelor of Science - Business Management
South Carolina State University
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