Overview
Government and Media Relations (GMR) serves two distinctive functions for the Office of the Chief: media relations and legislative liaison relations.
GMR is responsible for coordinating agency legislation with committees, legislators, and other state agencies. GMR also reviews and seeks input from interested stakeholders on agency legislation and answers policy questions for legislative constituents.
The office handles all statewide media relations for the agency and is the lead/primary point of contact for critical and major incidents. GMR provides assistance and training to district public information officers (PIOs), monitors news coverage, and updates the agency’s external website. Additional support services through GMR includes agency photo and video services, equipment and standards review, and oversight of all social media accounts.
Successes of 2021
During the 2021 legislative session, GMR tracked 181 bills to assess their potential impact to the Washington State Patrol.
GMR staff responded to hundreds of media inquiries regarding law enforcement’s role and response in public safety, social changes, civil strife, and political conflict. Inquiries came from local, regional, national and international media outlets.
Over the course of the year, GMR completed 146 photo projects and 50 video projects for the agency and the governor’s office.
GMR coordinated multiple events and projects associated with the agency’s centennial. The efforts included the construction of the Wall of Heroes located at the agency headquarters in Olympia. Commemorating commissioned staff who have died in the line of duty in the agency’s first 100 years of service, the exhibit was replicated at the Washington State Fair exhibit in Puyallup so that it could be viewed by the general public.
In 2021, WSP Tribal Liaisons worked with both tribal and non-tribal law enforcement and Native American communities to ensure best practices for reporting missing Indigenous persons were known and available. WSP Tribal Liaisons continue to develop partnerships surrounding the Native American community and have had a positive and direct impact on helping families of missing loved ones be heard, and in some cases, located.
Tribal Liaisons developed training for the WSP Academy and have presented to several Trooper Cadet Training Classes, which includes interactive exercises, “Hard History,” Facts vs Myths, cultural differences, communication, and concerns that have been shared by Native American community members. This basic cultural awareness training has been well received and brings awareness to the Native American culture and history.
WSP Tribal Liaisons were requested contributors to the Operation Lady Justice Federal Task Force and provided information and presentations in National meetings regarding best practices, resources, and barriers in locating missing Native American persons. The Tribal Liaison activities and influence has grown outside of Washington State and they are often contacted and consulted with by out-of-state law enforcement agencies.
In addition, GMR added a list of Missing and Indigenous people to our external website.