When Ingrid Palencia decided she wanted to try something new within the Fairfax County Police Department, she hadn’t realized that her next opportunity would involve spending time doing something she almost never did before: doomscrolling.
As part of the public information team at the Northern Virginia police department, Palencia handles inquiries from news organizations and sometimes is sent to crime scenes. She writes blog posts on the department’s website, and reviews hours’ worth of footage from officers’ body camera and dashboard camera to figure out driving habits to draw attention to.
Palencia was previously a criminal investigations detective in McLean, working on active cases and looking into property crimes. But her new role falls into a different realm.
“I’m scrolling social media now,” Palencia said. “It’s very different, but it’s a good different. It’s nice to learn something new.”
Social media as a learning tool
The department started taking advantage of a trend officers observed on social media.
Fellow Fairfax County Officer Katie Watts uses a wand, named “Tappy,” to draw attention to some of the most egregious driving violations. Palencia, meanwhile, plays a similar role, spending hours reviewing footage and crafting different videos aimed at boosting trust and confidence in law enforcement.
She watches each video to see if there’s a traffic stop that catches her eye. The stops that get shared on the department’s Instagram page are relevant and timely, Palencia said.
At the start of the school year, some of the videos involved school zones or school buses. Some users commented they just moved to Virginia from a different state, and were unfamiliar with the local driving laws.
“People love seeing that we’re enforcing traffic violations and pulling people over for running the red lights, running the red stop sign, driving on the shoulder,” Palencia said. “Especially the school bus. Now that school is in session, that’s a big one for us.”
Engaging with the community
The posts usually get a substantial amount of engagement, including a variety of comments. It’s the result of drivers relating to what they’re watching, Palencia said.
“It’s satisfying,” she said. “Myself, when I’m driving and I see somebody doing something that they shouldn’t be, I’m like, ‘I wish there was a cop here.’”
While Palencia’s day-to-day responsibilities vary, there’s usually a focus, which can sometimes be blog updates.
The team works ahead to produce videos so the department maintains an active social media presence, even if there are other demands.
The main goal is to make sure drivers know what the laws are, and “That they can trust us. That they can call us if they need us. That they can trust the police officers that are in our community.”
Given her previous work as a detective, Palencia didn’t think she was going to enjoy putting together social media content. But time spent packaging videos proved the opposite.
“I’ve learned to like it,” Palencia said. “And I really enjoy looking for videos and posting, and really enjoy the comments. I love reading them. I like interacting with them.”
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