City Manager's Annual Report 2017 | A Year In Review | Page 17

C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T
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AS SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA
6.
ENHANCED
SOCIAL MEDIA
PRESENCE
The City is going to great lengths to effectively
communicate directly with the community by replicating
a newsroom at Port St. Lucie City Hall. As part of that
effort, the City has relied heavily on social media to get the
message out. In 2017, the City’s Facebook page followers
increased by more than 200 percent, from just over 4,425
followers to more than 13,600.
The 14 City departments have joined together to streamline information that
is primarily shared through social media. The City’s increased virtual presence
is one way staff is going above and beyond to ensure that the organization is
transparent and continually informing residents in real time.
A popular aspect of the City’s use of social media is the ability to share details
of exciting events – such as the Fall Fun Fest and Winter Wonderland Light
Show – which reached more than 350,000 people collectively, not just l ocally,
but nationally.
The City quickly recognized the positive results of using social media platforms
to disseminate information and took to social media during major emergency
events – such as Hurricanes Matthew and Irma. During this time, staff was able
to provide residents with up-to-the-minute information when media outlets
were unable to cover the local area due to the dangerous conditions and
competitive breaking news. This included crucial city-produced news pieces through
a variety of mediums such video updates, live-streamed messages from the Mayor and
City Manager and real-time alerts to hazardous conditions like downed powerlines and
human interest pieces such as coverage of the shelters.
The City’s use of social media over the last year has made a substantial difference in daily
operations and the success of publicizing City information and events. Port St. Lucie has
expanded its presence on social media to include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn,
Nextdoor and YouTube.
PSL POLICE DEPARTMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
@PSLPOLICE #TRENDING
Through courage, knowledge and
integrity, the Port St. Lucie Police
Department is committed to superior
customer service and remaining one
of America’s safest cities. The Port St.
Lucie Police Department is staffed
with more than 220 sworn police
officers, 65 civilian support staff, and
at least 200 dedicated volunteers.
With the help of social media, the
Police Department has been able
to expand its network of assistance
in peace-keeping and crime-solving
across the City. Since the Police
Department joined Facebook and
Twitter, it has gained more than
16,500 followers combined. In its
first year alone, PSLPD’s following
increased by 486 percent.
The Police Department is extremely
active on social media platforms
daily, sharing crucial information in
real time, sometimes reaching over
470,000 users at a time.
As a result, police have been able
to solve crimes, gather important
intelligence and maintain public
order within the City.
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