"Here at NZ Police, we're always wanting to try new things in order to get important messages across. People generally don’t like being told what to do (especially by the Police!) so if humor and the odd meme can help us with that, then we are all for it," Bovey told Bored Panda.
"Our posts are generally well received by the public, but like with any organization, there will always be the odd person who doesn’t like our approach. Most people see that we are trying new ways to reach people and they appreciate that we can have a bit of fun (without ‘making fun’ of a serious topic)" she said.
"We’ve gained a lot of popularity through our Police puppy posts, tagged #fridayfloof, which are always highly engaging, and means we get the more serious messages through to more people when we need to. We work alongside our media team who communicate with the media about Police activity, and publish this content on our social media channels when it is appropriate."
Bovey confirmed to Bored Panda that the Force currently has one person responsible for their "humorous (and not so humorous) content, but we often have others from inside the organisation contribute, and are growing our team this year."
"Police have a strong social media presence across a number of major social media platforms and we utilize these to educate, inspire and entertain the public, while also increasing the public's trust and confidence."
The internet is oversaturated with content and information. So standing out is a challenge. But here are some things that help you get noticed. Posting about dogs. Posting about cats. Posting about funny things that happen at home and at work. In other words, when you’re cute and funny, the internet finds you like a moth finds a lighthouse.
The New Zealand Police is full of pleasant surprises. For example, they’ve recently “recruited” their very first Artificial Intelligence officer named Ella (or Electronic Lifelike Assistant)! Talk about high-tech serving and protecting.
Ella is a mix of 26 different people and was revealed at the police national HQ in Wellington this week. Users will be able to ask Ella for information. She can also connect them to whomever they’re visiting, according to the NZ Herald. People can also report crimes to Ella.
Like most people starting a new job, Ella will go through a 3-month testing period after which she’ll be uploaded to digital kiosks all throughout New Zealand if successful.
Meanwhile, if you’re a Kiwi, you can test out Ella’s capabilities in the Wellington, Johnsonville, and Featherston police stations. Social media and AI? Sounds like the NZ Police force is racing ahead into the future at full speed (and they’re wearing their seatbelts, of course).
