 Florence Chung Wlodarski served as a Strategic Advisor to the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Foundation, a nonprofit affiliated with the 300 police chiefs that make up the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association. Within 11 months, Florence redeveloped the Foundation's mission, established priority pillars, created a new website, established new board level committees, created operational procedures for the board, created and launched a new Community Partnerships Grant Program, and re-energized the Foundation's board of directors. The Hetty Group is proud to have worked with the Foundation to generate new momentum within the board of directors that will now lead to additional fundraising to fund the good work they wish to do in the state of Minnesota.
 LAUNCHING the korean american law enforcement networkFlorence Chung of The Hetty Group served as a key member of the planning committee to design the Virtual Meet & Greet web conference event launching the new Korean American Law Enforcement Network for the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles, in close partnership with the police attaché from the Korean National Police. The Korean American Law Enforcement Network is an initiative of the Consul General's office seeking to bring together local, state, and federal law enforcement officials of Korean descent within the Western United States. This new network creates a sense of community amongst Korean Americans in law enforcement and seeks to assist the Korean American public with various public safety issues and concerns. Since the outsized impact of the 1992 Rodney King Riots on Koreatown (in Los Angeles) and Korean owned small businesses, as well as in response to sustained protests and looting following the death of George Floyd in the Summer of 2020, the Consul General's Office determined a need to develop a network of Korean Americans in law enforcement, to network with civic and community leaders within the Korean American community. The new initiative will offer educational programming to help connect Korean American community members to the public safety ecosystem.   VIRTUAL EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: AUGUST 12, 2020 @5pm PST via Zoom. This Fireside Chat features 2 changemakers that are running great community programs in their cities that build bridges between cops and youth from underserved communities. They're on the ground and making great things happen. Hear their stories. Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/changemakers-spotlight-programs-that-build-bridges-tickets-115813612633   VIRTUAL EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: AUGUST 6, 2020 @5pm PST via Zoom. Hetty Group's Matthew Horace retired after a 28-year career in local, state and federal law enforcement. Matt will be talking about his personal experience being a Black man in law enforcement and present a balanced view on the realities in policing and the challenges in the profession, as well as in American society in general. He'll lend perspective to encourage participants to think critically about the varying experiences that exist across the country. Empathy is important. Going beyond the media headlines is important. The Hetty Group is proud to convene a diverse audience from across the country to engage in this discussion.   It's the concept that we're SAFER TOGETHER. We believe companies and businesses are stakeholders in public safety and can make a significant contribution in helping police departments evolve their business practices in recruiting, hiring, training, organizational culture and change management. Florence Chung of The Hetty Group was interviewed by Ben DiPietro, editor of the LRN Principled Podcast Series to unpack some of the issues in policing being discussed today on the national stage, and what companies can do to make a difference. LINK TO PODCAST: https://content.lrn.com/principled-podcast/special-edition-epdisode-39?utm_content=133994561&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-1316465205140556&fbclid=IwAR2JoLhJ3yDpEZ-FW54_45UhNJIgRdLiVszxyazmxmOXrjyQ_FFDJRshaaw (Podcast time: 30 minutes)  Just 3 weeks after the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd, protests were still going strong and it was still a tense time in the nation. In the middle of this, The Hetty Group convened a virtual conversation over Zoom between college students and young adults from the National Millennial Community and law enforcement executives to talk through the historic moments unfolding before us. It was a private conversation between 40 young people representing 25 states and the U.S. territory of Guam and 5 law enforcement officials from across the country. The question and answer session between the two groups revealed the human side behind the badge, debunked myths about how policing works, gave young people an opportunity to feel heard, and opened up an honest, thought-provoking dialogue about the changes needed in the policing profession. We would submit to you, that some hearts and minds shifted as a result of the session. And a glimmer of hope was seen on both sides, as both young people and law enforcement executives saw how simple connections and talking "face to face" could break down walls and create more open-minded attitudes toward facing the hard road ahead when it comes to rebuilding trust between young people and police. The Hetty Group was proud to convene and host this virtual conversation. It provided us with hope as well, as we continue to work on delivering community engagement initiatives that ultimately lead toward building safer, stronger communities for all.  Below are the faces of the young people and law enforcement officials that came together for honest conversation.   In response to nationwide protests shortly after the death of Mr. George Floyd, The Hetty Group quickly pulled together police foundation leaders from across 18 cities in the U.S. to discuss how best to navigate the crisis that was unfolding. During a climate where anger and emotions were running high and anti-police sentiment was wide-spread, it was a difficult time for leaders of police foundations, who typically serve as the bridge between communities and police departments. It was imperative to be sensitive to the pain, anger and frustrations expressed by protesters and the nation. It was also important to support their police departments during this challenging time. It was also important to communicate with donors and board members. Through Hetty Group's Police Foundation Partners initiative, we convened resources and experts to help police foundation leaders across the country keep perspective as they led their organizations through this trying moment in history.   FEATURED EXPERT: SHANNON WILKINSON. How can police chiefs take a page out of their playbook? We asked Shannon Wilkinson, CEO of Reputation Communications, for her top 3 tips.  LEADERSHIP THROUGH COMMUNICATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
An article by Florence Chung, CEO of THE HETTY GROUP Since the COVID-19 health crisis has swept the world, some elected officials have become famous because of their effective crisis communications response. In fact, people from all over the country and even different countries tune in to hear from Mayors and Governors that are not their own. These are three traits these leaders share:
How can police chiefs take a page out of their playbook? We asked Shannon Wilkinson, CEO of Reputation Communications, for her top 3 tips: 1. COMMUNICATE REGULARLY & OFTEN. In uncertain times, the public is looking for true leadership and factual information. Crises present an opportunity for police chiefs to demonstrate their leadership and establish a strong connection with their constituents. When you establish a regular communication program, it often becomes an anticipated, welcome part of people’s daily routine. A police chief can also hold weekly press briefings and become a reassuring voice the public looks forward to hearing from on a regular basis. 2. GO VIRTUAL. Assess your communication delivery. Does it need a reboot? Every law enforcement agency has its preferred method for communicating with the public. With so many more people online now, this is a good time to determine if your messaging is as “front and center” as it can be — and is reaching the maximum number of people you can. With so many people getting their news through social media, apps and fake news outlets, how can you cut through the noise and get your message out there, and be viewed by your community as a strong source of reliable information and leadership? Try these strategies:
3. OPTICS MATTER. We call them “COPTICS”, which stands for, the optics of policing in the digital age.
These may seem like common sense to some, but may not be top of mind for others. However you choose to amplify your messaging, in a chaotic world, the length is not as important as consistency. Demonstrating trustworthiness with data-backed information — and thoughtfully planned delivery — are key. ___ ____ ___ ABOUT OUR FEATURED EXPERT: Shannon Wilkinson is a nationally recognized expert in online reputation management. Her New York City-based firm Reputation Communications advises CEOs, business leaders, VIPs and their organizations on all aspects of online reputation management. As a commentator for The Wall Street Journal, her views about how leading corporations are managing their crises have focused on Equifax, Ohio State University, Purdue Pharma, Sanofi, UBER and Whisper, among many others. Her thought-leadership has also attracted media interviews in Banking News, Business Insurance, Consumer Reports, Hearst Media Group, Houston Chronicle, National Cybersecurity Journal, NBC’s Today Show, Philadelphia Inquirer and other media outlets.  An article by Florence Chung, CEO of THE HETTY GROUP
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed how we go about our lives. With new changes occurring daily, it is important we learn to roll with every punch. This is especially crucial for law enforcement who work 24/7, putting their health at risk to continue serving their communities. Behind the scenes of some police departments is a police foundation supporting it. Simply put, police foundations are nonprofit organizations that often serve as a bridge between the community and police departments and provide supplemental grant funding to improve public safety. They spur innovation and provide additional tools by funding training, new technology and equipment, and supporting community-police relations. Every city has its own unique needs. Local police foundations provide resources and support to law enforcement so they can meet those needs. Now more than ever, police foundations are working hard behind the scenes during COVID-19 to connect resources to public safety-first responders quickly and efficiently. New COVID-era Challenges for Law Enforcement Crime is lower in many areas in the COVID period. But for some, being quarantined at home means being trapped with an abusive partner or family member. Domestic abuse reports are coming in at an alarming rate. Opportunistic cybercriminals are crafting scams that prey on the fears of their targets. “Porch pirates” are taking advantage of increased online package deliveries. The large amounts of people out of work may lead to higher crime later. A new 15-year study out of Norway found that out-of-work people commit 60 percent more property crimes (burglary, theft, shoplifting, etc.) in the year after losing work. This increase may be even more likely due to many out-of-work Americans being unable to apply for unemployment benefits online because of high Internet traffic. And not everyone is eligible for federal stimulus checks. Though there are many uncertainties during this time, one certainty is that police officers need to be equipped to safely protect their communities and continue to serve as first responders. Police Foundations in Action Police foundations nationwide are stepping in to assist law enforcement on the COVID-19 frontlines. The Las Vegas Metro Police Foundation, for instance, launched a new community campaign where anyone can purchase a gift card online from a local business and donate it to frontline essential workers (police, fire, and healthcare workers) —a win-win scenario of supporting local businesses and saying thank you to first responders. The New York City Police Foundation has provided the NYPD with 500,000 masks, 200,000 gloves, 150,000 packets of hand sanitizer and more than a hundred hotel rooms for officers who can’t risk going home and spreading the virus to vulnerable loved ones. And thanks to donors in their community, the Philadelphia Police Foundation purchased 50,000 K95 masks for distribution to the Philadelphia Police Department. How You Can Help Supporting your local police foundation is a worthwhile investment to ensuring law enforcement can keep you and your community stay safe in the wake of the pandemic. Don’t know if your city has a police foundation? You can google your police department and the word “foundation” to see if one exists in your city (there are over 300 nationwide). Your local police foundation can help facilitate your donations, services and support. Monetary donations are best—cities like Los Angeles are using them to replenish PPE supplies for their officers, but product donations or your talents and services are appreciated as well. If you’re a barber, you can offer free haircuts to police officers who need them. If you are an Airbnb host, you can host first responders. Buying gift cards online, or ordering food from a restaurant and having it delivered to your police department with a thank-you note, are other great gestures. Police foundation staff can help guide a community toward the exact needs and best ways to support their police department. Law enforcement often don’t receive widespread support. But like all other frontline workers, they are also out there risking exposure to COVID-19 and working hard to keep communities safe. Whatever we can do to provide them a morale boost will help create a stronger society for us all in the long run.  Coptics: The optics of policing in the digital age Police departments should integrate digital tools like video clips, digital marketing and social media to build their brand. By Florence Chung, Bill Carmody, Matthew Horace and Shannon Wilkinson op·tics (n) (typically in a political context) the way in which an event or course of action is perceived by the public Many people believe our nation’s law enforcement profession is going through a PR crisis. Visual content in the form of video clips have taken center stage over the last few years, with great power to shape public perception about police operations. In this digital age, a short video has tremendous impact and influence. While videos of police use-of-force incidents play out on the evening news, countless stories of police officers helping their communities remain unseen. A negative video clip presents a more intense story, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the incident. Such videos give rise to emotional responses and rapid judgments before all necessary pieces of information are in place and investigations completed. This reality poses a challenge for law enforcement in building trust with their communities. Over the years, law enforcement circles have convened forums and various community relations programs addressing public trust, but such programs have not significantly improved public perception of police. It is important that police leadership address the optics of the issue. THE CHALLENGES OF POLICING IN THE DIGITAL AGE Law enforcement must rise to meet the new challenges brought forth by the optics of policing in the digital age. By increasing their own digital media engagement, they will have a voice in contributing to the national narrative. Police departments need to take a cue from the business world and integrate digital tools like video clips, digital marketing and social media to build their organization’s brand. Digital marketing, branding, reputation management, PR and social media engagement are priorities in the private sector, and considered necessary to the success of a company and its customer relationships. Police departments can adopt these practices as well. Negative portrayals of police officers overload the digital realm. Police departments must consistently present their communities with factual narratives about the work police officers do every day. Data is an important tool for conveying the thousands of commendable moments of officers doing their job right. Data can compete for attention and influence with a lurid 30-second video clip by using compelling digital storytelling techniques. To generate the most impact, police departments must present data and positive stories via video – not just written text – on the social media platforms that are capturing people’s attention today. DIGITAL MEDIA INITIATIVES CAN IMPROVE POLICE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY The good news is that such initiatives do not need to stress police department budgets. Police agencies can use free digital platforms to engage their customers (the community). However, police departments must advance their digital and social media literacy. Law enforcement agencies have not traditionally devoted resources to building their agency’s brand and many are not engaged in proactive and strategic communications, as they have historically been more reactive. Many police departments’ engagement with social media is basic, at best, which leaves them at a disadvantage when working with and serving a digital and social media-savvy public. For those police departments that have adopted the use of Twitter and Facebook, are you using these platforms effectively? Are your efforts helping to secure community support or are you posting simply for the sake of posting? Police departments can be more active on the digital and social media scene, as the environment provides incredibly honest opportunities to learn what the community needs and what they are thinking. Today’s culture requires police agencies to take their social media engagement a step further and use it to build an agency’s brand. Branding matters for companies, and even nonprofit organizations. We are now in an environment where it matters for police departments as well. BE PROACTIVE BEFORE A CRISIS HITS The digital age has added many challenges to the already complex work police officers do. Law enforcement executives who integrate principles of branding, reputation management and strategic social media engagement into their communications and community relations practices may have more success connecting with their constituents and shaping their public image. The time to do all of this is before a crisis hits a police department, not in response to an embarrassing or controversial incident. By building ongoing community relations ahead of time via digital tools and social media, a police department’s voice and reputation will be firmly established prior to any crisis occurring. A positive brand, built proactively and authentically using digital media tools, will make a difference in connecting with the community during crises. This approach has worked for many Fortune 500 companies, and is one way police departments can be proactive in rising to the challenge of what we term “coptics,” the optics of policing in the digital age. AGENCY SPOTLIGHT In 2016, the Redondo Beach (Calif.) Police Department launched an Instagram account with posts reflecting the department’s brand. That account currently reaches almost 10,000 people. The department adds humor to its content, and features professionally produced video content, paying special attention to humanizing the officers behind the badge. About the Authors Florence Chung is the CEO of The Hetty Group. She leads a strategy firm with a special focus on advancing police-community relations and community engagement. She served as a board member of the New York City Police Foundation and the Los Angeles Police Foundation, and has advised and developed many law enforcement-based nonprofit organizations such as the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation, Torrance Police Foundation, Redondo Beach Police Foundation, San Jose Police Foundation, Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers and the LiveKind Cops & Kids Program. Matthew Horace is a law enforcement and security analyst and commentator on CNN, MSNBC, CBS and FOX. He is a security executive and a professor teaching crisis communications at the Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Criminal Justice and a 28-year veteran of local, state and federal law enforcement. Bill Carmody is CEO of Trepoint/Digital Marketing Veteran. He has 20+ years in digital marketing, creating digital campaigns and strategies for top Fortune 500 companies like AT&T, Citibank, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft and Samsung. Bill is a regular contributor to Inc. Magazine. Shannon Wilkinson is CEO of Reputation Communications Inc.She is an online reputation management expert working with CEOs, C-suite executives and professionals in a range of industries. She has advised law enforcement in all aspects of online reputation building practices. She is a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal’s Crisis of the Week column and her expertise featured in The National Cybersecurity Journal.  Hetty Group is proud to have directed and produced the 3rd Annual 2019 Los Angeles Tech + Aging Conference and Expo -- AGING INTO THE FUTURE, at the LA Convention Center with 800 attendees for nonprofit client: St. Barnabas Senior Services (SBSS).
Hetty Group was responsible for launching the conference concept in year one and growing it to an annual event, from an audience of 340 to 750 within 3 years. Aging Into the Future has become Southern California's premiere tech and aging conference, focused on connecting older adults/seniors to tech based products and services to improve quality of life. Engaging seniors with the tech world has been a fun ride for us at Hetty Group but we are happy to transition the work forward to other teams at SBSS for the 4th Annual event + beyond, wishing the initiative's continued success.  The homeless crisis in San Francisco has had tremendous impact on the quality of life for many --- from residents, to tourists, to the companies that do business in the city. The bustling city center is home to many retailers. In recent years, those retailers have been hit hard by theft and security incidents, often perpetrated by homeless individuals, those with mental health issues, and those needing to feed a substance abuse habit.
Ross Dress for Less Stores was one of many companies with a retail store presence in the city that was being negatively impacted by this reality. The company engaged the services of The Hetty Group to help them partner with law enforcement and other stakeholders in the community to try to find a solution to this business challenge. Florence Chung of The Hetty Group devised a strategy to convene the security leadership of multiple retail companies facing the same issue in the city, along with the San Francisco Police Department officials and the District Attorney's Office, to discuss how to more effectively address the mutual challenge all parties faced. This resulted in the launch of the San Francisco Retail Security Council, a public/private partnership between retail security and local law enforcement. The Council meets on a regular basis to facilitate communication and collaborate on potential solutions. Redondo Beach Police Foundation partners with LA Kings to fund Classroom Emergency Safety Kits9/28/2017
 The Hetty Group was proud to partner with Police Chief Keith Kauffman to build and launch the Redondo Beach Police Foundation in October 2016. One of the first projects the Foundation funded was an innovative initiative led by the Redondo Beach Police Department to place an advanced emergency safety kit (a trauma kit) in every classroom in every school in the city of Redondo Beach. Why is this important? It’s not something parents of children want to think about, but with active shooters and crisis situations happening more frequently across the country in our schools, Police Chief Kauffman wanted to ensure our school teachers and administrators were trained on life saving techniques, with life saving equipment readily available in a backpack in every classroom. The LA Kings and the Kings Care Foundation committed to sponsoring the program as a partner to the Police Foundation and we are proud to share that the project has kicked off, and the training and kit program will roll out this year in 2017! Hetty Group’s Taulene Kagan worked directly with the LA Kings to coordinate the effort. Here are some photos from two fundraising efforts by the LA Kings to help fund the Classroom Emergency Safety Kit Program.  Imagine responding to a domestic violence call with a highly unstable and violent man in the house or conducting a high risk traffic stop after learning of an armed robbery suspect. What kind of split second decisions do police officers need to make? What does their training guide them to do? How are K-9 police dogs trained and what do they do to assist officers? Members of the community were invited to participate in TRAINING DAY with the Redondo Beach Police Department, hosted by the Redondo Beach Police Foundation on a sunny Saturday morning. After all guests were sworn in as “honorary police officers for a day” by the Police Chief, they were taken through a series of training exercises alongside police and SWAT officers. Special guest Luc Robitaille, President of the LA Kings hockey team, joined the group in experiencing intense video simulated scenarios with laser guns in a firearms training exercise that tested judgement and response time to highly unpredictable situations. Shoot or don’t shoot, was the judgement call everyone had to make in complicated, rapidly evolving situations. Everyone walked away with an increased sense of appreciation for the danger and difficult decisions police officers face everyday on the job. Drones are now being integrated as investigative tools for police, and guests had an opportunity to fly the drones to aid officers in following a suspect on the run. From wearing a protective suit to help train a police dog with his attack and biting tactics, to wearing SWAT gear and throwing a flash bang to detain a violent felony suspect in a simulated scenario, guests experienced a one-of-a-kind day with the men and women of the Redondo Beach Police Department. “TRAINING DAY” was designed to give community members an opportunity to get to know the people behind the badge, learn what police work entails, ask questions, and gain an appreciation for those who wear the uniform. The Hetty Group was proud to be a part of organizing this unique event for the Police Foundation and the community.  The Hetty Group hosted a networking event in our office to introduce ourselves to the Los Angeles market, help facilitate connections through networking and share insights into the habits of highly successful people through an inspirational talk, given by Lewis Schiff, a successful serial entrepreneur and author of Business Brilliant: Surprising Lessons from the Greatest Self-Made Business Icons. "One habit of highly successful people is FOCUS. Find the one thing you’re really good at (that the market demands) and focus on doing that, really well." After the talk, guests enjoyed wine and cheese, light bites by rising star Puerto Rican chef Jose Miura of The Ricans Food and premium tequila tasting, offered by Asombroso Tequila on our outdoor terrace. We were happy to bring people across various industries together to connect and engage.  AGING INTO THE FUTURE – Transforming Lives through Tech & Innovation.
SOLD OUT! We planned for an intimate group of 150-200 people and ended up with 350 people and a long wait list. We didn’t know the demand would be so high for our cause. Now we know that the LA market is prime for the exploration and integration of tech solutions in services for older adults. We had speakers & Co-Creation session presenters from Atlanta, Washington DC, Colorado, San Francisco, San Diego, and of course greater Los Angeles, for an action packed day of learning and networking. Highlights? We helped support the work of tech entrepreneurs and Caltech engineering students who are bringing tech based solutions and innovations like virtual reality, advanced wheelchairs & walkers, nutrition supporting smartplate technology, artificial intelligence driven caregiving assistants, automated medication dispensers, therapeutic sound technology systems, etc. to the older adult community. We had a young “professional grandson” demo his Uber & Lyft ride hailing tech company designed for seniors who don’t own smartphones. We had Musical Health Technologies lead the conference audience through a sing along (way beyond karaoke) to demonstrate their product SingFit, which helps seniors in retirement communities and senior centers connect socially and promotes engagement. With 21 speakers and 14 tech companies participating in our Co-Creation Exercise, we covered a lot of ground in one day. As an inaugural conference, our goal was to launch a dialogue about the importance of integrating tech based solutions in the services we offer older adults in our communities and close the digital divide. This is just the beginning. Check out www.AgingIntoTheFuture.com for photos, video highlights and future updates. We’ll be back March 2018 to bring you even more opportunities to explore, connect, learn and integrate.  What will the lives of older adults/seniors look like in the future and what role does technology play in shaping that future? AGING INTO THE FUTURE is LA’s first tech + aging conference, coming to you mid-February, 2017. The Hetty Group was brought in by St. Barnabas Senior Services (SBSS), one of the leading nonprofit organizations in Southern California serving older adults, to take lead in creating, designing, developing and implementing a one-day conference to connect tech + innovation and older adults — our parents and grandparents. Los Angeles County alone is on track to reach 2.1 million older adults (age 65+) by 2040, which will be over 20% of the population. It is a great time to explore new technologies, cutting-edge solutions and market insights for this emerging target market. The AGING INTO THE FUTURE conference intends to provide opportunities for networking and education, and redefine the way leaders from various sectors integrate tech-based solutions to resolve challenges to create a stronger quality of life for older adults. Sponsorship and partnership opportunities are available. Please visit: www.AgingintotheFuture.com.   The Hetty Group’s COPTICS Program Experts delivered a 2-hour training workshop at the National Asian Peace Officers Association’s (NAPOA) Annual Training Conference in New York City on August 18, 2016. The NAPOA conference drew law enforcement officials across the country, representing local police departments like LAPD, San Francisco PD, NYPD and Chicago PD, as well as federal agencies like the U.S. Secret Service, Federal Air Marshals, U.S. Postal Service Investigations and the U.S. Treasury Criminal Investigations team.
The topic? How to have a stronger voice on digital platforms to tell your story, build and protect your reputation and better connect with a digitally and social media savvy public, to rise to the challenges posed by the optics of policing in the digital age — what we call, COPTICS. Thank you, NAPOA for the warm welcome and for your openness to exploring these topics as a way to improve policing and police-community relations.  The Hetty Group’s COPTICS program was recently discussed in an article in the Wall Street Journal by an editor/reporter that covers risk and compliance in the business world. Reputational risk is something that companies pay serious attention to. Losing consumer or public confidence for a company impacts the bottom line and it matters on a variety of critical levels. Teams of professionals are put in place to manage crisis, do crisis communications, and more importantly, prevent crisis and proactively build positive brand reputation and good will in the marketplace to win over the public’s trust and confidence in their company, product, or service. The same needs to occur for law enforcement organizations. On July 31, 2016, the Wall Street Journal reported that “Citizen confidence in the police is at its lowest point in 20 years. It has dropped among Americans of all ages, education levels, incomes and races.” It’s time for law enforcement agencies to integrate practices likes PR, reputation management, digital marketing, brand development and social media engagement in day-to-day police operations in order to engage effectively with a digitally and social media savvy public. Our multi-disciplinary team of COPTICS experts came together to formulate a training workshop to help law enforcement across the country to meet the risks and challenges presented by the optics of policing in the digital age. We welcome the opportunity to work with police agencies nationwide and aim to assist the law enforcement profession in telling their story and winning back the trust and confidence of the public they pledged to serve. Below is the the Wall Street Journal article that was published about our new initiative. “Business Offers Blueprint to Improve Law Enforcement Optics,” By Ben DiPietro "A group of reputation-management experts has banded together to create a program to help law enforcement agencies better manage their social media engagement and improve their perceptions with people and within communities. The so-called “Coptics” program developed by the Hetty Group draws from best practices employed by large companies that already have seen the value in being active members of social media to tell their stories and address issues that if not handled properly could blow up into big controversies, said Florence Chung, founder of the Hetty Group. “We believe that if you aren’t telling your story, the world will,” said Ms. Chung. “And the world often doesn’t know the facts.”  Members of the West Village business community in Manhattan/NYC were invited inside the NYPD’s 6th Precinct for a special tour and meet & greet with the Captain and several officers. It was an opportunity for business owners in the neighborhood to catch a glimpse of police operations and meet a few of the individuals in uniform who work to keep their community safe. The 6th Precinct houses the city’s Bomb Squad, including this K-9, who was the sweetest police dog around – very people friendly. With a nose trained to pick up 16 different scents related to explosives, this K9 officer works hard to keep New Yorkers safe! This Annual NYPD Precinct Tour program was created by the Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, with leadership and support from Florence Chung of The Hetty Group and in partnership with the NYC Police Foundation. Connecting business leaders to their local law enforcement helps build mutual understanding, community partnerships and a stronger, safer neighborhood. Thank you to the NYPD 6th Precinct for the warm welcome inside your “home” and for all that you do to protect, safeguard, respond to emergencies, and work a very complex job.  Global Terrorism…How safe are we in Los Angeles? That was the question posed to law enforcement officials on a panel on counterterrorism, represented by the Airport Police from LAX (Los Angeles World Airports), the Department of Homeland Security Intelligence Office, the Sheriff of Los Angeles County and the Department of Homeland Security National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorist Events (CREATE). Experts discussed the rise of homegrown violent extremism, the various ways in which people are self radicalizing, what to look out for as citizens and what our various law enforcement agencies are doing to prepare and plan for potential terrorist events in the greater Los Angeles region. The special briefing event was hosted by the Southern California Leadership Network (a program of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce) and was moderated by The Hetty Group’s Florence Chung. The Hetty Group is continuing to engage the community with law enforcement to foster collaboration, information sharing, trust and partnership.   The Hetty Group is proud to partner with the Chief of Police, Mayor and business leaders in the city of Torrance and lead the build out of a new nonprofit organization to engage the business community in supporting public safety. The Torrance Police Foundation provides critical resources and support to the Torrance Police Department to ensure the men and women in blue can perform at their highest level of service in keeping the community safe. Grants are issued to support advanced officer training, modern equipment & technology, community relations programs, youth programs, and crime prevention initiatives that are not readily funded by the city budget. Learn more at www.TorrancePoliceFoundation.org.  Hetty Group CEO Florence Chung with the initial slate of board members of the Torrance Police Foundation, the Mayor of Torrance, the Police Chief and command staff of the Torrance Police Department.
 One of the ways to support positive police – community relations is to connect local business leaders to their local police station in the spirit of public/private partnership. In New York City, Hetty Group Principal Florence Chung brought a new program to the Greenwich Chelsea Chamber of Commerce (GVCCC) to help them foster positive relationships between business owners and NYPD Precincts. Do you know your local NYPD Precinct Commander? What goes on inside a Precinct and how does it work? What is the NYPD doing now to better serve and connect with their community? These are the questions we wanted to help answer for those who own and run businesses and companies in lower Manhattan. So…the GVCCC Safe City Safe Streets Committee will be hosting a series of NYPD Precinct Tours this year in 5 different Precincts across lower Manhattan. The event will provide an opportunity for business owners to meet their Commanding Officer, get a tour of the Precinct and its operations, and…connect. Through this partnership with GVCCC and with support from the NYC Police Foundation, the NYPD is inviting Chamber members and other business owners inside their “house” to get to know them. The first of 5 Tours begins June 15th in the Union Square neighborhood with the NYPD 9th Precinct.  Being an Advisor to a startup grassroots nonprofit organization is like running an experiment. The client had a vision and a heart for helping the homeless. His mission was to address the humanity behind the homeless to help them feel seen, heard, and cared for. It was our job to build out a program that would operationalize this vision and mission. “Make Someone Happy Hour” was born. Every Thursday night, everyday people are invited to forgo their usual happy hours at the local bar and join Silver Lake Love as they take happy hour to the streets of Skid Row to hang out with the homeless. The concept was clear. We wanted to connect people living and working in the buildings of Downtown LA with people living on the streets of Downtown LA, to promote the power of organic human connection. Working out the logistics and execution of the concept took a few iterations, and we learned from each event and evolved it to create a memorable, special experience for both the homeless and the volunteers. We weren’t there to “feed the homeless”. We were there simply to connect and have conversation. The call to action: Forgo your usual happy hour and join us as we make someone else happy in that hour. Imagine a small, intimate group of 5-8 volunteers out on Skid Row every week. From film directors to attorneys, actresses, to financial advisors to entrepreneurs — they spend one hour enjoying coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fruit and snacks while engaging in conversation with those struggling on the streets. Most of the homeless have not had a conversation all day and we found that a simple “How’s your day going?” from people they usually get ignored by, opened them up to share their stories, struggles, jokes and smiles. The message: We’re all one humanity. One homeless man had been on the streets for 3 years and was an army vet. He seemed mentally sound and if you had seen him walk through a 7 Eleven, you wouldn’t have known he was homeless. He talked with our volunteers over a cup of coffee, opened up and became emotional, thanking us for doing what we were doing. He was incredibly appreciative of the fact that “people like us” would take the time to hang out on Skid Row every week. We incorporated a polaroid camera into the experience and if someone requested a photo, we took two — we gave one polaroid to the homeless individual and one to the volunteer to capture their meeting and connection. It was surprising and heartwarming how much the homeless appreciated having their picture taken and given the photo to keep. New programs often require a little experimentation. We asked for feedback from all involved, every step of the way and iterated to the point where after several months in operation, we knew the program was making impact. We have incredible stories to show for it. May the program continue to grow and make impact, one heartwarming smile at a time.   The level of emotional honesty brought forth during a LiveKind™ Circle of Conversation™ exercise is amazing. How do we foster authentic and candid conversation between police officers and youth in a community where tensions are high? LiveKind™ Cops & Kids brings the power of candid thoughts and emotions to video and uses video interviews as a tool to facilitate conversations between youth and police officers. A unique guided facilitation model called The Circle of Conversation™ engages both cops and kids in conversations about trust, aggression, fear, challenges, and perceptions. The goal? To help both cops and kids discover and understand their own thoughts and feelings about sensitive and difficult topics…To facilitate mutual empathy, kindness and understanding…To shift police and neighborhood cultures toward a more positive and collaborative future THE HETTY GROUP was proud to serve as a Program Advisor to LiveKind Cops & Kids –It launches in New Haven, Connecticut in partnership with the Mayor and Police Chief this year. We can’t wait to see this program in action!  |
