The City of Midland was honored to receive two awards at the annual Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers conference in Arlington on June 10.
The awards recognize outstanding communication by Texas communities in a variety of forms including digital, video, and print media. Judging is conducted by non-TAMIO members with expertise in communications and municipal government.
The first-place awards were received for the Midland Police Department's Facebook Page in the category of Best Use of Social Media for Populations Over 125,000 and the City of Midland's "Lock it or Lose it" PSA in the category of Best Educational PSA for Populations Over 150,000.
The City's "Lock it or Lose it" PSA was created in 2015 to remind citizens to lock their vehicles to avoid being burglarized. The PSA, which was created by Multimedia Developer Joe Sampson, features Summer Mummers actor Jeff Neely with a voiceover by Spencer Bennett, who both volunteered their talents.
The Midland Police Department’s Facebook page launched in November 2014 and has since landed MPD in national news multiple times for its insights into officers’ lives and their relationship with the community. MPD also uses the page as a tool to directly communicate with citizens about crime trends, to work with the community to find missing individuals and suspects, and to promote the department.
"It's an honor to have our work recognized by our peers," said Public Information Officer Sara Bustilloz. "The greatest reward is the engagement we see from residents through the Midland Police Department's Facebook page. Our officers have been encouraged for their good work and received countless tips on investigations through interactions on our Facebook page."
###Media Contact: Public Information Officer Sara Bustilloz