WEST WINDSOR: Communication with a smile
WEST WINDSOR About midway through this past challenging winter, the weather alerts from the Police Department took on a different tone. Instead of the same old, Theres going to be a lot of snow and ice falling on us tomorrow, local residents who looked to the police departments social media sites for pending weather updates if they read far enough into the alert found some interesting surprises.
In particular, Elsa and Olaf.
The snow will start around sunrise Friday over southern portion of the forecast area and spread northward during the morning hours, the March 19 alert read, warning folks that late-in-the-season snow was once again on the way March 20. Spoke with Elsa and she had no comment. Olaf is excited and is expecting a 6 on the snowman index. I will be putting out my lawn chair and taking a selfie of me enjoying the spring weather.
Fans of Disneys animated movies know Elsa and Olaf. They are the stars of the 2013 film Frozen.
In West Windsor, when the weather forecast calls for extreme cold, then the Elsa Index is considered high in the police departments alerts. When the forecast calls for a lot of snow, the snowman is happier and the Olaf Index is high.
In the movie, Olaf also dreams of experiencing summer. Thats not unlike the feeling of many local residents who are just ready to get past this winter.
And Lt. Robert Garofalo of the West Windsor Police Department has the same complaint with Old Man Winter and Mother Nature as well. Like pretty much everyone else, he wishes they would just get on with bringing us spring and summer. Thats how the creative storytelling worked its way into the police departments online weather alerts.
I saw so many people who were frustrated to get another report of snow, I just figured you know what, lets throw a little distraction in there, said Lt. Garofalo. Im frustrated, also, to have to put out alerts about snow. So I just enjoy throwing little quips into the report. Little subtle references. Like the Elsa Index or the Olaf Index.
For about three years now, the department has increased its visibility on social networks as a way to communicate with, and get news to, its residents. And Lt. Garofalo has been involved with social networking within the community from the beginning. He has the full support of Police Chief Joseph Pica, who has been proactive on community policing initiatives, including reaching out to the public.
The social networking initiative actually started out of necessity. The department was already looking at improving its communications within the community by establishing itself on social networking sites when the area was ravaged by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
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WEST WINDSOR: Communication with a smile