Left to right: Robin Matthews-Osmond (Police Manager of Corporate Communications at Brantford Police Service and Vice Chair of OACP’s Corporate Communications Network), Lincoln Louttit (Manager – Corporate Communications, Research, & Planning at SSMPS), Chelsey Foucher (Corporate Communications, Research, & Planning at SSMPS), Frank Bergen (Chief of Police at Hamilton Police Service)
At its recent Annual Conference in London, Ontario, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) announced Sault Ste. Marie’s Police Service’s (SSMPS) Corporate Communications team of Lincoln Louttit and Chelsey Foucher as the recipients of the 2024 OACP/CCN Catherine Martin Award of Excellence in Media Relations.
This award recognizes a sworn or civilian member (or team) who demonstrate consistent dedication and professionalism in the strategic use of media and/or social media to educate and showcase the profession of policing in the community, supporting public safety, or advancing investigations in the Province of Ontario.
“Lincoln and Chelsey have shown just how crucial good communication is for a police service, both within our team and with the community,” says Hugh Stevenson, Chief of Police. “Their innovative and thoughtful approach has kept everyone informed and connected, especially during tough times. This award recognizes their exceptional efforts in making our service more transparent and trusted. We’re proud to have them leading the way in effective communication.”
During difficult times, Lincoln Louttit and Chelsey Foucher have championed the importance of media relations to improve communication with the public while spearheading innovative projects which improve internal communications, increase the reach of messaging, and strengthen relationships with equity-deserving groups.
The SSMPS’s Corporation Communications team managed a number of crises with tact and compassion – hosting press conferences, speaking with members of local media, and keeping the community informed on social media.
Left to right: Deputy Chief Brent Duguay, Lincoln Louttit, Chelsey Foucher, Chief Hugh Stevenson
New strategies were developed to improve internal communications and informational awareness within the service. These strategies have made a big impact in keeping SSMPS members informed.
The Corporate Communications team has also made enormous strides in enhancing relationships with equity deserving groups. Mr. Louttit and Ms. Foucher consult with community groups to ensure internal documents and social media messaging are respectful and representative. The team also produced Cooking With a Cop, a cooking show where each episode involves an officer cooking with a community leader from an equity-deserving group. These efforts have also complemented SSMPS’s EDI strategies, which have been well received by community leaders.
The team’s innovative projects have also extended to public safety messaging. For example, Mr. Louttit and Ms. Foucher launched ‘Safety Tips and Tangents with Traffic Joe’ – an animated video series with a humorous tone to provide road safety tips to the public.
The team’s innovative ideas and engaging content have exponentially increased the service’s social media followership. In 2023, SSMPS gained 4,235 Facebook followers (117% increase from 2022), reached 1,218,361 individuals (270% increase), gained 1,091 Instagram followers, and started a LinkedIn account to reach new demographics with public safety messaging and recruitment efforts.
