A SLO County sheriff’s video meant to showcase diversity and concern. It was a PR flop

Well, that was a short run.

A video intended to showcase the diversity of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and its care for the people it serves debuted on the department’s Facebook page on Tuesday — and disappeared by Wednesday afternoon after it generated an overwhelmingly negative response.

Unfortunately for the sheriff, it’s still available to watch on YouTube.

This little piece of PR is wrong in so many ways, it’s hard to know where to begin, but we’ll start with the most obvious.

It was posted at the worst point in the COVID-19 pandemic, yet not a single person in the film is wearing a mask. Nor are they bothering to social distance.

In fact, there is not a single reference to the pandemic in the entire video, which is ironic, given the title is, “You are safe with us.”

The Sheriff’s Office says the video was filmed in July, after it said it was filmed in April. Either way, there weren’t nearly as many COVID cases then — but even back in July, masks were recommended outdoors when social distancing wasn’t possible.

This raises the question: Did no one think to ask, “Hey, maybe we should be wearing masks?”

Or for that matter, did no one ask, “Um, maybe this entire approach isn’t such a good idea?”

If they did, the sheriff — who has publicly taken a nonchalant attitude toward face masks — didn’t listen.

He even takes a turn in front of the camera, reciting this line: “Hi, I’m Sheriff Ian Parkinson. I’m white and I’m American and you are safe with us.”

Immediate backlash

For all it’s good intentions, the video has less subtlety than a skit on “Sesame Street.”

It consists of a series of “man on the street” encounters between sheriff’s deputies and supposed ordinary citizens — most of whom are actually sheriff’s employees playing the role of regular people.

The deputies wander the streets of Avila Beach introducing themselves by name, ethnicity and nationality (all are American, of course) and assuring passers-by, “You are safe with us!”

The Sheriff’s Office uses these deputies as poster children for diversity in order to say, “Hey look at us, we have Black deputies! And Latinas! And a Filipino! And you’re safe with all of us!”

It’s like pulling the few Black people at a Trump rally front and center, so the cameras won’t miss them.

While there were some positive comments, the video didn’t play well with much of the audience.

“This is the police equivalent of “I have a Black friend so I couldn’t possibly be racist,” one person commented on Facebook.

“This is so cringe and beyond tone-deaf,” said another.

Race Matters SLO offered this statement: “Regardless of intention, the impact of this video is unfortunate and embarrassing for SLO County. The piece is tone-deaf, awkward, and very patronizing towards those they are attempting to reach.”

Sheriff’s response

The Sheriff’s Office didn’t answer several questions posed by The Tribune, including how the video came about, how much it cost, whether taxpayer money was used, how much staff time was spent on production, etc.

Nor did the sheriff comment on the negative reactions to the video, though this message was posted on the agency’s Facebook page:

“Unfortunately, our video may not have appealed to some in the way it was presented. Our motives were pure. We were hoping to further the dialogue of diversity during what has been a very challenging year for our community.

“That being said, we read your comments. We hear you. Thank you for your understanding.”

The Sheriff’s Office did the right thing in acknowledging the video missed the mark. It was embarrassing for the department, and particularly for those employees who took part in it.

Putting a racially diverse group of employees in front of the camera so they can recite the same hackneyed line — “You are safe with us” — is not just silly, it’s also a missed opportunity.

Why not let these deputies speak for themselves, to relate why they got into law enforcement or maybe share what it’s like to serve in a predominately white community?

Even better, they could encourage young people who are underrepresented in law enforcement to consider a career in policing.

That’s critical to the future, because while the Sheriff’s Office has made significant progress in diversity hiring, there is still a ways to go.

As of August 2020, the roster of 320 deputies was predominantly white at 77.1%. Black deputies accounted for 2.8% of the force and Hispanic deputies made up 17%. Forty deputies — 12.5% of the force — were women.

Likewise, the other intent of the video, to show that the Sheriff’s Office cares about the people it serves, must be presented better.

The hammering home of that single line — “You are safe with us” — is more creepy than comforting, and the emphasis on everyone declaring they were American is itself subliminally sketchy and open to misinterpretation.

What if the person they’re interacting with isn’t American? Are they still safe with the Sheriff’s Office?

One would hope, but the nationalistic repetition makes you pause.

What sheriff should do next time

So can the Sheriff’s Office do better?

It can, and it must. So must other local law enforcement agencies, some of which are far less diverse than the Sheriff’s Office.

Ultimately, while we do believe the sheriff was well-intentioned in creating this video, the execution was fatally and comically flawed. But it can be a lesson learned, with some valuable takeaways.

First and foremost, addressing issues like race in this way requires the utmost sensitivity and consideration, featuring people speaking authentically and guided by communications experts who can anticipate how the message will be received.

It’s no place for a clunky script and no place for actors and dramatization.

So please, no more cheesy PR videos that do more harm than good. More than having a positive impact, this video only served to show how very far we have to go.

Going forward, we encourage the sheriff to seek out honest conversations, engage in real listening, and then produce messages that people can trust about the men and women who brave danger every day to keep us safe.

This story was originally published December 17, 2020 at 2:36 PM.