ENDUI Live Checkpoints
We've all seen LivePD or at least heard about it, but have you heard about LiveENDUI? Ok, so that's not a real thing, but we do go live from our checkpoints around the state. This strategy of showing the "boots on the ground" operation to the public is part of the high-visibility enforcement model. Public education and awareness is an important step in decreasing the number and severity of impaired crashes.
When we get ready to do an ENDUI checkpoint, there is always a media release. Since starting at the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO), I have been made responsible for sending out most of these releases for the highway patrol. These releases inform the media, and ultimately the public, that we are going to have a checkpoint and high-visibility patrols in their area on a certain day and time. Some people criticize these releases, saying we're just giving away our position. While that may be true, research has shown that the fear of arrest and punishment is a huge factor in someone deciding not to drink and drive. So we want people to know we are out there!
In early 2018, the OHSO purchased an Osmo+ handheld camera for these checkpoints. This camera has allowed us to show great quality footage and great audio during the checkpoints. When we "go live" at the checkpoint, it's a one-man show. I hold the camera and do all of the walking and talking. The camera's app allows me to see Facebook comments in real-time and gives me the chance to interact with the public directly.
Of course, we have plenty of people on the live videos who don't agree with checkpoints and say they're "unconstitutional". This is simply not true and sobriety checkpoints are perfectly legal in Oklahoma when executed appropriately. I've learned that for every person who doesn't like these checkpoints, there are three people who have been directly affected by an impaired driver who come to our defense.
These live videos have been a huge part of our public information and education campaigns surrounding the checkpoints. The video below is from the 2018 Calf Fry in Stillwater. Naturally, as soon as the battery started to die on the camera, the action picked up. Head over to the ENDUI Facebook page and click on "Videos" to see the rest of this checkpoint and other video's we've done from ENDUI checkpoints.
When we get ready to do an ENDUI checkpoint, there is always a media release. Since starting at the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO), I have been made responsible for sending out most of these releases for the highway patrol. These releases inform the media, and ultimately the public, that we are going to have a checkpoint and high-visibility patrols in their area on a certain day and time. Some people criticize these releases, saying we're just giving away our position. While that may be true, research has shown that the fear of arrest and punishment is a huge factor in someone deciding not to drink and drive. So we want people to know we are out there!
In early 2018, the OHSO purchased an Osmo+ handheld camera for these checkpoints. This camera has allowed us to show great quality footage and great audio during the checkpoints. When we "go live" at the checkpoint, it's a one-man show. I hold the camera and do all of the walking and talking. The camera's app allows me to see Facebook comments in real-time and gives me the chance to interact with the public directly.
Of course, we have plenty of people on the live videos who don't agree with checkpoints and say they're "unconstitutional". This is simply not true and sobriety checkpoints are perfectly legal in Oklahoma when executed appropriately. I've learned that for every person who doesn't like these checkpoints, there are three people who have been directly affected by an impaired driver who come to our defense.
These live videos have been a huge part of our public information and education campaigns surrounding the checkpoints. The video below is from the 2018 Calf Fry in Stillwater. Naturally, as soon as the battery started to die on the camera, the action picked up. Head over to the ENDUI Facebook page and click on "Videos" to see the rest of this checkpoint and other video's we've done from ENDUI checkpoints.
Press Release Goes VIRAL for a Good Cause
My most successful campaign with the Oklahoma State Department of Health was for the "CLICK for Babies" program. After the press release was issued, the story quickly went viral.
The story was quickly picked up by a local ABC affiliate, then spread to sister stations in other states. Not long after the release was sent, ABC news and other national media outlets picked up the story. This caused it to go world-wide very quickly. Eventually the story was picked up by SouthernLiving, Senior News and Living, Romper.com, news stations in Chicago, Houston, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma TV news stations, and countless newspapers and websites across the globe.
The initial goal for this campaign was to get 5,000 hand-knitted caps sent to our office. As of late October, we had received more than 50,000 caps from every contenent except Antarctica! We even sent some caps to other states that hadn't met their goals and advised some people to send caps to their local state departments of health.
Tools used to make this campaign effective included a well-worded press release, immediate social media posts including a video I produced. During the event, several updates were given including an on-camera tour of the receiving room showing the boxes and envelopes being opened and sorted.
This has been, by far, the most successful campaign the agency has had for this cause.
The story was quickly picked up by a local ABC affiliate, then spread to sister stations in other states. Not long after the release was sent, ABC news and other national media outlets picked up the story. This caused it to go world-wide very quickly. Eventually the story was picked up by SouthernLiving, Senior News and Living, Romper.com, news stations in Chicago, Houston, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma TV news stations, and countless newspapers and websites across the globe.
The initial goal for this campaign was to get 5,000 hand-knitted caps sent to our office. As of late October, we had received more than 50,000 caps from every contenent except Antarctica! We even sent some caps to other states that hadn't met their goals and advised some people to send caps to their local state departments of health.
Tools used to make this campaign effective included a well-worded press release, immediate social media posts including a video I produced. During the event, several updates were given including an on-camera tour of the receiving room showing the boxes and envelopes being opened and sorted.
This has been, by far, the most successful campaign the agency has had for this cause.