Tim Burrows has been a sworn police officer for 25 years with experience in front line operations, primary response, traffic, detective operations and supervision. He has training in a broad spectrum of policing responsibilities including, IMS, Emergency Management, computer assisted technology investigations, leadership, community policing and crisis communications.
For the past five years Tim has been regarded as a world leader in the use of Social Media. He has worked with police, law enforcement, government and non-profits in the development of social media programs, strategy implementation, risk management/mitigation and the day to day use of social media in the use of Social Media for law enforcement. “Social Media is a communications tool plain and simple. What makes it different is the speed, depth and richness of the communication that can take place. It can be used as a global medium or a village voice.”
Tim is a regular presenter internationally to audiences of police executives, leadership, front-line and support personnel along with key-note lectures on social media, public safety, community safety and engagement for main stream audiences.
Tim delivers memorable presentations that are aimed at being both educating and entertaining to his audience. He speaks in a personal, energetic and highly engaging manner.
Tim takes the time to customize each and every presentation to meet the needs and level of understanding for his audience. He leaves the audience inspired and equipped with the knowledge to make a difference and be better prepared to implement key strategies right away.
Cyber safety and reputation management for families has been a regular topic of discussion in both the main stream media and social media spaces which Tim has been regularly presenting to parent and children’s groups to help protect and educate others on the hidden dangers understanding of the new information age.
He resides in both the Toronto, Ontario and Orlando, Florida areas with his wife and three children.
Tim Burrows with Amber MacArthur on AppCentral
Three things stood out from a great presentation by Sergeant Tim Burrows at the 2012 Social Mix conference.
First, Sgt. Burrows is a passionate cop, a great speaker and he knows more than a thing or two about marketing. He’d be a great guest speaker at your next boondoggle.
Second, it’s important to know who controls your brand. He gave a great example of how Hollywood has taken over the marketing of police departments and created a persona that has nothing to do with real police work (CSI being the Gold Standard in tight-fitting BS). Because police departments have no money for external marketing support, they have to rely on actions to build a reputation and be smart about how they spend their internal resources. In the social media space, Sgt. Burrows’ team walks the online beat, posting on#safeTO and engaging with the public. This is a great opportunity for our cops and they’re lucky to have such a devoted guy in charge.
Third, he made a point that we sometimes forget: Your brand is what you stand for – your message is how people come to understand it. All the great brands stand for something that is emotional and personal, like excellence, achievement, reliability or sophistication.
So, what does your company stand for? What do you stand for? Why should other people rally around your idea or support your company?
What You Should Remember from Social Mix 2012
photos by Alexa Clark on Flickr – and read her take on the conference at Unsweetened.ca
I was last Thursday in Toronto to attend Social Mix, a social media conference. The two keynotes presenters, Amber Mac and Gary Vaynerchuk, were a treat. I expect that level of performance from these established speakers. Someone else impressed me a lot with his passion and common sense.
The surprise of the day for many of us was Sergeant Tim Burrows from the Toronto Police Service. I did not know him at all and did not check his Twitter account before the conference. I did not expect to hear someone so genuine and down to earth talking about the issues and challenges that a Canadian Police organization faces on a daily basis. I have a deep appreciation for what Tim does.
The NetNews Ledger
Toronto Police Service have kicked it up more than one notch in 2011 online. Sgt. Tim Burrows has been recognized for his work positioning the Service as a global law enforcement leader in social media. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and the Ontario Media Relations Officers Network (OMRON)
presented the Corporate Communications sergeant with the Crime Prevention Media Award. The presentation took place on Dec. 19 at police headquarters in Toronto. The award honors law enforcement officers who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to crime prevention through the filter of the media and, who have assisted their community and police service, by creating messaging that has assisted in crime prevention.
“Tim is specifically being honored for his work in social media, in which he’s the undisputed guru in the province, and also for his work in traffic which is a real passion for him,” said OACP Director of Government Relations and Communications Joe Couto. “His colleagues around the province recognize him as a
leader and felt he was deserving of this award. It’s really a lifetime achievement award, but he’s in no way finished in his career. He’s got a lot to do yet. He’s an exceptional communicator and somebody that we put out there and say ‘this is what we want everybody who is communicating in policing to aspire to be.’”
“Tim Burrows changed how the Toronto Police did media” 640 News Toronto
How the Toronto Police Service are building a more social service:
http://blog.hootsuite.com/toronto-police-building-social-service/
HOW to use, SOCIAL MEDIA | July 30, 2012