Mike Bires

The law enforcement community, in general, has tip-toed into the social media marketing arena, with most agencies still content to operate on a reactive model. Meanwhile, Mike has been at the forefront of this subject for years. He has not only served as a public information officer for the Azusa Police Department, but he also leads trainings and conferences on the matter, is a published author, has been profiled and interviewed in podcasts and other media, and has been quoted in national publications.

What sets Mike apart from many other law enforcement social media representatives is that he does not just view the work as an ancillary duty of his regular patrol assignment. He devours data on technology and emerging trends and works to employ new techniques and budding platforms as much as possible in his role within the organization, such as being the first of any agency locally to regularly employ the use of closed captioning on their video content, in support of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Besides his on-duty responsibilities, in his off time, Mike has created a successful private company devoted entirely to website redesign for law enforcement agencies and their supporters, and a second company devoted to training public safety entities on the professional and effective use of social media.

Historically, government websites are poorly designed, difficult to navigate and contain formal language that does little to engage the public they serve. Law Enforcement.Social has filled an industry need for more progressive and intuitive website design while making news and information more readily available to the public.

Mike Bires began his service to the community when he was a police explorer for the Arcadia Police Department in 1986. After his 17th birthday, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he served in Operation Just Cause in the invasion of Panama in December of 1989.

After his service, Mike attended class 113 of the Orange County Sheriff's Academy. It is this time period in Mike's life that sparked his passion for community policing and public relations, as he volunteered to represent the Orange County Sheriff's Department at community events, schools, and as one of the department's explorer advisors.

Mike transferred to the Monrovia Police Department in 1997, where he worked as a patrol officer and was a member of the department's SWAT team. In 2002, Mike took a position at the Azusa Police Department, where he has been for the past 17 years. He has served as a field training officer, bicycle patrol officer, SWAT Team member, university resource officer, and was the lead designer and manager of the department's website and social media program.

What has made Mike successful is how he recognizes that a department's social media program and presence is more about the community than just the police department.  Online clickbait differs from the age-old journalistic perspective of “it bleeds, it leads.” Social media users want feel-good information peppered throughout their news feed, and Mike is keen to oblige. He recognizes that law enforcement should be providing information relative to public safety, but seeing department members coming together as members of the community is of strong appeal to viewers. 

Law enforcement officers are not traditionally known for creativity or design skills, and it is often difficult for them to get in front of a crowd of people to speak on a certain topic, or to do a live news release. Mike Bires' creativity and wide range of skillsets allow him to thrive in making a great impression for his agency through his consistent strive towards professionalism. 

Ever conscious of the changing landscape of news, and how people receive it, Mike is able to operate as the face of the organization during critical incidents. He has long lectured other departments on the necessity of being at the frontline of information distribution, lest the public takes online control and begin driving false narratives. 

Mike is capable of handling social media management, from the simple to the more complex. He may provide updated small tidbits of information as they come available via Nixle and Twitter, though he also has the capabilities to go live on Facebook and Instagram with more in-depth information. Whether via prepared statements, or impromptu press inquiries, Mike responds appropriately and without hesitation.

Mike has taught hundreds of police officers across the United States on the professional and effective use of social media for both personal and official purposes. He is the co-owner of Law Enforcement Social, which is the parent company of Law Enforcement Social Media Training and Law Enforcement Website Design.

Contact Mike at mike@mikebires.com for any questions you might have!