The small town of Garner in North Carolina is sharing the spotlight with a dose of commendation these days, having scooped up a top statewide award for a video designed to draw more people to its police force. The update to the Garner Police Department's recruitment video didn't just catch the eye of career hopefuls; it also grabbed first-place honors in the promotional videos category at the North Carolina City & County Communicators (NC3C) 2025 Excellence in Communications Awards. Garner's win was among 27 accolades doled out across various North Carolina jurisdictions.
With a view to aggressively showcase what it's like to work with the Garner Police, the video featured footage of events, officer trainings, and even glimpses into officers' lives outside the uniform, a production that spanned some four intense months of filming. The collaboration was not solely a media affair. Communications Media Coordinator Kyle Kettler and Sgt. Joseph Gomes joined forces to piece together this visual narrative. Their goal was straightforward: to highlight the work-life balance the force offers, appeal to diverse applicants, and shine a light on the department's community-policing efforts. The resulting content is designed to be "evergreen", ready to be deployed to career fairs, school presentations, and across the trenches of social media warfare.
In a signal of wraparound support, Chief Lorie Smith added her own voice to the video. Her voiceover ran alongside narrations from the officers featured in the production. In a comment recounted by the official Town of Garner news release, the chief didn't mince words: "I am so proud of the collaboration between Communications and Police on this video," she said. It seems the goal was not only to update the recruitment efforts but to punch through with a message that resonated with the essence of the department — a community-centric approach, a detail that Chief Smith believes was "captured in a powerful way."
The Town certainly has a track record of accolades sticking to its name like badges of honor on a veteran officer's chest. Since starting to compete in these NC3C contests back in 2012, Garner has raked in a grand total of 41 first- and second-place wins. That's not a feat easily dismissed, especially considering the stiff competition they faced this year. With 179 award entries from 47 local government organizations all vying for that nod of approval, having professional communications peers from the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators deliver the judgment only added a layer of gravitas to the accolade fest that went down on April 10 during NC3C’s annual conference.
