Behind the memes: Taylorville PD's social media strategy focuses on transparency

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. (WAND) — It’s not unusual for the Taylorville Police Department’s Facebook posts to get laughs or thousands of reactions online, but behind the humor is a strategy focused on transparency, connection, and community engagement.

The department’s social media page blends memes, jokes, and trending content with serious public safety information, creating a mix that Chief Dwayne Wheeler said helps keep residents informed while showing the human side of law enforcement.

“Social media is just a way to keep people informed,” Wheeler said. “And then we started to think about, well, let’s do some fun things also.”

Chief Wheeler credits the creativity behind the posts to Patrol Officer and Community Policing Coordinator Kirsten Beaman and dispatch staff, who develop ideas based on trends and community interaction.

“They just come up with these creative ideas and these trends,” Wheeler said.

Beaman said her involvement began when discussions centered around improving communication with residents and using social media to assist investigations.

“When the chief started, I had some ideas that I really wanted to implement,” she said. “It’d be really great if we started with identifying people, talking about community events, and that’s kind of where we started.”

Over time, dispatcher DeVore helped shape the lighter tone followers have come to recognize.

“She really does the funny side,” Beaman said. “I throw in my input occasionally, but for the most part, she is the funny side and I’m more of the community liaison type.”

That collaboration results in a balance between humor and information, something Beaman said is intentional.

“We try to do what’s funny, but we also try not to cross that line,” she said.

Beyond entertainment, the department uses its page to highlight local businesses, thank residents, and showcase community support.

“We like to recognize people,” Beaman said. “We love that our community cares enough about us, and we’re so grateful to serve them.”

She said the page also plays a role in public awareness and prevention.

“I want us to have a community that knows what’s going on,” she said. “We have had people who go, ‘Yeah, I really don’t want to end up on your Facebook page,’ so I’m not going to do that.”

While humor draws engagement, Chief Wheeler said serious messaging remains central and that includes arrest information, surveys, and transparency about department activity.

“Number one, keeping the community informed,” Chief Wheeler said.

With nearly 30,000 followers, far more than the city’s population, Chief Wheeler said the reach shows how personality and authenticity resonate online.

“It’s content… that shows that police are human,” he said. “We have great days and bad days just like anyone else.”

As social media continues evolving, both say the department plans to maintain the balance that made the page successful, humor when appropriate, seriousness when necessary, and community at the center of it all.