By Blake Hollingsworth | Staff Writer
Known as the “social media guy,” Officer Brad Uptmore is a Baylor graduate who has revolutionized Southlake Police Department’s public relations.
“The style of messaging he puts out really resonates with the community, and they’re more willing to engage with us, oftentimes about his latest PSA (Public Service Announcement) or BOLO (Be On the Lookout),” Southlake PD Captain Blas Hernandez said.
According to an article in “The Baylor Line,” Uptmore took over Southlake PD’s social media platforms in February 2019. Under his leadership, the department’s Facebook page grew from 9,000 followers to 35,000 in less than a year, and it now sits at 108,000 followers.
Uptmore said that since becoming Southlake PD’s public information officer, his two main objectives have always been to humanize the badge and provide transparency.
According to Uptmore, most police departments communicated in rigid, formal language at the time of his hiring. He said he changed that by using a more conversational tone, making messages more relatable and engaging.
“I’m an over-communicator, and I know that the way to communicate is to know your audience and to know your listener,” Uptmore said. “That little thing built a whole bunch of trust with the audience that kind of snowballed and just kept building and building, and by studying who was paying attention and how they were reacting, I would pivot to find what hit them.”
Uptmore hasn’t always been certain about his career path, though. In fact, he said it wasn’t until his junior year that he declared his major as telecommunications, a program focused on film, TV and radio, with a minor in public relations.
But from a young age, he was drawn to storytelling, making videos and writing. In college, he aspired to work in film but wasn’t “risk-averse” enough to chase Hollywood dreams.
“I loved crafting a story and seeing the result,” he said. “My dad always thought I could hand Steven Spielberg a resume and be hired, but I knew it didn’t work that way.”
Despite his passion for media, Uptmore said he initially didn’t pursue it and instead opted for a well-paying job in the subprime mortgage industry. However, he found his initial career unfulfilling, later realizing he had played a small role in the country’s recession.
“I had a bad taste in my mouth about that, so I wanted to get back in good graces and be able to look at myself in the mirror each night,” Uptmore said.
Seeking more meaningful work, Uptmore said he saw an ad for the Dallas Police Department and decided to take a leap of faith into law enforcement –– and the rest is history.
Now, Uptmore encourages students to learn from his mistake and not pursue unsatisfying post-grad jobs which taught him to “not chase money and find something that you love.”
Additionally, Uptmore said his advice for students aspiring to enter the law enforcement or public service field is that the job is far different than what is portrayed in the media.
“Know what you’re getting into. It’s not like TV –– it’s very real,” Uptmore said. “Granted, I have a dream job right now. I sit at a desk with a thermostat and a large office now, but in the beginning, I was answering 9-1-1 calls day in, day out.”
Despite its initial challenges, Uptmore also emphasized that the positive aspects of his job include the feeling of helping others is rewarding.
“The world is always going to need [police officers and firefighters],” Uptmore said. “Especially in my early days, it was very rewarding to genuinely help people. I know a lot of times people do good things and never really get to see the outcome of their actions, but these are jobs where you affect people’s lives, and they remember you because you risk something to help them out.”
