Christine Townsend

Christine has over fifteen years experience in crisis and emergency communication as well as shaping the digital policing narrative in the UK. As one of the founding teams to bring social to the public sector, Christine has trained emergency services and government agencies across the world in how to engage with the public through digital channels.

With previous experience as a journalist and then in police communications, Christine has worked to bridge the gap between public and police through better communication. Her experiences have included large scale events such as the London 2012 Olympics, the funeral of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and financial scandals, riots and the handling of historic sex abuse cases.

Now based in the US, Christine set up PIO Toolkit to provide resources, support and learning through a community of professional communicators. Christine is also responsible for the North American content of Policing Insight (www.policinginsight.com). Having served for ten years as a police officer, receiving a medal for Good Conduct and Long Service, she is passionate about combining her experiences in communication and law enforcement to support those who work in the challenging yet rewarding area of public sector communication.