Police spokesman says it’s all about managing expectations

By Tyisha Henderson
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer

“Manage Your Expectations” is the handwritten message on a dry-erase board hanging on the wall directly across from T.J. Smith’s chair.

The office is filled with framed photos of his family and friends, posters of inspiration, and ambient light raying from the wall-length window. Neatly scattered papers, two monitors for one computer, three recently emptied coffee cups and his two cellphones cover his desk.

T.J. Smith is the director of media relations for the Baltimore City Police, a position he took in August 2015 just a few months shy of the uprising in Baltimore. He had worked in the Anne Arundel County Police Department for 17 years and was happy to return to his native  Baltimore.

“I brought him with me because he is a great communicator, trustworthy and his commitment to transparency,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said.

Smith said it took him about four to six weeks to adjust to the new position, but he said coming back to Baltimore was a “no brainer.”

The widely known “technological hurdles” that Baltimore has was a challenge Smith had to endure, but managing his expectations helped him get through his setbacks.

“Making it work with things that are out of my control,” is how Smith explains it. No matter what Smith had to encounter, he felt it was perfect timing for him to come back to his beloved city, where all his family still resides.

“He and I both feel we have a sense of responsibility to the community,” said Jarron Jackson, a Baltimore native, a lieutenant in the police force and a colleague under Smith as the assistant director of communications.

Most people called him crazy for taking on this job, but Smith said he did not want to give up on his city.

Smith said that despite the negative publicity the police have received in recent months, he and the officers who are on the beat  have mostly positive interactions with the community.

Despite the protests that occurred in Baltimore last April after the death of Freddie Gray, Smith said he has had no problems with residents – even when he is walking with police in city neighborhoods.

“The interactions with me helps with the relationship with police,” Smith said about his connection with the community. “It’s our duty to create positive relationships with the community.”

When he was a police officer in Anne Arundel County, he said citizens complained more about officers’  poor communication skills and rudeness than about police brutality.

Smith said that the relationship between a police department and its city is built off of trust and transparency.

Smith connects with the community by stressing his connections with Baltimore, such as riding the same mass transportation system or getting an education in the same city school system as the residents he is sworn to protect.

“I think he has keen insight, he is able to recommend things to me because of his insight,” Davis said.

Talking on television is not all Smith does. He crafts messages to humanize the agency and officers. He utilizes many forms of social media, including live streaming apps like Periscope to display meetings and community service activities.

Smith said he is aware of the risk of social media because he knows that people can use it to spread false information. He said he tries not to enflame sensitive situations, adding that it is his job to be as transparent as possible so that city residents have all the facts about what is happening in the department and city neighborhoods.

Social media helps the department connect with citizens, Smith said, adding that his use of Facebook, Twitter and other accounts gives residents more insight into him and what he is all about as a spokesperson for the department.

“(Smith is) very particular, detailed oriented, has high expectations and expects a lot out of those who he leads,” Detective Donny Moses said.

Smith created a mission with his team that once every month they would do a service project. They already completed some, such as a food give back, teaching children how to tie a tie, shop with a cop and more.

“You have bosses and you have leaders,” Jackson said. “Bosses dictate and a leader is a part of the team. T.J. is a leader.”

Smith is in school to earn his second masters’ degree, this one from Washington State University in strategic communication; his first one was in management from John Hopkins University. He decided to go back to school to take advantage of every opportunity he is given and to excel at his job.

Some people believe “competence is second to age,” which is why he doesn’t often disclose how old he is. He said he wants to knock down all doors and rise above any circumstance.

Smith said he dedicates himself to his job and takes the extra step to aid the needs of city residents.

“I see it as service,” Smith said of his job. “I look at it as a rebirth of my city. I accept the responsibility that comes with my role.”