Amid a long-term hiring crisis and officer shortage, the San Francisco Police Department is turning to an out-of-town influencer to help recruit new officers.
J.T. O’Donnell, a New Hampshire-based career coach and influencer with 1.2 million TikTok followers and 2.5 million on LinkedIn, has made upbeat content touting the great job opportunities with the department.
O’Donnell has made three separate posts promoting the “once-in-a-generation” job opportunities with San Francisco police. The three posts were shared on August 4 and 5, and tagged #sponsoredad, suggesting the ads were funded by a third party. The three videos have received a cumulative 23,000 views — and appear to be targeting local TikTok users.
@j.t.odonnell $100K/year entry-level jobs that make a difference in the community… #jobs #entrylevel #jobsearch #career #policeofficer #sfpd #sponsoredad
♬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell -
The three ads each promote a different angle: Diversity, paying down student debt, and career growth.
“San Francisco is currently hiring heroes, not stereotypes,” O’Donnell says in one clip. “You don’t need to be some big tough guy to be a police officer in San Francisco. They’re looking for you to come just the way you are.”
In the video, she goes on to explain that the police department is “recruiting women, people from the LGBTQ community, neurodivergent candidates, [and] bilingual candidates.”
In another, she points out that the police force is down 500 officers and that the “fentanyl crisis is destroying lives,” a sentiment that pops up across the ads.
“The opportunity to join the police force in San Francisco could be a game-changer for your career and your life,” says O’Donnell in the clip. She also promises that joining the department could lead to “greater impact down the line.”
The third is targeted to college graduates. “Hey, recent college grads, what if you could earn $100K a year coming out of college and still sleep at night?” asks O’Donnell. “What if you could pay down some of that college debt while you knew you were doing good in the world?”
It is unclear who paid for these ads.
In May, Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office announced its “Rebuilding the Ranks” plan to bolster police staffing. Part of the 100-day action plan is “partner[ing] with the private sector to support recruitment outreach, performance-based marketing, and process improvements.”
San Francisco police spokesperson Eve Laokwansathitaya confirmed to Gazetteer that their TikTok campaign is part of the mayor’s plan.
“SFPD’s Recruitment Unit has been working with various marketing vendors in regards to the Mayor’s Rebuilding the Ranks and our continued efforts to hire more police officers for SFPD,” Laokwansathitaya told Gazetteer in an emailed statement. “Advertisements on various digital media is a part of the marketing strategy with these marketing vendors.”
Lurie’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Gazetteer. An email sent to O’Donnell went unanswered.
How well is the campaign working on attracting new recruits? Probably not as well as PD hopes.
“In what world are police part of the solution,” one commenter posted, with four crying laughing emojis.
“Cops don’t do anything to help lmao,” said another.
Maybe O’Donnell should’ve turned off the comments.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement from San Francisco police.
