NYPD Failed At Social Media This Time, But They Reacted Like Adults To That Failure
from the what'd-you-expect? dept
If you were alive yesterday and opened up a web browser, you likely saw the story of how the NYPD attempted to build some social media buzz and found that attempt turned around on its ass. The police force that has previously done a decent job at connecting with people on Twitter decided to run a campaign asking the public to share photos of themselves with police officers. They probably thought most of the pictures would be of smiling and appreciative citizens and local beat cops. Let's just say their expectations were slightly off the mark.
Almost immediately after the call went out from the department's official Twitter account, storms of users took the opportunity to instead attach some of the most unfavorable images of New York City officers that could be found on the Internet. And judging by the output on Tuesday, there are quite a few. Officers holding down a photographer on the pavement and a white-shirted supervisor twisting an arm, among scores taken during Occupy Wall Street protests. An officer knocking a bicyclist to the ground during a Critical Mass protest ride, and another dancing provocatively with a barely clad paradegoer. A dog being shot. Officers on trial, or sleeping in uniform on a subway train.Oops. But this probably should have been expected in response to a police force that has had some very serious public relations problems revolving around some serious policy decisions. Stop and frisk, waste and fraud, and an apparent distaste for citizen journalists were on everyone's mind and the backlash was as severe as described above. Having found their campaign being turned into a PR nightmare, you might think the NYPD would react angrily to yesterday's mishap. It turns out they were prepared to be adults.
A spokeswoman for the department, Deputy Chief Kim Y. Royster, said in a two-sentence statement Tuesday evening that the department was “creating new ways to communicate effectively with the community” and that Twitter provided “an open forum for an uncensored exchange” that is “good for our city.”Look, I realize that praising Royster's statement in light of the larger problems the NYPD has in interacting with their own citizenry may seem strange, but the fact is that both spokespeople are absolutely correct. The entire point of social media is about engagement. If that engagement doesn't go exactly as they expected, and it certainly didn't, that doesn't mean there isn't value in it. Choosing to respond in an adult way means the trolling doesn't get any worse and may actually provide an avenue for dialog that results in real change. It may be a small thing, but it's still a good thing.
The experience will not stop the department from pushing forward with social media endeavors, its top spokesman, Stephen Davis, said. “You take the good with the bad,” he said.
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Filed Under: mynypd, new york, nypd, reactions, social media
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That said, this could also be an opportunity for the NYPD to acknowledge people aren't fond of them and do some revamping of the whole department and its policies. You know, become a better entity. I won't hold my breath.
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NYPD will not be stopped until the people practically or literally lynch the mayor or the Federal gov actually enforces the Constitution and threaten action against NYPD for their activities. Chances of that happening are less than a revolution at this point.
And from what I read Bloomberg thinks he is going right to heaven no questions asked.
A person with this level of hubris to even publicly announce such a thing will never be a good one. In fact rotten to the core might be a good explanation.
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PACE was the result, which restrained some of the underhand tactics used by the police (until RIPA undid a lot of it), and although questionable behaviour continued it was at least mainly working for the government rather than themselves.
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Talk about low expectations
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blowback
I wonder what ever happened to 'Tony Baloney' - the white-shirted police captain who famously walked up and pepper-sprayed a group of female OWS protesters held in police custody.
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Dreaming...
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Re: Dreaming...
We elect them. As long as we play this left vs right, Dem vs Rep, conservative vs republican, & North vs South business we will never stop fighting each other long enough to wipe out corruption. Pres George Washington was so right.
We all love "Our Guy" for what he brought us while we hate most of congress... even if our guy had to do it in a shady manor its okay. Anyone notice the flaw here?
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just the nypd?
are there any USA police forces without some very serious public relations problems these days?
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When did they plan to getting around to unleashing the good on the citizens?
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You take the good, you take the bad,
you take them both and there you have
The Facts of Life, the Facts of Life.
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Credit the spokespeople, not the department
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Message from Mike
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