New York police face backlash for #myNYPD photo campaign
A public outreach campaign by the New York City Police Department has backfired — in a very public way. Its call-out to Twitter users to share pictures of themselves interacting with police officers using the hashtag #myNYPD brought in a flood of photos of police brutality instead of the friendlier images the department was hoping for.
Police department's #myNYPD Twitter call for photos of public interaction with officers doesn't go as planned
A public outreach campaign by the New York City Police Department has backfired — in a very public way.
Its call-out to Twitter users to share pictures of themselves interacting with police officers using the hashtag #myNYPD brought in a flood of photos of police brutality instead of the friendlier images the department was hoping for.
The NYPD sent a tweet on Tuesday, saying it might feature the photographs on its Facebook page.
The responses soon turned ugly when Occupy Wall Street tweeted a photograph of cops battling protesters with the caption "changing hearts and minds one baton at a time."
Other photos included an elderly man bloodied after being arrested for jaywalking.
Some respondents did send in the type of police-friendly photographs officials were hoping to get.
NYPD spokeswoman Kim Royster says the uncensored and open dialogue was good for the city.