Twitter campaigns for organizations and businesses don’t always turn out the way they were intended. On Tuesday, @NYPDnews, the official New York City Police Department’s Twitter account, attempted a social media outreach that ultimately back fired, asking:
“Do you have a photo with a member of the NYPD? Tweet us & tag it #myNYPD. It may be featured on our Facebook.”
(That tweet you see above was deleted due to the overwhelming negative responses.)
What was originally started off as a PR push that would, assumingly, show positive encounters between the police and public like this:
.@HildaBikes Thanks for the great photo. #myNYPD pic.twitter.com/Dn6XYcsrOc
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 22, 2014
Have ultimately turned into a smack down from users who showed a different light:
#MyNYPD: Protecting the corporations from the citizens since 1857. pic.twitter.com/el4zUZmpug via @holeinwall13
— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) April 23, 2014
Yes, people have photos – and they don’t forget. The responses are like face slaps to the campaign; Occupy Wall Street tweeted a photo of cops fighting protestors with a caption that read: “changing hearts and minds, one baton at a time.”
Hijacked hashtags are a new but rousingly common Twitter phenomenon which is more geared towards getting a laugh or ‘trolling’ instead of an online form of activism and outcry; the #myNYPD is certainly one of the many hashtags like #McDStories and #Obamacareisworking that took a turn for the worst.
Don’t expect any of the following images to make it to the NYPD’s Facebook page or be retweeted via their Twitter handle:
When hashtags go wrong pic.twitter.com/QMJdzPLz7o — Stefan Becket (@stefanjbecket) April 22, 2014
#MyNYPD pic.twitter.com/yVxLdlrvUX — Desus (@desusnice) April 22, 2014
.@NYPDnews got a great pic! #MyNYPD pic.twitter.com/EK8tL55TgV — preston saint james (@BertyBoySwag) April 22, 2014
That’s me reaching towards my brother (and @CSMuncyPhoto on the ground) #myNYPD pic.twitter.com/4MiTKWOB14 — Molly Knefel (@mollyknefel) April 22, 2014
NYPD raping a woman right out in public. Disgusting, hide your kids! #myNYPD pic.twitter.com/MyJZj7VWYp — Scizyr Saj’Xanin (@Scizyr) April 22, 2014
MT @NYPDnews: Do you have a photo w/ a member of the NYPD? Tweet us & tag it #myNYPD pic.twitter.com/epG5E9cUBF — DefendedInTheStreets (@KimaniFilm) April 22, 2014
Want some help with that tan? #myNYPD can help! pic.twitter.com/n9P2O1OfGF — आनिल् (@guru0509) April 22, 2014
Do you have a photo w/ a member of the #NYPD? Tweet us & tag it #myNYPD. It may be featured on their Facebook! pic.twitter.com/Ps7rThxgNw — Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) April 22, 2014
LOOK AT THIS PHOTO! The sad death of Kimani Gray, etc. Sadhbh Walshe http://t.co/LBp5SMojgZ via @guardian pic.twitter.com/764jeRC4AO — Joyce Jeffries (@MsRock4Ever) April 13, 2013
@OccupyWallStNYC #myNYPD keeping me safe by tackling me to the ground, punching me & arresting me (1) pic.twitter.com/fmzKFAJrtx — JnL Radikal Media (@JNLRM) April 22, 2014
If you can’t walk, don’t worry, the NYPD will carry you. How helpful! #myNYPD pic.twitter.com/XMLDXTAe3i — Cocky McSwagsalot (@MoreAndAgain) April 22, 2014
just photos? ok fine, @NYPDnews #MyNYPD pic.twitter.com/CrXcILqXWE
— DefendedInTheStreets (@KimaniFilm) April 22, 2014
Backlash against #myNYPD social media campaign spills over into user-generated #myLAPD hashtag http://t.co/m77VyfiCdb pic.twitter.com/J8ggytEdhK
— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) April 23, 2014
Happy people stood up today for #myNYPD pic.twitter.com/piDar4Vl2Z
— WeAreChange NYC (@WeAreChangeNYC) April 23, 2014
#myNYPD work for the 1% against the 99%! pic.twitter.com/hVlsQCCpXg
— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) April 22, 2014
The full context of these photos despite the cops cracking skulls aren’t 100 percent certain; among all the glimpses of severity and suffering, some Twitter users actually sent their real life positive encounters with the NYPD, smiles and all:
“@poshwonderwoman: @NYPDnews my photo from my ride along with the boys from the 90th pct #myNYPD pic.twitter.com/6ZPk1ozT7m”
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 22, 2014
@NYPDnews #myNYPD #wallstreet pic.twitter.com/WCREuIjNjZ
— vane•matus☮ (@vanvanmt) April 22, 2014
According to ABC News, spokeswoman Kim Royster said the open dialogue and uncensored photos were good for the city.
So do you have a photo with the NYPD?
Image via Twitter
