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NYPD Twitter campaign backfires … badly

The New York Police Department rolled out a social media campaign Tuesday that didn’t quite go as planned.

The department asked people on Twitter to post pictures of themselves with NYPD officers using the hashtag #myNYPD, but it quickly turned into people using the hashtag to show police brutality.

“Do you have a photo w/ a member of the NYPD? Tweet us & tag it #myNYPD. It may be features on our Facebook,” the official NYPD account tweeted Tuesday morning.

Needless to say, none of the photos have yet to be featured on their official Facebook page.

A lot of Twitter users responded, but most not in the way the NYPD had probably hoped.

“The #NYPD will also help you de-tangle your hair. #myNYPD,” user @MoreAndAgain tweeted with a picture of an NYPD officer pulling someone’s hair.

And then other cities joined in, creating their own hashtags and posting pictures of police brutality as well.

“#myCPD extending his fist out to the community,” user @70torinoman tweeted with a picture of a Chicago police officer.

Some of the other hashtags that arose on the social network throughout the night also included #MyLAPD for Los Angeles and #MyAPD for Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to CNN.

Even with the negative response on Twitter, the NYPD defended their campaign.

“The NYPD is creating new ways to communicate effectively with the community. Twitter provides an open forum for an uncensored exchange and this is an open dialogue good for our city,” NYPD spokeswoman Deputy Chief Kim Y. Royster told CNN.

Despite the outrage, the department did get some positive response to the campaign, some of which the NYPD featured on its Twitter feed.

“@NYPDnews my photo from my ride along with the boys from the 90th pct #myNYPD,” tweeted user @poshwonderwoman.

Contact Kira Terry at kterry@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kiraterry

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