A public relations campaign on Twitter started by the New York Police Department, #myNYPD, migrated west to Los Angeles this week. The campaign was intended to highlight the positive relationship between New Yorkers and the law enforcement agency but backfired when people took to the social media site to complain about alleged police abuses. Less than 48 hours later, the LAPD also became a target.
The NYPD asked its residents to share friendly photos of police and the community on Twitter using the #myNYPD hashtag. Instead, people posted photos of police engaging in aggressive arrests and beatings of citizens, including clashes with Occupy Wall Street protestors.