Chico police department uses new spin on posts

CHICO » Followers of the Chico Police Department’s social media accounts, specifically on Facebook and Instagram, may have noticed a few recent posts attempting to take on a comedic tone. The reactions were mixed.

The Police Department often uses its social media pages to engage with the public and make public service announcements. A few examples include sharing the accomplishments of staff within the department and photos of officers out in the field, and announcing road closures or areas to avoid when there is an incident in progress.

The department also posts about certain crimes committed and arrests officers make. In recent days, the content of some of the posts read differently than normal.

The first, on Feb. 13, included a photo of a car that crashed into a Del Taco drive-through on East 20th Street. The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

“When the cashier says, ‘Drive through please.’ But

you take it way too seriously,” the post read.

Then, early on Feb. 15, the department wrote about a man arrested earlier in the evening who was part of an earlier investigation. Officers said a he rode away on a bicycle when stopped, but was later arrested. The post included a photo of the weapons officers said they found on him.

“Some people catch feelings on Valentine’s Day. Chico officers catch bad guys,” the post began. “When Cupid spotted our suspect on a bike, it was love at first sight … at least for us. The bad guy wasn’t

looking for a relationship and fled. Coincidentally, Cupid and our American Ninja Warrior (Chico Edition) met again at ‘The Love Boat’ apartments and got reacquainted … and arrested.”

A survey of the comments suggests most people support these types of posts, though others did not, suggesting they’re inappropriate for the subject matter or dehumanize the people involved in the crimes.

According to public information officer Michelle Walker, the Chico Police Department’s Social Media And Relations Team, also known as SMART, is responsible for creating posts. However, when asked about the strategy behind them, Walker said the shift in tone in some of the recent posts wasn’t a concerted effort.

“There has been no intentional ‘tonal shift’ as you mentioned in our posts and no ‘strategy’ behind them,” Walker wrote in an email Tuesday. “We simply have a social media team made up of several talented individuals who contribute to our social media platforms providing content for our followers.”