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Lino Lakes PD embraces Twitter with humor

Lino Lakes Police mix quips and safety tips on social media.

By Karen Zamora

October 14, 2014 at 7:29PM

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

At least a couple of times a day, the Lino Lakes Police Department taps into its social networks and connects with more than 5,000 followers. From its Twitter and Facebook accounts, the department shares construction updates, safety tips and achievements within the department.

But sprinkled throughout the social media platforms are a photo of the Kool-Aid Man, several nods to Star Wars and quippy one-liners.

For example, a recent tweet by the department told followers: "'Burglar breaks through wall of St. Paul store, steals $50K in merchandise' LLPD has a pic of the most likely suspect."

The "pic of the most likely suspect": the Kool-Aid Man breaking through a brick wall.

That was retweeted 46 times.

"Oh, that was a true story. You should have seen that," said Kelly McCarthy, deputy director of public safety, who is behind most of the tweets.

McCarthy said every officer has access to the social media accounts, which she said represents the "tone of the department."

"To put anything else out there would seem really inauthentic," she said. "And anybody who knows us or works with us knows that we are very responsive to the community and really transparent, so if we try to come off any other way, people would see right through it."

The tweet that has gotten the most response was a photo of a popped Pillsbury crescent roll with the caption: "Some MN police are moving towards military grade weapons, but this is what LLPD has for flash bang grenades."

The photo was retweeted 466 times.

The presence on social media helps humanize the department by getting the word out about crime and safety in the Lino Lakes area.

Police Chief John Swenson said he wanted to incorporate a social media presence when he started with the department in 2011. He sees it as a way to connect police officers with the community.

While many applaud the department's humor, others have called to say the account was hacked. But of course, the department tweeted a response to that, too.

"Front office just received a call that our Twitter was hacked. Do people really think that cops have NO sense of humor? Don't answer that," the tweet read.

Karen Zamora • 612-673-4647

Two examples of recent tweets from the Lino Lakes Police Department. Deputy Director Kelly McCarthy said the playful social media posts represent the “tone of the department.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)