LAPD Seeks To Shut Down 'Occupy LAPD' Twitter Account

LAPD Seeks To Shut Down "Occupy LAPD" Twitter Account

By Gene Maddaus Tue., Oct. 25 2011 at 3:29 PM

Almost alone among its big-city counterparts, the LAPD has had a good working relationship with the local Occupy encampment. No clashes, no pepper spray, no arrests.

The bond was so good, it seemed, that the LAPD set up a special Twitter feed just to interact with Occupy L.A. protesters. OccupyLAPD offers helpful pointers like "Stay on the sidewalk," mixed with messages of friendly solidarity, along the lines of "Cops are also the 99%."

Wow. This is not your father's LAPD. But before Chief Parker starts rolling in his grave...

... a note of caution. The Twitter account is not endorsed by the department.

Sgt. Frank Preciado, the head of LAPD Online, says he has no idea who's behind the account. He said the department plans to ask Twitter to shut it down.

"They're using our badge, and they put '99%' on our actual badge,'" Preciado said. "It's a trademark infringement."

The account started up about 10 days into the protest. The feed established the voice of a neighborhood beat cop extending a friendly welcome.

"You catch more flies with honey"? That doesn't sound like a cop, but post-Christopher Commission, how are you supposed to know for sure?

Well, one giveaway would have been all the retweets of sexual advances. Cops are allowed to be cool, but not that cool.

Still, a lot of people seem to have believed that Occupy LAPD represents the department, which is why the department is going to the trouble of asking Twitter to shut the thing down.

It's still a mystery who's behind it.

"I have no idea who's doing it," said P.J. Davenport, one of the operators of the @OccupyLA Twitter feed.

The department is not trying to arrest this person for impersonating a cop, so we may never know for sure.

Tags:

LAPD, Occupy L.A., Occupy LAPD, Twitter

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This does not seem quite right.

BornGay

Double post

Bengie25

"It's a trademark infringement."

Government can't copyright/patent/trademark because all government intellectual property is automatically public domain.

They can go after "fraud" or impersonating an officer, but it also require official business. I don't think a Twitter post with a modified badge counts are impersonation.

BornGay

Q: What trademarks does the Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club own?

A: The Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club owns the following federal trademark registrations, amont others:

· LAPD (U.S. Trademark Registration No.: 3,047,180)

· LAPD Badge (U.S. Trademark Registration No.: 3,038,631)

· TO PROTECT AND SERVE (U.S. Trademark Registration No.:3,273,102)

· LOS ANGELES POLICE ACADEMY (U.S. Trademark Serial Nos. 78930356, 78930353, 78930351, 78930349).

BornGay

Ingrid

my roomate's mother-in-law makes $71/hour on the computer. She has been unemployed for 10 months but last month her pay was $8732 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read about it here (NuttyRich).(com)

Ingrid

TavGoo

Big Middle Finger Salute to LAPD! Hopefully the Sheeple will soon realize that its gonna take a LOT more than some silly protest to get any results!net-privacy.us.tc

Devo LeDude

You'd think a department like the LAPD, with a reputation that precedes itself, would take this public relations windfall and run with it.

459-Ringer

Too bust covering the latest corrupt officer's ass-- can anyone say burgler?

daniel kasimow

This entire story does not seem quite right.

Mud Baron

Did the LAPD realize that they are giving a whole new layer of attention to what has been largely, until now, a largely ignored twitter feed? Oh lordy, it's Mayberry without the Don Knotts.