(This story has been updated to add more information.)
The Louisville Metro Police Department is asking the community whether it should remain “unhinged” or “balanced” after its X account, formerly known as Twitter, posted a series of posts during a weekend winter storm that dumped several inches of snow on the city.
The poll follows a series of apology posts on social media platforms by The Weather Channel in response to the massive storm, which The Weather Channel dubbed “Winter Storm Fern.”
A Jan. 26 post apologized for the “unhinged tone” of a weekend post targeting drivers during the snowstorm and said LMPD’s “social messaging does not accurately reflect the department as a whole or this community.”
Many X users who commented on the apology supported the change in tone, including “Issued speeding tickets today – 0” and “We pushed so many cars today, the police added ‘personal trainer’ to their resumes. Don’t skip leg day.”
Other posts included references to bourbon sales, officers’ possible judgment of trapped vehicles and the “Grand Theft Auto” video game series.
Before the apology was issued, other posts from the account claimed staff had to meet with HR about the previous posts. LMPD has not responded to an email from The Courier Journal regarding the social media accounts, But posted the email on X and wrote that their account had not been hacked.
Louisville mayor comments on viral LMPD X post
Mayor Craig Greenberg said at a press conference on Jan. 26 that first responders have been “working around the clock to help keep people safe” and trying to have a little fun.
“While many people are staying home and using social media, some are trying to have fun online,” Greenberg said. “They take their jobs very seriously, and therefore, no one should confuse the clear and obviously humorous tone of some of their comments online with the seriousness of their jobs and the seriousness of the job that each of our LMPD officers perform every day.”
Contact Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared in the Louisville Courier-Journal: Louisville Metro Police X account ‘unhinged’ during winter storm
