WEST SENECA, N.Y. — Over the weekend the West Seneca Police Department sent out a tweet that was deleted shortly thereafter because, according to the department, it was being "misinterpreted" by the public.
The offensive tweet thanked the Orchard Park Wegmans for dropping off a platter of chicken and waffles to the station so the department "didn't have to run into all of our ex-arrests there on a Saturday afternoon."
2 On Your Side reached out to the West Seneca Police Department Monday morning to confirm that the tweet was real and seeking comment on the remarks.
West Seneca Police Chief Daniel Denz replied in a statement:
"Yes it was, and we immediately took it down when we discovered the intent of the post was being misinterpreted by some of the readers, and through this misunderstanding, they found it offensive.
We actively engage in social media platforms and our post have seen widespread approval by mixing serious content with a measure of lightheartedness. In this case we apparently missed the mark with some of our followers and we took immediate steps to remove the post.
Going forward, we will vet our posts more stringently so that the opportunity for such misunderstandings are lessened in the future."
2 On Your Side followed up with the Chief to find out if anyone has been reprimanded for the tweet and to clarify how social media policy within the department might change.
Chief Denz said that after briefing with this team, he didn't believe there was a need for further disciplinary action because there was "absolutely no intent to offend anyone or misrepresent the Department."
"We constantly review all of our policies in order to improve our service. As far as this particular matter, we will be conducting a review of our social media policy and make adjustments where we deem necessary," Denz said in a statement.
While the vast majority of area police departments and municipalities use social media for broadcasting important information to the region, WSPD has garnered a large following for its more light-hearted, meme-driven approach to social media and sharing information with the public.