Greensboro PD connects with community using social media, humor

What started as a few experimental posts has turned the Greensboro Police Department’s social media into a recognizable account for many people on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It was really just kind of throwing it into the wind and seeing what sticks,” Patrick Soto of the Greensboro Police Department, who is in charge of social media, told CJ. “Most people think of government pages as static and boring, so I decided to try different things. A little humor, more community engagement, and see where it goes.” 

At this point, some of their most popular posts on X have over a few million views, more than 50,000 likes, 4,500 reposts, and 1,000 comments each. Their posts are reaching people all over the state, with many following their account to see what viral post they make next. 

Here are a few of their top engaged posts on X; 

If your meth dealer has all their teeth, it’s the police.

Also, do not do meth or any illegal drugs.#DontCrime

— Greensboro Police Department (@GSO_Police) February 17, 2026

Please be aware.

Don’t get a rental car of the same make and model as your own and then change the tires “because you needed new tires.”

— Greensboro Police Department (@GSO_Police) February 13, 2026

If anyone is interested, we will be hosting an open house on Monday at police HQ. Bring your best and illegal drugs.

Free car rides and photo opportunities will be available.

— Greensboro Police Department (@GSO_Police) February 21, 2026

One of their most popular posts inspired a t-shirt that the department sells from an online store. The shirt states, “Drink some choccy milk, have a little snacky snack, and don’t crime.”

“When I came along, I thought, why not try something different?” Soto said. “Mix in some humor, keep it engaging, and make it feel less like a press release and more like a conversation.”

When asked if social media can be a good form of community policing — a police strategy with heavy emphasis on building rapport with the community being served — Soto said, “It really is a good way for us to connect with the community. It gives us an easy way to have two-way conversations and help people get the resources they need, even if an officer isn’t there at that moment. It’s been a real step in building relationships and bonds between the department and the communities we serve.”

Jon Guze, a senior fellow in legal studies at the John Locke Foundation, released a report about community policing, noting that proactive, intensive community policing has a proven track record of reducing violent crime. Research has shown that a 10% increase in police hiring leads to a crime decrease of approximately 3 to 10%. The Greensboro Police Department’s online presence increases public visibility and engagement. It may support recruitment efforts by attracting potential applicants and provides an additional channel for communicating with and monitoring community concerns in digital spaces.

The Greensboro Police Department are not the only ones to adopt an unusual and experimental social media strategy for an increase of online engagement. In 2017, Wendy’s began to use their social media to go after their competition, mainly calling out McDonald’s for their frozen beef patties, and pushing back at snarky comments about their food. The account also helped get a person the most retweets ever on Twitter at the time of the post with 3.4 million, after asking how many retweets he would need for a year of free nuggets.

The social media approach also makes its way to the streets, as officers run into people in the community.

“We’ve heard officers say that when they’re out in the community, people mention our social media and say they appreciate the lighthearted approach,” Soto said. “It’s helped build trust between our officers and the people they see every day.”

“With social media, what works today might not work next year,” said Soto, when asked what the strategy is moving forward. “It’s always a learning process, you put things out there, see what sticks, and reevaluate when you need to. It’s constantly learning what works and what doesn’t, and balancing those things out in a way that benefits both the department and the community.”

While trends may change, the goal for the department is to maintain an accessible line of communication with the community. And for now, they believe they’re seeing success by using humor, engagement, and direct responses on social media as a part of their strategy.

“Greensboro PD connects with community using social media, humor” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.