Twitter Cops

the Twitter cops - from www.mbl.is

The Icelandic police have  done a great job in connecting with the public through social media. They have a facebook fanpage that is at times very entertaining with good natured banter going back and forth between the police and the citizens.

Last weekend the Icelandic police waged a Twitter campaign; sending out tweets thought the Saturday evening and into the early hours of Sunday morning. As a crime writer I followed the tweets. Although amusing, I must say that for a crime writer based in Iceland they were not particularly inspiring.  Here goes – (note that lögregla means police in Icelandic and also that some of the hashtags are my addition):

LRH@logreglan

Received report that only one cashier working at a grocery store while many customers were shopping. Not a police matter. #getalife#logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan

Noise reported from children playing in a playground. Caller told that this is to be expected and considered normal. #grumpy#logreglan #poltwt

Ása LBG@asalbg

Help, Man of Steel is such a boring movie it must be a police matter.
LRH@logreglan
@asalbg Change channels. #caseclosed #logreglan#poltwt

LRH@logreglan

Reports of drunken man in the east side of the city. Were unfortunately unable to find him. #lostinspace#logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan

Driver in need of assistance, hit cat. #logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan

Hungry customer at diner lost his cool and broke a mirror. #7years #logreglan # poltwt

LRH@logreglan

Drunken man in bar, wound on his head, puking. On our way + ambulance. #barfbag #logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan

Woman reported having respiratory problems. Turned out to be drunk. Told to go take a nap.  #sleepitoff #logreglan # poltwt

LRH@logreglan

Complaint regarding dog barking in Hafnarfjörður. #earplugs #logreglan # poltwt

LRH@logreglan
Dead cat reported found in Kópavogur. #petcemetary #logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan
Report of vehicle in a used car lot sporting "license plates" made of cardboard. #hopeitdoesnotrain #logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan
Man wishes to spend the night at the police station. #notahotel #logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan
Police alerted to drunken and disorderly men on a bus, said to be from the north. #logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan
The men turned out to have been from the Westfjords, the bus was from the north. #logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan
Police were alerted to man that had collapsed downtown. Resurrected and denied any further assistance. #logreglan #poltwt
gudmundurkarl@dullari
@logreglan Had he been resurrected on the third day now that would have been big news. #miracle #logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan
Woman reported kicking a house. Turned out the house was hers, she had trouble finding the keys. Police opened the door. #cleanupyourpurse #logreglan #poltwt

LRH@logreglan
Assistance required at ice skating rink, skater in accident. Understandable some say. #tripleaxeljunp#logreglan #poltwt
And so on and so on, lost pets, too much to drink - the Icelandic Police Force's twitter account is absolutely not the site to trawl when looking for plots or intrigue. But I would not swap situations for anything.

Yrsa - Wednesday