Will it stay or will it go? New Greensboro police chief weighs in on departments Facebook page

Over the last few years, the Greensboro Police Department's snarky social media presence has cultivated a fanbase along with detractors who see the page's tone as inappropriate.

And while the department is undergoing change with the arrival of new Chief Kamran Afzal, visitors to the department's Facebook page should expect to see little to no change to the department's social media style.

When asked about the department's social media presence on Friday, Afzal laughed and then said he might not be the best authority on social media as someone nearing 60 years of age.

But generally the new chief said he is receptive to having fun with social media, saying that it can be an effective way of humanizing the department.

"I think humor is a great way to break down barriers, and I do like the overall approach of our social media because it is using humor to make a point," Afzal said.

At the same time, the new chief said the department would need careful to avoid going too far with posts that people would find offensive.

He alluded to the recent controversy over a Facebook post in April that mocked a department critic by name and included the person's profile picture.

The post was deleted, but not before prompting an apology from the department and an investigation by the department's Professional Standards Division.

Within a few weeks after the original post, however, the old style of posting returned to the Facebook page.

The announcement that the old style of posting had returned came via a GIF of the professional wrestler the Undertaker with the text: "We're backkkkk! Let's have some fun, shall we?"

And they'll be sticking around - within limits.

"In talking to my Public Information folks, I think I've given pretty clear indication that there are lines that we cannot close and that we have to be mindful that some things can be offensive, but I'm not opposed to using humor to make our point," he said.

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