New York police #MyNYPD Twitter campaign backfires

When the New York Police Department asked its Twitter followers to post pictures of people posing with cops on the beat, it probably wasn't expecting their social media campaign to trend for all the wrong reasons.

Twitter users have hijacked the hashtag #MyNYPD to post photos of New York police brutality.

It started with a simple request. The New York police department asked its Twitter followers to send pictures of themselves with police officers, offering to feature the pictures on their Facebook page.

But the social media campaign quickly turned ugly, with Twitter users hijacking the hashtag #MyNYPD to post photos of what many claim to be examples of New York police brutality. 

The hashtag trended on Twitter - but for all the wrong reasons.

Despite the backlash, the Department remains unfazed, and continues to feature less controversial photos on their Twitter page.