The arrest of a woman dressed as Elmo in Times Square has become an opportunity for the New York Police Department to practice its burgeoning social media skills.
The NYPD’s Midtown South tweeted an image of the woman on Tuesday night, showing her kneeling on the ground, stripped of her helmet with her hands cuffed behind her back.
“Just another day in Midtown South,” the post read. “Elmo arrested in Times Square.”
The NYPD has been urging officers to use social media to promote the department’s work, though recent efforts like using the hashtag #myNYPD have become fodder for parody and criticism on the internet.
The NYPD said on Wednesday that the 36-year-old New Jersey woman was arrested at West 45th Street and Avenue of the Americas during a quality of life operation conducted by plainclothes officers. She was held on a charge of aggressive solicitation.
The NYPD has been working to curb aggressive panhandling by costumed characters in Times Square.
