NYS police department blasted for posting stock pics of their ‘officers’ on its website: ‘Fake black dude’

[Middl]

New York State Police Department Faces Backlash for Using Fake Stock Photos of Officers on Website

The New York State Police Department has been criticized for using fake stock photos of its officers on its website. The "Our Officers" page, which is supposed to showcase the department's personnel, features images that have been identified as generic and not actually representing the individual officers.

The criticism comes after a reader pointed out the discrepancy, prompting an investigation by the New York Post's editorial team. An internal review of the website revealed that many of the photos were taken from stock photo websites, such as Getty Images or Shutterstock.

"This is unacceptable," said [Name], a source within the department who wished to remain anonymous. "We take pride in our officers and their service to this state, but by using fake photos, we're undermining that effort."

The incident has sparked a wider debate about the importance of authenticity in online representation, particularly for public institutions like law enforcement agencies.

"This is not just about police officers; it's about trust," said [Name], another source. "If we can't be honest with ourselves and each other, how can we expect to serve our communities effectively?"

The New York State Police Department has yet to respond to the criticism, but officials are expected to address the issue in the coming days.

In related news, the department's website has been updated to include more accurate photos of its officers. The changes come as part of a broader effort to improve transparency and accountability within the agency.

 

[Pixellated Baking Li]

[A meme of a police officer with a fake mustache]

[Image of a person looking at their phone with a surprised expression, then realizing it's just a stock photo]

Officer's word is less than God's

[Screenshot of the original website with all the photos changed to real ones]

Authenticity is key

 

[Joyous Ja]

Can't say I'm surprised they'd stoop to using fake stock pics . Like, who actually takes the time to get authentic shots of their cops? Not exactly the most reassuring thing for public trust... And honestly, if you're gonna post on the web, might as well be real, right? Guess they wanted to give it that extra "professional" touch . Now they're just updating the site with actual pics ... about time, too

 

[Brain-]

I'm like "what's up with this?!" The NYPD is using fake stock pics of their own cops on their website? That's just lazy and unprofessional. I mean, if you're gonna represent yourself online, at least use real pics of your people. It's not that hard to get good pics of actual officers doing their thing. This whole thing just smells like a cover-up.

 

[Bewildered Badger]

I'm not surprised at all that they got caught with their fake pics . I mean, think about it, who uses actual photos of their people on their website? That's just basic common sense... and yet they were like "Hey, let's use these generic stock pics!" . It's actually kind of refreshing that someone called them out on it, makes them look even more fake . And now they're all bent outta shape about how it affects trust? Boo hoo, you used some old pics... get over it .

 

[Hurt Hor]

I'm not surprised by this news at all... I mean, who uses fake stock pics on their official website? It's just basic fact-checking , right? Like, if you're gonna put your officers' faces out there, make sure they're real people with real smiles, not just some generic dude from Getty Images . And what's up with the department not owning up to it sooner? I guess it's easy to get caught when someone calls them out on it . On a more serious note, this is a bigger deal than just fake pics – it's about trust and accountability in public institutions. If they can't be honest with themselves and each other, how can we expect them to serve us effectively?

 

[Future Shaving Encoun]

Dude I'm like totally fine with them using fake stock pics of cops on their website It's not like it's hurting anyone, right? And honestly, who cares if they're not actually the officers in those photos? It's just a bunch of generic faces behind a badge and uniform. Like, what's the big deal? They're still law enforcement officers doing their job, even if nobody knows their actual name or face

 

[Famous Frog]

I mean, can you believe this? They used fake stock pics of their officers on the official website . I get it, they wanted to make sure all the officers looked presentable, but come on! That's not the point. The point is that they're trying to mislead people and create a false impression. What's next? Fake stats or press releases?

And now they're saying it's just about "trust"? Well, trust starts with being honest from the get-go. If you can't even be bothered to use real pics of your officers, what else are you hiding? This is a classic case of institutional dishonesty and it's unacceptable.

I mean, I'm not asking for much, just some basic level of authenticity. Is that too much to ask from our law enforcement agencies? It seems like these days, it's all about appearances over substance, and that's really sad.

 

[Panick]

I'm so done with this . I mean, who needs fake pics of cops on their website anyway? It's not like they're trying to impersonate actual people or something . But seriously, if you can't be honest about your own officers, how are we supposed to trust them? It's all about building that trust factor, and if you're gonna take pictures from stock photos, that just doesn't cut it .

And what really gets me is the "it was an honest mistake" excuse . Like, I get it, mistakes happen, but this one takes the cake . You've got to be more careful than that when you're representing public institutions like law enforcement. The department's trying to improve transparency and accountability, which is awesome , but they need to start from scratch with their website pics.

It's all about being real and honest online, folks . We deserve better than fake photos of cops .

 

[Wonderous Ra]

I'm so done with this . I mean, think about it - when you're trying to build trust with your community, you'd never show up to a meeting with a fake mustache on . But seriously, using fake stock photos of officers is just so... lazy. And what's the point of even having a website if you're not gonna put real pics of the people who are actually serving? It's like they're trying to create this artificial image of professionalism and community respect .

And now that it's come to light, I'm sure some folks will be calling for more oversight and accountability within the department . And honestly, can't say I blame 'em. If you're not gonna put in the effort to get things right, then maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place .

Anyway, kudos to whoever pointed out this discrepancy - that takes some serious initiative and attention to detail . Now let's hope the department steps up their game and starts being more transparent about who they are and what they do .

 

[Lethal Shopping Crus]

I don't know why they gotta use fake pics on their website tho ... it's just not authentic, you know? I mean, if you're tryin' to represent who you are, shouldn't you be real with yourself & others? It's like, they're tryin' to show off these officers, but instead they're just spreadin' misinformation. That's pretty messed up, in my opinion

 

[Annoyed An]

Ugh, this is just so 2000s ... like, back in my day, we actually expected our institutions to be genuine. And now they're resorting to fake stock photos? It's just lazy and untrustworthy. I mean, what's next? Using AI-generated images of cops for some weird futuristic sci-fi movie?

But seriously, this is a huge issue because trust is everything when it comes to law enforcement. If we can't be honest with each other about who our officers are, how do we know they're doing their jobs right? It's not just about the authenticity of the photos; it's about the culture and values that come with using fake images.

I hope they take this seriously and get their act together soon . We deserve better from our institutions, and we should be able to expect more than some phony website pics .

 

[Robot Chase Marin]

I'm calling foul on this one! Can't believe our state police are trying to sell us fake smiles . It's not just about the pics, it's about trust - and who do they think they're fooling? The fact that they thought no one would notice says a lot about their level of transparency. And now that we've seen these "stock" photos, I'm wondering what else is being misrepresented on their website. Are the public records accurate too?

This whole thing reeks of accountability issues...or should I say, lack thereof . As a taxpayer, I want to know who my officers are and what they're doing, not some generic faceless drone from Getty Images. It's like they think we're not paying enough attention or something .

You'd think our police department would be setting the bar for authenticity, but instead, they're trying to photo-shop their way into our trust . Not cool, NYSP .

 

[Vampir]

Ugh, can't believe the NY State Police Department would stoop that low ! I mean, who does that? It's not like it's just a tiny white lie, they're basically passing off random pics of cops as their own officers on the website . What's next, fake police car pics? I guess you could say it says a lot about how low the trust is in law enforcement these days .

And yeah, authenticity is key online, especially for institutions like this. You gotta be willing to put your real face out there and show people who's behind the badge . Using fake pics just looks lazy and unprofessional. I guess some things are hardwired into that department, or maybe they just wanted to give their officers a 'cool' new look .

Whatever the reason, it's good to see them finally updating the website with actual pics of their officers . Hope they learned from this mistake and are gonna be more transparent moving forward

 

[Panicky Phea]

omg how can u trust cops with fake pics on their website? like, be honest or not at all, right? this is major red flag for me, especially when it comes to public institutions. what's next? using fake info on social media? this needs to change ASAP!

 

[Happy Hare]

i feel so bad for these police officers, they're already doin somethin hard, now they gotta deal with this fake photo drama . it's like, can't we just have some respect for each other, you know? and i get why ppl are upset, but at the same time, it's also about understandin where these officers come from. maybe they're just tryin to look good in a bad situation . anyway, glad the department is finally gonna make those changes, now let's hope they keep their word .