Upper Darby Twitter account is part policing, part improv

"HEY YOUNG people - the party in the cemetery didn't work out so well, huh? Sorry bout that. #wegotthekeg #whosgotthetap."

Welcome to the Upper Darby Police Department's Twitter account, which is equal parts community policing and improvisational comedy.

Seven years after the department's "Not In My Town, Scumbag" T-shirt campaign, it has a new T-shirt movement that was inspired by its Twitter account and by citizens who do small deeds to make the township a better place.

The T-shirts read "#udhero," a hashtag created by the department's Twitter account administrator, a ranking officer with a sense of humor who wants to remain anonymous so he doesn't embarrass his kids.

The man behind the curtain - no, it's not outspoken police Superintendent Michael Chitwood - said the #udhero hashtag began when someone tweeted something mundane to Upper Darby Police (@UDPolice) like, "I woke up on time for school."

"I just tweeted, 'Well, you're a #udhero," the account administrator said. "Then more and more people who really are doing nice things tweeted at me and I thought, 'What a concept, maybe we can encourage that or at least reward people for some of the simple, good things.' "

All 50 shirts that were donated to the department last week by Pro Action Restoration have already been given out and now 100 more, being donated by another company, are on order.

The reasons Twitter users have argued they deserve an #udhero shirt range from sweet to silly.

"when customers have a lot of bags I walk them to they're car at work :-)," wrote user kc_ (@KACE_closed).

"just returned a lost dog to its rightful owner. I may be wrong, but I think this makes me a #udhero," wrote user vizz (@gab_rakadabra).

"What if you've just managed to grow up in UD and become an adult without getting arrested or drinking in the woods/cemetery?" wrote user Alanna Burke (@aburke626).

A young man going by mellis (@cm_3_) wrote: "I don't drink and I drive my drunk friends home at all times of the day can I get a shirt."

The man behind the curtain responded: "how old are you?"

"So I guess that's a no," mellis said.

"It's a maybe."

Then, there are those Twitter users who just don't get it.

"give me one or else," user Mary McElhone (@marymcelhone) tweeted at the department.

"I'm not sure you know how this #udhero thing works. You seem confused," wrote Upper Darby police.

That kind of personal interaction and humor are trademarks of the department's Twitter account, which includes tips like "Hey team #badguys its still illegal to sell weed even if its fake. Same charge for oregano as it is for the real stuff." And there are breaking news alerts like "Intoxicated male arrstd for smashing tables/punch holes in walls of local bar. sleeping it off at Hq #geturcheckbookout #furnitureshopping."

More than 2,300 people from Hong Kong to Ireland are following the department's Twitter feed, which debuted in March and now sports a profile picture of a character from "Monsters Inc." saying, "I'm watching you . . . allllllways watching."

"It opens the lines of communication wide open and it puts a human face to what we do," said Chitwood, who was so inspired by the success of the department's Twitter account that he created his own this week. "It almost has like a cult following. It's been a tremendously positive, feel-good interaction."

Twitter users agree.

"Fact: The @UDPolice twitter stream is funnier than any 'Police Academy' Movie (hmm, is that too low of a bar?)" wrote user Michael Goldberg (@mg_thereporter).

Twitter user Mr. Fantastic (@Badlukk13) wrote: "I just wish @UDpolice were as witty and fun when they pull me over as they are on twitter #imonlyspeedingbecauseihavetopoop"

The account has also been a great resource for citizens to air concerns and complaints. When someone tweeted that he feared his neighbor was in an abusive relationship, Upper Darby police asked him to privately message them the address. When citizens are curious about police activity, they can tweet at the department's account and are provided a timely explanation of what's going on.

Another phenomenon surrounding the account is when young people tweet about misdeeds they commit - usually underage drinking or smoking pot - and their friends retweet the message and tag the Upper Darby police in it.

"Had to wake up at 5:30 yesterday and 7:30 today, I would kill to be able to sleep in," Sonia Marie (@what_deveriwant) wrote.

Her friend then retweeted the message and tagged Upper Darby police.

"This is now premeditated murder which means life in prison Which means you'll have plenty of time to rest," Upper Darby police wrote.

"I hope they give me a #UDHero shirt to wear in jail," she said.

The Tweeter has begun to offer critics of the department a sit-down meeting over coffee or a ride-along in a police cruiser so they can see what the job is like. And so he can understand why they don't like police.

"I'm meeting someone from Twitter for pizza tomorrow, a guy who started a debate with me about how he thinks marijuana should be legal," the police Tweeter said.

He said he's glad that the account has shown people the human and humorous side of police.

A Twitter user who goes by the name Gremlin PhD (@delcodbag) wrote that he finds the department's humorous Twitter feed "comforting."

"I'm wary of authority figures that lack a sense of humor. The SS were notoriously melancholy," he tweeted. "Humor is a good sign that there is underlying humanity; consequently, there is hope for better times."

Online: ph.ly/crime

Blog: ph.ly/Delco