Crime & Safety

Boston Police Respond to Hackers with Satirical YouTube Video

After being hacked last Friday, BPDNews.com came back online at about 2 a.m. this morning.

With rapper KRS-One’s now all-too-familiar “Sound of Da Police” music video intermittently popping up, Boston Police officers satirically discuss the “emotional trauma” they felt after the police department’s website, BPDNews.com, , in a light-hearted, video comeback of sorts at the hacking group “Anonymous.”

“Normally, I sleep pretty well, but since the site went down, I haven’t slept a wink,” one officer says with a straight face in the YouTube video that was posted on the department’s Facebook page at 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Another officer claims to have heard news of the hacking at – where else – Dunkin’ Donuts.

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A serious-voiced narrator also chimes in:

“In the days after the hacking, fans of the page struggled to make sense of a world without BPDNews.com.”

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And later:

“As for what went wrong, surprisingly enough, a group immune to the charm and value of the BPDNews page sought to destroy it.”

“Anonymous” wrote on BPDNews.com that they hijacked the site “in retaliation for police brutality at OWS (Occupy Wall Street).” Along with the message, the group posted the KRS-One music video.

One officer in the YouTube comeback takes offense to the hacking collective’s use of the song.

“Well, my reaction was, ‘Why would anybody want to destroy a perfectly good KRS-One song?’” he says.

The video, which had 75 views early this morning, ends with a more serious message from Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis.

“But seriously, we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you,” he says. “Effective policing is built upon communications. We thank you for connecting with us and being part of our virtual community at BPDNews.com.”

BPDNews.com Known for its Sense of Humor

To fans of BPDNews.com, the comical video probably didn’t come as much of a surprise, as the department’s website is known for its over-the-top (clever?) headlines.

Here are a few recent examples (all from the last two weeks):

“Where There is Smoke – There is a Suspect Under Arrest for Arson in East Boston -Park Gazebo is No Place for a Camp Fire”

“Failing to Stop for a Police Officer Leaves One Tire Screeching Suspect Feeling Like Burnt Rubber”

“Poorly Chosen Canvas Lands One Wanna Be Picasso Behind Bars for Graffiti Vandalism”

“Suspect’s Pitch for Free Cigarettes Goes Up in Smoke as Police Track Down & Arrest One for Attempted Armed Robbery”

“In this Game of Tag Being ‘It’ Would be a Whole Lot Better than Being Under Arrest”


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