Cops, apparently, grumble as much as any workers.
The San Francisco Police Department has launched an internal investigation into several Instagram meme accounts that have been airing the department’s dirty laundry in violation of its rules, according to an email obtained by The Standard.
The jargon-laden, mostly AI-generated memes illustrate anger at the department’s upper management, or “carpet walkers,” saying they take advantage of the system at the expense of the rank and file.
“When you carpet walk for a living, but have to figure out how to scam your bosses into sending you to Hawaii again,” says a meme with a photo of a degenerate-looking SpongeBob SquarePants.
Other frequent targets of ridicule include the SFPD’s internal affairs unit, public information officers, the Department of Police Accountability, the district attorney, the Board of Supervisors, and the media.
“These posts feature images that portray the likeness of SFPD members in a negative light, and include depictions of SFPD patches, stars, and logos,” SFPD Chief Paul Yep wrote in a department-wide email, urging staff to name names.
Yep said anyone with information about who is “posting, sharing, or disseminating [the memes] related to employment with the Department” should contact the Internal Affairs Division.
News of the police probe comes the same day Louis Wong, head of the police union, sent his own email to officers decrying the “vicious, personal, and anonymous attacks.”
“What may have started as inside humor has crossed a line into malicious and destructive behavior that has no place in our profession or our union,” Wong wrote. “To be clear, attempting to destroy a fellow officer’s reputation, career, and family life is unacceptable.”
The meme accounts offer a rare window into the gripes of the SFPD’s rank and file — the beat cops who patrol the streets and serve as the department’s frontline responders. Two profiles with a collective 1,500 followers have generated hundreds of posts since 2022. Several smaller profiles have emerged this year, though they have drawn far less engagement.
Occasionally, the accounts post oblique jokes about what appear to be unverified instances of misconduct by department higher-ups, including alleged abuses at the police officers union, special treatment for officers with connections, and a former station captain drinking on the job.
An SFPD spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
In interviews, current and former officers said they believe the memes were created by somebody inside the department who knows much of its internal drama. One former cop said the memes are “pissing a lot of people off because it’s getting out, not because it’s untrue.”
More frequently, though, the posts show a general sense of camaraderie. Officers make self-deprecating jokes about being unable to earn promotions and offer wisecracks about green recruits and the everyday tedium of the job.
“How I look when I’m waiting for the peaceful protest to start, and I see everyone showing up is wearing masks and backpacks,” says the caption above a photo of an unenthused cartoon character.
Some of the memes are sexual in nature. Male officers leering over female colleagues is a common theme.
The individuals behind the accounts did not respond to requests for comment, although one made a meme about The Standard’s inquiry.
The warning comes at a delicate time for the SFPD, which is facing staffing shortages, problematic recruiting, and does not have a permanent chief. While crime is at record lows, the department has repeatedly blown through its overtime budget and made a spate of recent promotions, reducing the already low number of cops on the streets.
“It all has to do with morale,” said one current officer. “The department is running on forced overtime.”
Still, two current officers said many of the memes appear to be cruel personal attacks that could have lasting impact.
“It’s starting to get out of hand, I feel,” one said. “It’s OK poking fun at the brass, but it’s getting personal now. Rumors that could ruin a man’s family.”
In his department-wide email, Chief Yep indicated that the memes’ author could face harsh discipline. “This serves as a reminder that any conduct that violates Department policy, compromises the integrity of the Department, brings discredit or disrepute to the Department or its members, or impairs the operation or efficiency of the Department or its personnel, may be grounds for discipline,” Yep added.
But the threat isn’t being taken seriously quite yet. Shortly after The Standard published this story, a new meme was posted. This one depicts police union head Wong sending his email warning as a trio of officers cry in the background.
The account behind the fresh meme, named q2_underground on Instagram, posted a story later Thursday evening, dismissing the union’s criticism — and arguing that cops targeted for memeification are getting a dose of internet karma.
“You did whatever you did to be here. [Your] coworkers/bosses/friends put you here,” the meme maker wrote. “Don’t bitch and complain when your actions led you here.”