Celebrity Twitter Clout Being Mined For Public Service

Dept. recruits stars popular on Twitter

From July 15th through the 17th, the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles is shutting down, and Los Angelenos are bracing for massive commuter headaches as a result - already referring to the event jokingly as "Carmageddon." 

But there may be help on the way, and it may be in the form of celebrities with large Twitter followings.

The Los Angeles Police Department said Wednesday that it has requested that celebrities with large Twitter followings help get the word out about the shutdown so absolutely no one is taken by surprise.

LAPD has reportedly contacted representatives for Lady Gaga, Ashton Kutcher, his wife Demi Moore, and Kim Kardashian. These four have more than 30 million Twitter followers combined.

It appears that none of the celebrities have sent out warning tweets yet, but police officials hope they will as we get closer to the closure dates.

"We're utilizing TV and Radio, but not everyone uses those mediums so we're reaching out through social media contacts," said LAPD officer Karen Rayner.

City officials in recent weeks have held press conferences warning of the major travel impact "Carmageddon" will have on Los Angeles.

Selected Reading: Los Angeles Times, Examiner, Herald Sun

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