Their motto may be ‘to serve and protect’ but this year has shown us that police officers can also be scrutinized for their behaviour on the job.
Whether it be an inquiry about a shooting, an alleged violent confrontation or accusations of racial profiling, law enforcement agencies can face pushback as well as praise.
However, some cops are going to great lengths to humanize the badge and bridge gaps between them and the communities they serve.
Here are some of the 2017 stories that put law enforcement in a positive light.
North Carolina cop and young boy have dance-off
Back in February, the Nash County Police Department posted a video of Sheriff Deputy Steve Williams busting moves in a dance-off against a local boy named Jason. The viral video was captioned #wedomorethanwritetickets.
Alabama police dog does push-ups with officers
In November, a seven-second video of the newest member of the Gulf Shores Police Department in Alabama went viral. The video shows a two-year-old Dutch Shepherd named Nitro, showing Officer William Cowan, Officer Ben Hancock how to do push-ups. On Facebook the police department wrote, “getting warmed up and ready to apprehend any bad guys that break the law!” The trio is seen doing push-ups simultaneously as the song Eye of the Tiger plays in the background.
Port Huron police officers lip sync Backstreet Boys in patrol car
Three officers from the Port Huron Police Department in Michigan decided to throw it back to 1999 and posted a dashcam video of themselves lip-synching to classic Backstreet Boys song I Want It That Way, while on the night shift. The video of officers Sam Baker, Brian Daly and Derek Paret even caught the attention of the Backstreet Boys themselves, who shared it on Twitter and Facebook.
North Carolina police officers take a plunge on a Slip ‘N Slide
Sometimes cops just want to have fun. Over the summer, officers Carrie Lee and Joe Jones were called about a noise complaint in Asheville, N.C. When they arrived at the scene they found a homemade Slip ‘N Slide set up for a Fourth of July block party. Instead of shutting down the party, they did something completely unexpected and took a ride themselves.
Kids attack Edmonton police officer with Nerf guns
An Edmonton police officer found himself dodging foam bullets back in July. Const. Brendan Fonteyne and his partner Const. Cameron Jones were patrolling in the city’s southeast division when they came across kids armed with NERF guns. Jones gave the kids the green light to ambush his partner. To everyone’s surprise, Fonteyne had some great Matrix-style moves up his sleeve.
York Regional cop spits rhymes in viral freestyle video
It seems Canadian cops also have hidden talents. Over the summer, a video surfaced online of York Regional Police officers freestyling at a Vaughan car show. Const. Amy Oliver was praised for her creative lyrics as she rapped to the beat of Dr. Dre’s hit single Still D.R.E. #Micdrop
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