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Canton Police Department Hosts Concert For Lip Sync Challenge
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The police lip synch challenge began in Texas earlier this year and it's quickly making its way through the nation. Sheriff and police departments post videos singing along to songs and then challenge others to do the same.
The Canton Police Department is one of the latest to step up.Canton Police Chief Mark Mitchell says the police lip sync challenge video shoot is an example of another community event. GPB's Ellen Eldridge reports.
On July 26, Chief Mark Mitchell led a group of officers in a concert at Etowah River Park.
The community was invited to participate in the video and lip sync concert, which included four songs: Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"; "Cupid Shuffle" by Cupid; "Best Day Of My Life" by American Authors; and "You've Got A Friend In Me" by Randy Newman.
Among news of police shootings and potential racial bias, many police departments have been working harder on community relations. When Canton was challenged, Mitchell said he wanted the social media trend to be part of the ongoing mission.
"This is just another community event," Mitchell said. "Are taxpayers are being used to fund our officers’ salaries on this? Absolutely. Are they on every other community event we do in city. Absolutely."
Mitchell said only 10 of the 51 sworn officers participated in the challenge. The rest were protecting the city of Canton during the concert.
In some cases, such as the Pickens County Sheriff's Office, the videos take on important public safety messages and promote the role officers play in quelling domestic violence. Pickens sheriff's video posted Thursday and more than 8 million people have already seen and shared the video. Some commenters have shared the video brought them to tears.
The Savannah Police Department took a more comical approach the the task of tracking down bad guys while lip syncing to Wilson Phillips' "Hold On." The video sets a tone of personal responsibility and hope that despite making mistakes, people can find redemption for their crimes.
We'll share the finished video once Canton police post to their Facebook Page later this week.
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