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Lemoore police and public join the national chorus with its own 'lip sync challenge' video
It is a lip-sync challenge, and it’s spreading like wildfire.
Lemoore police officers, and their friends, recently caught the national fever as they entered the national lip-sync video movement currently blanketing the nation. The Lemoore Police Department, like many of its domestic counterparts, has produced an online video, and since its premiere has generated somewhere in the neighborhood of 130,000 online views – and that was about a week ago.
The reviews have generally been positive, as is the case with similar efforts generated by hundreds of other police departments lending their lip sync talents to the viral “Cop Lip-Sync Challenge.”
Men and women in blue across America are dancing and lip syncing all manner of tunes – from “hip-hop” to country music – with a touch of polka thrown in for flavor.
The origins of this surprising quest for lip sync immortality remains, for the most part, a mystery, but after a bunch of Norfolk, Virginia cops offered the world its lip-sync version of Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” which generated an astonishing 50 million views, the Virginia officers challenged other departments across the nation to produce videos.
Lemoore’s men and women in blue stepped up and answered the call.
Lemoore’s cops quickly entered the fray, producing an impressive effort that also went viral – sort of, but not quite 50 million online views, but never-the-less, not bad for a small community from the San Joaquin Valley.
There is still time to catch up with Norfolk.
And just about everyone in the local department participated, even Lemoore’s top cop, Chief Darrell Smith, a former Arthur Murray Dance Studio drop out, seen prominently in the video showing off his retro “Disco” moves.
Move over John Travolta. Make room for the chief.
“It was a pretty big deal,” said Lemoore Police Officer Jason Stephens, the video’s director, who talked his commanders into producing a department video. “It was exciting to see all the others that came out this summer. One thing led to another. We wanted to represent our community the right way. We wanted to show off Lemoore.”
Rumor has it that Steven Spielberg is considering directing the movie version.
Stephens, 37, a former Navy brat and LHS grad, has served as a member of the Lemoore Police Department the last three years. After getting the department’s okay, he then recruited 26-year-old Jasmine Gomez, a recent graduate of the Lemoore’s Volunteers in Policing (VIP) program, who eagerly jumped head first into the project. Stephens said Jasmine w had experience with photography and videos, having already produced several.
“I thought she (Gomez) did a fantastic job,” said Stephens. “She was completely excited and completely dedicated to this project. And she was always willing to listen. She’s one of our VIPs. She’s totally ingrained in our LPD philosophy. She’s a champ for sure.”
View the Lip Sync Challenge
Gomez, also a Lemoore High School graduate, is currently employed as a medical imaging clerk at Adventist Health, but her long-range goal is to pin a badge to her chest and join the police ranks. “I do photography, and I just started doing videography,” she said. “It (shooting the video) took about a week or so to finish it. It was the best time. I had so much fun. It was awesome.”
Chief Smith recently recognized both Gomez and Stephens at the most recent city council meeting (Aug. 21). “It’s an extra honor to recognize these members,” said Smith who introduced the two to the council and about 200 community members. “It was important to show that our community is special and unique.”
No argument here.
He also lauded the VIPs whose members put in about 6,500 volunteer hours annually.
The community is well aware of the ongoing efforts of the Lemoore Police Department to ensure Lemoore remains safe and secure. It’s VIPs and officers go above and beyond the call of duty in contributing to a thriving and giving community.
Lemoore’s men and women in blue hardly confine themselves to the apprehension of crooks, thieves, and wayward ne’er-do-wells. They play an active and important role in the community, way above the generating of crime statistics. For example, the department sponsors the integral VIP program, and on an annual basis, Lemoore police officers provide shoes to local children, and for some time now they have sponsored the Police Athletic League. Lemoore’s department runs a Police Explorer program, and every Christmas the entire department offers its annual “Reason for the Season,” an effort to hand out presents to local youngsters.
The finished product couldn’t have needed the cooperation of its citizens, many of whom took part in the video during the recent National Night Out held in Lemoore City Park, and again in downtown Lemoore where the video concluded.
