'Running Man' Challenge: LAPD vs NYPD vs Miami Beach PD - Who Did it Best? [VIDEOS]
The Running Man Challenge is all the rage where police in uniform are concerned.
The new dance-off trend made viral after officers in New Zealand posted clips from their friendly competition online has now hit the shores of Miami, with a video clip of at least 12 officer's impromptu dance off recently hitting the Miami Beach department's Twitter page.
Miami Beach PD Shows Off Moves
"It was just a collective," department spokesperson Ernesto Rodriguez said of the Miami Beach PD officers' decision to get in on the wave now sweeping the country stemming from the 1980s dance again becoming so popular. "We should do this. So we arranged it, and we asked for volunteers to come and do it."
The Miami Beach Fire Department has now accepted the challenge, with the City of Miami Police, Miami-Dade Police, Coral Springs Police, Tampa Police and the Broward Sheriff's Office all quickly following suit.
LAPD Joins the Competition
The Los Angeles Police Department also recently joined in on the competition, posting clips of their best moves on YouTube and challenging other local departments to do the same.
LAPD officers staged their performance in front of such iconic locations as Dodger Stadium and the Hollywood sign. At one point, officers even danced with a group of local students in front of a school.
NYPD's 'Running Man' from Brooklyn
Not to be outdone, the New York Police Department also shared their best moves with the cyber public at large.
A video of eight Brooklyn officers doing the dance was recently posted on the department's Facebook page. With the famed Brooklyn Bridge rising in the background, the cops are joined by students from Brownsville's IS 323.
"We wanted them to know that this was coming from Brooklyn," said NYPD Deputy Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn North. "That's why we did it in front of something iconic like the Brooklyn Bridge."
While the New York officers made the videos with the permission of their superiors, some still found fault with the way they were using their time and their overall job performance.
"Please don't believe that this is NYPD on an everyday basis," a Facebook user identified as Lion Bravo wrote. "This is a public relations stunt. Don't be fooled. They will shoot an innocent person tomorrow. They will illegally search or detain people tomorrow."
Law enforcement is hopeful the video and interaction will help in improving relationships between officers and the communities they are entrusted with serving.
"We're boosting the spirit between police officers ... showing everybody that we can have a good time," Maddrey said. "With the help of this video, the next time (kids see us), the next time they want to talk to us."
The Brooklyn students selected to participate were reportedly chosen after they wrote essays about the significance of building strong community relationships.
"The students were excited to be a part of it and our school is looking forward to expanding our relationship with the NYPD," said IS 323 principal Linda Harris.
Within hours of posting, the NYPD video had registered more than two million videos and the one of the New Zealand officers garnered five million.
The Running Man challenge commenced in April after two high schoolers from New Jersey made a video of themselves. It took off when basketball players from the University of Maryland challenged each other to make videos of themselves dancing in place to "My Boo."
All of the videos are now danced to the 1996 Ghost Town DJ hit, which has now also been embraced by pro sports teams including the L.A. Dodgers, Miami Heat and Denver Broncos.
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