The Salem Police Department is the latest to join a nationwide lip sync battle among public safety officers.
“We don’t back down from challenges,” their video begins, before detectives Jeff Gordon and Kevin Ramirez bust out their moves for a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing).”
Within 24 hours the video, posted on Facebook Saturday afternoon, had 2,600 shares and 485 comments.
The battle started last month, when a Bexar County, Texas, Sheriff’s Deputy posted a video lip syncing “Fuiste Mala,” by the Kumbia Kings.
Other Texas law enforcement officers responded with their own videos.
Since then, public safety officers across the country have posted performances in cars, fire stations and on the street, with the hashtag #LipSyncChallenge.
Ramirez, who does most of the singing in the Salem video, said he was willing to make a bit of a fool of himself to bring a smile to the community, which has supported the department by passing a bond for a new police station.
"You see so many negative things coming across social media websites, I just thought it would be fun," he said.
And, he said, he wants the community to know, "We're just normal people too. We like to have fun. It's not always just business for us."
Ramirez said the song is his go-to karaoke pick.
"It's upbeat, it's fun," he said. "And I knew the words."
In their post, the Salem detectives challenged Oregon State Police and the Eugene and Woodburn police departments.
tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779 or follow at Twitter.com/Tracy_Loew
