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‘Humanizing the badge’

FDPD releases lip sync video Friday as part of nationwide challenge

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Fort Dodge Police officer Matt Weir, center, portrays Queen singer Freddie Mercury as he and other members of the department film the last scene of their Lip Sync Challenge video in downtown Fort Dodge recently.

The Fort Dodge Police Department’s version of the lip sync challenge was released on video Friday.

In it, police officers lip sync the song “Somebody to Love” by Queen.

Cory Husske, Fort Dodge assistant police chief, said these types of lip sync videos involving law enforcement are sweeping the nation and serve as a way to humanize police officers.

“When Chief (Roger) Porter took over, we made a personal mission to humanize the badge,” Husske said. “That’s important to us. Be human beings first, and our job is law enforcement. Along with that, we call ourselves law enforcement, to protect and serve. We have tried to reverse those terms — serve and protect.”

Fort Dodge Police officers, Allie Thompson, at left, along with Sgt. Dan Charlson, right, look over a previous video shoot with officer Matt Weir who was portraying Queen singer Freddie Mercury during a recent shoot for their Lip Sync Challenge.

“Acts of service first, then we protect the citizens and lastly law enforcement,” he added. “Usually the way people see us as we are the law. The term is protect and serve. It doesn’t say that anywhere the other way around, but we are kind of flipping it around.”

Husske said he hopes the video helps improve the public’s perception of law enforcement.

“Police departments, sheriff’s offices have taken a real relationship hit,” he said. “Attitudes have turned. Some of it has been that police departments around the country need to change certain practices. We have always had the thin blue line. That’s known nationwide as the line between us and evil. It’s also a line that can alienate us from the public. Sometimes people don’t realize we have children in the same schools as the rest of the community does. We are in the same parks. We are just normal people and this happens to be our chosen career.”

The lip sync challenge started with an officer elsewhere in the country who filmed himself and posted it on social media.

The video went viral and soon after law enforcement agencies throughout the country began participating, Husske said.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Fort Dodge Police officer Matt Weir, portraying Queen singer Freddie Mercury belts out the last few lines as they film the final scene for the department’s Lip Sync Challenge video in downtown Fort Dodge.

“It just caught on like wildfire,” he said.

Eventually, the Fort Dodge Police Department was tagged by others on social media to create their own video.

“We were getting called out,” Husske said. “This Is Fort Dodge kind of started it and officials with the city thought it was a great idea.”

Husske said the Police Department did not miss any calls for service while filming the video.

“Our shift was still working,” he said. “We didn’t take anyone off shift. We didn’t miss any calls.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Joel Johnson, with New Age Media Productions, goes over the final verse as he helps Fort Dodge Police officer Matt Weir prepare for filming the last scene of their Lip Sync Challenge video recently.

In terms of song choice, Husske said they wanted to choose a song that hadn’t been done.

“Every time we chose a song, another department had done it,” Husske said. “It became a dwindling list of possibilities.”

Eventually the classic song by Queen became the choice.

“It spoke to us,” Husske said. “It also fits with our message.”

As far as which officer had the best moves, Husske said that’s an easy one.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen “Places everyone, places” Volunteer members of the Fort Dodge Police Department line up to film the final scene of their Lip Sync Challenge video recently.

“Weir was our star,” he said.

In the video, Officer Matt Weir portrays Freddie Mercury, who was the lead vocalist in the band Queen.

“We picked him because of the mustache,” Husske said. “And then it accidentally turned out to be the best choice ever.”

Husske said seeing Weir perform for the video was a side to him he hadn’t seen before.

“Previously my experience with him is he would say, ‘Hi, how are you, sir?'” Husske said.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Retired reserve officer Kenny Powell waits for his cue to walk into the scene recently while he and other members of the public film a scene for the Fort Dodge Police Department’s Lip Sync Challenge Video.

That was until Weir took on a lead role for the video.

“In the days that followed, he had our song on repeat for a few days and was sending out Snaps,” Husske said. “That’s when I realized he’s nuts. He stole the show. I’m very proud of him.”

Kia Hartweg, a TV and radio production instructor at Iowa Central Community College, directed the production.

Joel Johnson, owner of New Age Media Productions, served as production assistant.

Hartweg said she was excited about the opportunity.

“I had been watching videos of other police departments doing it and then when I got asked to participate, I was totally on board,” she said.

It was a valuable experience for her.

“I have been part of a lot of productions, big and small, but this was the first time being director,” she said. “So that was a pretty big highlight for my career.”

She said about 72 hours were invested in making the film, with editing included.

Johnson said he was impressed with how it turned out.

“The community support was amazing,” he said.

The approximately 5-minute video can be viewed on Facebook by visiting the Fort Dodge Police Department’s official page, New Age Media Production’s page, or Iowa Central Community College’s page. It was also shared on The Messenger’s Facebook page.

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