South Jersey police departments’ April Fools’ pranks

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Several South Jersey police departments have given the general public an opportunity to play detective — by determining that shocking bulletins had been truly April Fools’ Day pranks.

Mount Laurel police, as an illustration, on April 1 proudly launched a brand new Segway Unit, with a photograph that confirmed two uniformed officers on the two-wheeled autos.

“That’s proper, don’t be shocked for those who see officers cruising down sidewalks, trails, and parks on our state-of-the-art tactical Segway,” said a post at the department’s Facebook page.

“From high-speed responses to increased visibility around town, these units are rolling out soon!”

Except they aren’t real.

“Using past photos of our bicycle patrol officers, we were able to creatively edit images, placing them on Segways in Laurel Acres Park,” said Mount Laurel Police Chief Timothy Hudnall. “The goal was to produce something that felt believable at first glance but ultimately brought a smile to people’s faces.”

Here’s a look at pranks from the Facebook pages of other police departments:

● Cherry Hill’s police department proclaimed “a bold new look” for its patrol vehicles.

“Coming soon, our fleet will feature a red color scheme inspired by ‘cherry red’ to better reflect our community identity,” it said. Three photos showed existing patrol vehicles doctored with a bright red hue.

● Deptford police announced a new unit with sit-com overtones: The Criminal Apprehension Team (aka The C.A.T.)

Photos confirmed an precise officer, Nick Cacia, and his “furry associate,’ Feline Officer Giggles (aka Badge #F-1).

Cacia’s uniform prominently displayed the phrase, “FELINE.” And Officer Giggles seemed suitably stern in a Deptford Police protecting vest.

The publish provided a completely believable rationalization for the orange cat’s identify.

During coaching, “he got into some of that ‘Special’ catnip some of you folks love and….well, you understand.”

● Edgewater Park police unveiled a brand new patch to embellish the lengthy arm of the legislation.

“Featuring a fresh cup of coffee and a stack of classic donuts, this design highlights the ‘fuel’ behind the badge and the lighter side of the job,” the division’s publish mentioned.

“Stay safe, stay caffeinated, and Happy April Fools’ Day,” the publish declared.

● Gloucester Township police mentioned a brand new uniform provider, one specializing in ninja-wear, “will give our Officers a new fresh look this Spring!” It was accompanied by a video for an precise agency, Century Martial Arts of Oklahoma City.

Other posts confirmed a scrambled badge for “ULCROEGSTE NISHNWOP CLIEPO,” letters that almost spell out Gloucester Township Police, and a police vehicle with wagon-train wooden wheels. People clicking through for more information found themselves watching a Rick Roll video, a long-established Internet prank.

The department also posted a video of a Gloucester Township fire truck. Someone put a coin in its grill and the truck bounced back and forth, lights flashing, to jaunty music. The post described the truck as “magical,” so a minimum of that appears credible.

Most of the bulletins provided useful hints to folks initially taken in by the prank.

Cherry Hill’s new-look police vehicles “may not be hitting the road just yet,” the department’s post said. It went on to note “we hope everyone enjoys a safe and lighthearted April Fools’ Day.”

A follow-up publish a couple of hours later bolstered that message. It included a photograph of the division’s black-and-white patrol autos behind the headline “Aprils Fools’ Day.”

“While the idea of ‘cherry red’ cruisers may have caught your attention, our fleet will be staying just as it is,” it mentioned.”We look at April Fools’ Day as an opportunity to connect with our community in a fun and approachable way,” mentioned Cherry Hill Police Sgt. Anthony Amato. ” While our mission is always centered on public safety, moments like this help build relationships and create positive interactions.

“The suggestions from residents has been overwhelmingly constructive, and it’s one thing we get pleasure from sharing every year,” he mentioned.

And the Mount Laurel division included a useful confession in its publish.

“Just kidding,” it mentioned, earlier than including, “Thanks for always keeping things fun with us, and we’ll stick to our usual patrol methods.”

Community response to the publish “was overwhelmingly positive,” mentioned Hudnall. “Many residents found the post humorous, and some even reached out to ask how long we had the Segways in service, which showed us that the concept struck the right balance between playful and realistic.”

He mentioned Sgt. Kyle Gardner, who oversees group policing efforts, “wanted to create something that was fun, light-hearted and engaging to our residents while still reflecting the spirit of our department.”

According to the chief, “Building trust and maintaining open lines of communication with our community remains a top priority, and even lighthearted efforts can play a role in strengthening those relationships.”

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: [email protected].


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