Police officers read, too! This is Chief Dean Winters, of the Crandall Police Department. He may look familiar to you, because he and some of his officers recently participated in the Police Lip Sync Challenge on Facebook. He and his department have become somewhat famous, since their video went viral. So far it has been viewed on Facebook over 8 million times!
Watch their awesome video here. It has been viewed on YouTube over 100,000 times!
The Interview
Q: I love your lip sync video. How did y’all decide which song to use?
A: We wanted a song that was motivational and upbeat, but also a bit more fitting for young ears. We wanted to take the opportunity to create conversations and relationships with our community. They sure have started some conversations! This video has sparked a bit of controversy with some online groups that would like it to be removed because of the Christian message. A quick Google search of the Crandall Police Department will give you a good list of articles to read. I thought it was a powerful choice of song, and I support this department!
Q: Do you do any other lip syncing or karaoke for fun?
A: That would be a big negative! Though there is always a possibility of a follow up to our “God’s Not Dead” video.
Q: What kind of reading do you do in your personal life?
A: Sadly, my life doesn’t present a lot of room for personal reading. It typically consists of some bedtime stories (Policemen read bedtime stories just like the rest of us! I love it!) and I do Bible studies during the day. I also read in preparation for classes I teach as an adjunct instructor for Tarleton State University.
Q: Do you enjoy reading?
A: I do enjoy reading, and as a kid I always worked hard to reach school reading goals.
Q: Do you have some good reading memories from when you were a kid?
A: I read so many things as a young kid. Before video games, reading was appreciated and was truly a part of our daily lives. I always wanted to know how things worked, so I can remember literally reading my parents’ Encyclopedias… that I think prepared me for graduate school. Just in case you are reading this blog, and were born after 1992, let me explain. Ha! Encyclopedias were sets of books that we read to find out information before there was Google and Wikipedia. A good set of Encyclopedias would take up a whole row on a bookshelf, because there was a separate book for each letter of the alphabet!
Q: What kinds of things do police officers read for work?
A: I spend a lot of time reading case law. We read a lot of reports, statutes, and ordinances. Though some reports are entertaining, (Now I really want to know what is in those reports!) most other reading can be very dry. But to stay on top of legal changes you have to just keep on working through.
Q: You said you read bedtime stories at home. Is there a favorite book you like to read with your kids?
A: Brown Bear, Brown Bear has been a pretty solid read over the years. I will be putting a link (click here) to a video of me reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear in a police car at the end of the blog. Be sure to check it out.
Thank you so much, Chief Winters, for taking the time to talk with me about reading. I know you have inspired some families to read something this summer that teaches them something new!
Now Let’s have Some Fun!
- Write a note or make a card for your local police officers. Give them something nice to read when you write a letter thanking them for all of the work they do in your community. Then deliver the note in person. You can look up the address for the local police station online if you don’t know where it is. Police officers love to see the faces of the people in their neighborhood. They may even like some donuts or brownies, too!
- Make a lip sync video. Pick your favorite song, and look up the lyrics online. Everyone in the family work together to learn the song. Sing and dance and have fun in your video. Post it on your favorite social media and use the hashtag #familylipsyncchallenge. Make sure to tag another family and challenge them to make a video, too. Let’s start a new trend!
- Find a set of Encyclopedias. Those might be at the library, too. You could also look at garage sales, in Grandma’s attic, at a thrift store, or in an antique mall. Now find the “P” volume. The topics are all listed alphabetically in each book, like in a dictionary. Look up and read about “police officers.” Did you learn something new? Let me know in the comments below what you learned.
- Click this link to order a “God’s Not Dead” t-shirt to help support Crandall PD. Click here to order a tshirt.
- Read Brown Bear, Brown Bear together as a family. You can probably find it at your local library. Or watch my video and read along with me!
Let’s Read a Book! 