By Amanda Lien
PHILADELPHIA — Two Philadelphia police officers spend their Friday afternoons singing and dancing in the streets in an effort to build community trust.
Officer Shamssadeen Nur Ali Baukman told CNN the idea for “Karaoke with a Cop” came to him a few years ago when he was called to disperse crowds blocking an intersection at a block party and had to use a microphone to be heard over the noise.
“I started singing and…everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, it’s so great! It’s so great!’” he said. “…And the rest is pretty much history.”
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Officer Justin Harris told CNN he uses Karaoke with a Cop as a time to build relationships with community residents since one of the biggest hurdles to policing in their area was the negative perception of police.
“From doing this, people feel more comfortable approaching us, giving us information, because they feel we’re going to do the right thing for them,” he said.
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