Several South Jersey police departments have given the public a chance to play detective — by figuring out that surprising announcements were actually April Fools’ Day pranks.
Mount Laurel police, for instance, on April 1 proudly introduced a new Segway Unit, with a photo that showed two uniformed officers on the two-wheeled vehicles.
“That’s right, don’t be surprised if you 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!”
“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 showed an actual officer, Nick Cacia, and his “furry partner,’ Feline Officer Giggles (aka Badge #F-1).
Cacia’s uniform prominently displayed the word, “FELINE.” And Officer Giggles looked suitably stern in a Deptford Police protective vest.
The post offered an entirely plausible explanation for the orange cat’s name.
During training, “he got into some of that ‘Special’ catnip some of you folks love and….well, you understand.”
● Edgewater Park police unveiled a new patch to decorate the long arm of the law.
“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 departments post said.
● Gloucester Township police said a new uniform supplier, one specializing in ninja-wear, “will give our Officers a new fresh look this Spring!” It was accompanied by a video for an actual firm, Century Martial Arts of Oklahoma City.
Other posts showed 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 at least that seems credible.
Most of the announcements offered helpful hints to people initially taken in by the prank.
Cherry Hill’s new-look police cars “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 folo-up post a few hours later reinforced that message. It included a photo of the department’s black-and-white patrol vehicles 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 said.”We look at April Fools’ Day as an opportunity to connect with our community in a fun and approachable way,” said 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 feedback from residents has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s something we enjoy sharing each year,” he said.
And the Mount Laurel department included a helpful confession in its post.
“Just kidding,” it said, before adding, “Thanks for always keeping things fun with us, and we’ll stick to our usual patrol methods.”
Community response to the post “was overwhelmingly positive,” said 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 said Sgt. Kyle Gardner, who oversees community 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: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.…Read more by Jim Walsh