Back in May, members of the Saanich Police Department in Victoria, Canada, found some extra time to perform some community engagement, which included putting on their dancing shoes.

Twenty-one policemen from the department collaborated with 100 kids from the dance program at the adjacent Spectrum Community School to prepare a flash mob at Uptown.
Of course, Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” was chosen.

The purpose of the event, according to a news release published after the event, was “to build a particular bond between kids and police.”

“This was done by engaging in the dance sessions with the pupils, where officers and youngsters could laugh with each other and work towards a similar goal of dancing together in a flash mob. Dancing in public as part of a flash mob was clearly beyond most officers’ comfort zones, but they were prepared to take a risk in order to create a great and lasting experience for our community.”

Officers not only attended dancing sessions alongside the kids, but they also practiced on their own time.

Who taught them the moves? Lia Shannon, a dance instructor at Spectrum Community School, subsequently received the Chief Constable’s Citizenship Award for her involvement in arranging the event.

Lia Shannon receives the Citizenship Award from the Chief Constable. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/sGytGWQ0Br

June 21, 2017: Spectrum School (@SpectrumThunder)

“I had no clue that prize existed at all. “I was honored and overjoyed to get it,” Shannon told Victoria News.
Roll Focus Productions professionally recorded the dance, and the official version has over 100,000 views on YouTube (though there are other recordings from those present at the event as well).

Putting on a public show featuring 121 individuals is no simple undertaking, but the group’s 4-minute routine successfully surprised shoppers on May 4th.

“My advanced dancers started it, and then I had the rest of my dancers join in, so I had about 100 dancers, and then the cops were acting like, ‘What’s going on?’ ” And then they come in and surprise the audience,” Shanon explained.

But she doesn’t take credit for the concept; that belongs to Niki Sundher, a member of the Saanich Police Department’s community engagement branch.

Shannon and the dancers had only four days to bring it all together!
“My dancers rehearsed every day, every day, for four days,” she explained.

The 21 police officers took their jobs seriously, attending classes when they could and even attending 2 a.m. instructionals conducted by Shannon to meet their schedules.

“I had 17 police officers in my class at one point. I was absolutely astounded by how seriously they took it.”

One cop in particular was adamant about doing it properly.

“He came in and worked with me. I informed him that this section was really difficult. But he was dead serious when he stated, “I’m going to do this.”

Getting it done
The concert not only drew a large audience and many compliments, but it also achieved its purpose of connecting kids and police officers.

“I thought it would simply be a fun project, and I can’t believe the impact it had on the community,” Shannon said, adding that she has seen advantages for her pupils as well. “The bonds the youths developed with the cops They are relieved to see these cops today. It makes for an interesting friendship.”

Please scroll down to witness the performance for yourself!