Barrington police have 'Best Day' with new lip sync video
Barrington police officers - with assistance from some village firefighters - are showing their humorous side in a lip sync video that Chief David Dorn says was made in response to public demand.
Released on the police department's Facebook page Monday afternoon, the video clocked about 8,800 views within 24 hours. Everyone who participated volunteered their time and no public money was spent on the production, Dorn said. "Seeing our officers in the community do it, it makes me proud that they took the steps and really initiated it and did the project and actually, really wanted to show the public the video," Dorn said.
Dorn said he began receiving messages from residents wanting Barrington officers to create a production after they saw other departments in the nationwide Police Lip Sync Challenge last year, which drew suburbs including Bartlett, Skokie and Highland Park. Bartlett's video went viral, attracting nearly 100,000 views within 24 hours on Facebook.
Starting "Law & Order" style with an episode called "The Interview," the Barrington police video has Dorn in a conference room interviewing a potential new hire portrayed by officer Micheal Gruenthal. Dorn asks how Gruenthal sees himself fitting in with Barrington police, setting the roughly six-minute video in motion with him pondering the question.
With Gruenthal in a Barrington police uniform looking at himself in a bathroom mirror, he begins lip syncing to the American Authors' "Best Day of My Life."
Barrington police gave their video a twist by including firefighters who share a public safety building with them, playing off the first responders' good-natured rivalry. In one scene, Gruenthal begins lip syncing to Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" after a fire department call over his police radio reports smoke in the area.
Det. Lori Allsteadt and officers Josh Webb, Steven Kopera and Hakeem Smith are then seen dancing in front of a fire truck. Viewers later see Fire Chief Jim Arie, with three firefighters around him, being served lunch from a grill that led Gruenthal to the smoke call.
"We have a really good relationship with the fire department," Dorn said. "We share a building and spend a lot of time with them, so naturally we wanted to include them, but they also really wanted to be part of it."
Some village board members watched the "Barrington Police Living the Dream ..." video soon after it was released Monday. Trustee Jennifer Wondrasek said it was enjoyable seeing the lighter side of her town's officers.
"It was really well done," Wondrasek said, "and they had some great dance moves."
Bartlett's short viral video was a wacky rendition of the Guns N' Roses tune "Sweet Child O' Mine" as it was performed in the movie comedy "Step Brothers."