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08/13/2018 02:08 PMFrom the opening seconds: chills. On Monday, Aug. 13, North Branford Police Department (NBPD) released its amped-up answer to the Police Lip Sync Challenge.
The challenge has seemingly taken over the summer of 2018 — and YouTube — with good natured throw-downs; from those between shoreline police to departments across the state and the country. See NBPD's video here or find it on the North Branford Police Department Facebook page.
“We were trying to raise the bar,” North Branford interim Chief of Police James Lovelace told Zip06/The Sound, shortly after the official video release. “East Haven set the bar high. There’s always that competition; but it really brings departments together and raises communication.”
NBPD was officially challenged by East Haven Police Department (EHPD) after EHPD released their video in late July. North Haven Police Department (NHPD) also answered the challenge from EHPD and released a video on August 13. Branford police have accepted the EHPD challenge, with a video in the making. With the completion of its video, NBPD has now officially lip-sync challenged Guilford Police and Madison Police. In addition, North Haven cross-challenged NBPD on August 13.
The NBPD video stars Lovelace, Lieutenant Sean Anderson, Sergeant Brian Hannon and Officers Tom Pacelli, Massimo Piroli, Kristen Fitzgerald, Matthew Hannon, Steven Redente and Jeffrey Leiby, as well as Chief’s Secretary Denise Sinski and Dispatcher Kenneth Zercie. It also features a cadre of first responders including members of North Branford Fire Department (NBFD) as well as dozens of local residents of all ages. Earlier this months, participants came out in droves to meet NBPD’s call for extras at various shooting locations.
“I think everyone in the department thoroughly enjoyed being involved with it, and especially being involved with the community,” said Lovelace. “Our intent from the beginning was that we really wanted the community to be a huge part of the video.”
From the opening seconds, when five of NBPD’s finest lip-sync to Back Street Boys’ “I Want it That Way,” in a breezy sunflower field, the six-and- a-half minute montage of music and video features lip-syncing cops at some of North Branford’s best summer locations and most-loved activities. The video also pulls in cops lip-syncing country, pop and old-school tunes. At various points, it heads through a grassy field filled with teens in pick-up trucks, finds little kids on cop’s shoulders racing into firehose-generated showers, “tears it up” with a funny ticket-spoof sequence and brings in dance scenes with some impossible moves filmed at this year’s North Branford Potato and Corn (PoCo) ‘fest.
On August 13, the 9:30 a.m. YouTube video release by Inspiration in Motion was linked to the NBPD Facebook page and shot up the charts, with well over 70,000 views -- and climbing -- in the first four hours.
Lovelace said the video release gave a big boost to what has been growing Facebook interaction between the department and the community on the NBPD Facebook page.
Within the department, the making of the video has also served to inspire. In addition to meeting the lip sync challenge, Lovelace said members of NBPD and the North Branford Police union plan to take this effort a step further, by using it to help others.
“Each department has done their own things. We wanted to give back by making donations to two special causes in the community,” said Lovelace. “This is something the department members donated to themselves, and also the North Branford police union.”
Lovelace said more information will be available once the all the pieces are in place to deliver the philanthropic effort. In a note at the end of the video, NBPD expresses the hope that other departments taking the challenge will also consider making a donation to a local cause or causes.
The department also sends credit shout outs to Totoket Tree Farm, Country Farm I and Country Farm II, Ceccarelli’s Farm, Rosabianca Vineyards, Rose Orchards, Carriage Stone Farm and Larry Augur’s Farm for their involvement in the video.
The video was directed by Judy Bannon with assistance from Production Manager Ashely Bannon and additional creative team members Andrew Horn and Michael Horn (both of Inspiration in Motion Handcrafted Films) and Nick DeLizo. NBPD also gives props to Flip Entertainment, Skyline Aerial Images and Mary Elissa Giovanni (Shufflebot). In addition, North Branford Fire Department, Superintendent of Schools Scott Schoonmaker, PoCo Festival Coordinator Jenn McCullough and residents Doreen Vetro and Tom Keller also have the gratitude of NBPD for their assistance.