A police department has come under fire after uniformed officers drove handcuffed teens to their prom in a riot vehicle while they had bags on their heads.
When three officers dropped off the gang of youths after their transport broke down, West Midlands Police was accused of wasting both taxpayer money and officer time.
However, the force argued that the prank was necessary to help win the community’s trust.
On video, the kids can be seen being led out of the van while being handcuffed and having bags placed over their heads to simulate arrest.
“How much did it cost the tax payer to take the vehicle and the police officers as well when he could have just gotten a taxi,” fumed social media user Wayne Gray.
“This country has gone downhill,” stated Rick Ross.
Glad they had time to waste, Elaine Haddon added.
As cool as that was, said Jo Bushell. What a waste of police resources it was, if I may say so.
“No wonder there are no cops around when you truly need them as they are busy dropping their kids off,” yelled one, going under the name Leesa. I’m sorry, but that’s not amusing.
Why couldn’t they just hitch a ride in their parents’ automobile, another individual questioned?
Dini, the mother of the child, who released the footage, said: “The harsh, ugly, and racial comments I’ve received is startling – be polite.”
However, a West Midlands Police spokesperson insisted that the officers were off-duty.
A spokeswoman issued the following statement: “An officer from our neighborhood police team intervened to assist some local children who were scheduled to attend their prom.
However, their transfer was canceled, and they were very disturbed about it.
We actively interact with neighborhood residents and young people to foster trust, and officers frequently go above and beyond to assist others and have a positive impact wherever they can.
The cop was on patrol when he came across a local child who he was familiar with from his time spent working nearby.
The boy was distressed, and it was discovered after a little conversation that the hire firm for his prom transportation had let him down.
Our officer replied, “He’s going to the ball,”
After his shift was up, he stayed behind to assist the child and his companions.
The police van could have been spared because it was not in use at the time and the officer completed this task on his own time with no impact on police resources.
The children were ecstatic at the kindness, and their families and neighbours also offered their support.