With the police department facing a recruitment crisis, the West Memphis Police Department (WMPD) discovered an unlikely supporter, Kendrick Lamar. Initially, this was simply a fun little TikTok challenge. Still, it quickly evolved into an incredible recruiting phenomenon, with thousands of applications and a high interest in law enforcement careers.
The buzz started in early March 2025 when WMPD officers drew inspiration from Lamar’s electrifying “Not Like Us” performance during the Super Bowl halftime show. Dressed in full uniform, officers accurately, though with gusto, strummed their air guitars and danced the rapper’s signature moves, posting their version on TikTok. The video, which stars the department’s streamlined 2023 Dodge Challenger patrol car, was intended as a lighthearted recruitment tactic. What they didn’t realize was that it would go viral.
ABC 24 spoke to a West Memphis Officer about the inspiration behind the clip. “We’re scrolling on TikTok because we’re like, we need to recruit at least 25 people. We have to do it quickly,” the officer added. “We didn’t expect it to take off as much as it did. We did it for laughing giggles and thought we could get people’s attention on a recruitment basis.”
And take off it did. By March 10, the video had racked up an incredible 11 million views, transforming a mundane recruitment push into a national conversation piece. The department’s phones were inundated with inquiries, and its Facebook page was swamped with more than 1,000 messages from eager applicants looking to sign on to the force.
What is so remarkable about this story is how the department leveraged pop culture to reach a younger audience. Law enforcement has traditionally depended on job fairs, community outreach, and regular social media posting to fill their roles. However, by harnessing the power of one of hip-hop’s biggest stars and the viral nature of TikTok, WMPD managed to break through to its target demographic of younger adults and women.
And this unorthodox approach worked better than all expected. And though some skeptics may have considered the video gimmicky, the overwhelmingly positive response proves the forward-thinking possibility of police departments to connect with the future legions of would-be officers. It is evidence that relatability and creativity can go a long way in igniting interest in careers in public service.
The video also opened up discussions about the perception of law enforcement in the modern age, numerically and otherwise. Through its humorous social media presence, WMPD managed to erode some of the walls between police and the public, providing a sense of approachability not typically found in recruitment drives.
What began as a simple notion of officers enjoying themselves dancing to Kendrick Lamar ultimately revived recruitment in ways no one anticipated. Only time will tell whether this is a new trend in law enforcement hiring, but one thing is for sure: WMPD’s viral moment will be a game changer. And for Kendrick Lamar? Well, it seems his moves at the Super Bowl didn’t just rule the stage. They just might’ve changed the game for how police recruit.
0 Comments