By Police1 Staff
Coming up with inventive ways to engage your community can be tricky, but one approach that can yield big results is capitalizing on pop culture. Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm back in 2012 has resulted in three new “Star Wars” films that have proved hugely popular, garnering billions of dollars at the box office. With a slew of stories in a galaxy far, far away still to come, you can’t really go wrong with tying the franchise into your outreach efforts.
From a day at the range with a stormtrooper to Chewbacca’s first day as a cop, police departments have come up with many fun and creative ways to harness the power of the Force in their recruitment campaigns and PSAs. Here are five shining examples of police departments using “Star Wars” to reach out to their communities. And if you’re looking for even more ways to engage your community or build a successful recruitment campaign, check out “Why your police department needs a brand” and “5 police recruitment videos that think outside the box.”
Happy Star Wars day! May the 4th be with you.
1. Texas cop, ‘Star Wars’ stormtrooper hit the range in viral recruitment clip
https://www.facebook.com/InsideFWPD/videos/1129407397096752/
This hilarious recruitment video pokes fun at the poor shooting skills of the Galactic Empire’s ground force.
2. Las Vegas PD warns drivers to follow the law in ‘Star Wars’ PSA
Those landspeeders have been causing a ton of headaches for the LVMPD.
3. Wash. police use ‘Star Wars’ PSA to fight the ‘dark side of theft’
The City of Redmond called on the public to help them defeat the dark side.
4. Chewbacca joins Fort Worth Police Department
Chewbacca’s first day went about as well as you’d expect.
5. Texas police interview Darth Vader
They really wish they’d interviewed Yoda instead.
NEXT: Video: Off-duty state trooper in Stormtrooper costume stops wrong-way driver