Cartoon versions of Michael Norwood and Moe Badger, founders of Children Overcoming Police Stereotypes through Sports (COPSS) Image: Instagram/@copssny
Two police officers from New York, United States may have found their ideal side job. Showing off their musical chops, the singing duo broke police stereotypes by belting out in a restaurant 鈥� making them internet sensations overnight.
Michael Norwood and Moe Badger, two police officers in Buffalo, New York, were singing Ed Sheeran鈥檚 鈥淭hinking Out Loud鈥� when a certain Chelsea Kelley recorded their performance. Kelley then uploaded it on Facebook last February. Two months later, the duo has become a singing sensation, appearing in 鈥淭he Ellen Degeneres Show鈥� on April 1.
Branding themselves as the 鈥淏uffalo Bad Boys,鈥� Norwood and Badger use their singing abilities to unite the city while doing their jobs as police officers, as per CBS on April 16.
鈥淧eople are always saying, 鈥榃hen are you guys ever gonna start working?'鈥� Norwood said as per the report. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 like, we are working, this is how we work.鈥�
The duo, however, had different lives before becoming cops; Norwood was a basketball player, while Badger was a gospel singer. Now, after being partners for two years, the officers aim to break the stereotypes surrounding the police.
Aside from using music to form a bond with the community, the 鈥淏uffalo Bad Boys鈥� had created a program called Children Overcoming Police Stereotypes through Sports (COPSS), wherein the officers engage with children by playing basketball games together.
鈥淸There has] definitely been a divide between our community and the police officers,鈥� lamented Badger. Through COPPS, Norwood and Badger aim to remove the divide by bonding with children in different schools.
鈥淭hrough building these relationships in these schools 鈥� now, these same kids are not only embracing police officers, but now [they are] coming to us saying, 鈥楬ey, I wanna be like you,'鈥� the former gospel singer was quoted as saying.
During their guest appearance in 鈥淭he Ellen Degeneres Show鈥�, the host donated $10,000 (over P516,000) to the foundation, as the pair made the audience swoon with their rendition of 鈥淢y Girl鈥� by The Temptations. Casey Eridio/JB
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