The cops in the “Dairy Capital Of Maine” have been milking the internet to shed the stereotypical image of a bunch of lazy, donut-devouring slugs.
The PR campaign seems to be a cream-on-the-top success.
In fact, the department is now ranked as among the top cop social-media wunderkinds worldwide.
The armed lawmen in the small Kennebec County now have 66,000 followers on Facebook, News Center Maine reports.
The cops in Maine’s dairyland say they are proud to be helping to change the negative way some people view law enforcement.
The department has received messages from people around the world now reading its posts. Why? They’ve added a little humor into the mix.
When Cpl. Mike Conners took over the page three years ago, he said the department had a few thousand followers and the posts were business as usual.
“It was more of a serious, you know, here’s the weather update, road conditions, be careful when you’re driving sort of thing,” Conners tells the news outlet. “So, we added in some comedy, and the comedy kind of kept coming.”
Caleb Proctor, one of the officers in the town of roughly 3,400 people, says the light-hearted page helps some people cope in difficult times.
“People have messaged me talking about how they got in a car accident, and they’ve been bed-bound, or they’re going through family troubles, and this helps them get back on their feet and gives them something to wake up to,” Proctor said.
Not only does the department have a spirited online sibling rivalry with the Jerome, Idaho, Police Department, but it also has its own swag.
Clinton Police Department-themed mugs, patches, and sweatshirts are available online, with proceeds going to the Clinton Recreation Association.
So far, they’ve raised about $1,200 for the association.
Clinton, Maine cops are holding their own against their Jerome, Idaho rivals, who have only 56,000 followers.
Conners said the newfound fame is helping the department connect with its community and changing how people perceive law enforcement.
“The slogan of law enforcement, it’s printed on the side of pretty much every cruiser, is ‘protect and serve.’ If you have somebody that messages you and says, ‘I was having the worst day of my life, and something that you posted, it made me breathe and smile,’ that’s pretty powerful,” Conners told the TV outlet.
“I can’t define a better way to serve than that.”
Clinton, Maine, heretofore known for its cows, Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad and the L. C. Bates Museum, now has funny cops.
They’ve just issued an all-points bulletin for some good jokes for their next post.
