A New York Police detective found herself in the eye of a controversy after a dance video showing her twerking and pole dancing went viral. In the video, which has prompted polarizing opinions, she is seen wearing a thong and a bra while gyrating.
The music video published by World Hip Hop shows Melissa Mercado. However, according to the New York Post, she was not named in the video.
The video divided department:
While some felt it was Mercado's personal business, others expressed their concerns and outrage with the video. A detective said, “I have no words,” while talking about Mercado, who works with the department’s special victims unit, reported the outlet.
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“What she’s doing really has nothing to do with her as an employee, as an NYC detective,” a police union source told the outlet, adding, “She’s not wearing NYPD paraphernalia. Nothing in the video says she’s a detective.”
“If she is performing for money, if she has a side gig, the job would want to know about that,” the source continued.
{{/usCountry}}“If she is performing for money, if she has a side gig, the job would want to know about that,” the source continued.
{{/usCountry}}“The member would be obligated to file an off-duty employment application. I would say nothing she does in the video is the department’s business,” the individual added.
The outlet reported that another source labelled her a cop who “made some good collars,” adding that she is “respected by her peers.”
"There’s a line of thinking that what you do off duty, you do off duty,” Retired NYPD Special Victims Division Chief Michael Osgood told the outlet. “But I think this conduct is unbecoming a police officer. I find it wrong morally if you’re a special victims detective," the former cop continued.
What did social media say?
The music video also made its way onto social media, prompting people to share varied opinions.
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An individual posted, “Probably not a good look for the department.” Another questioned, “Does that affect her ability to do her job?” A third joked, “Plot twist: She is working undercover.” A fourth commented, “That’s her personal business.” A fifth wrote, “Seven years puts her at top pay. There's absolutely no need for her to do this, considering the endless amount of paid detail available now.”
As per the outlet, in 2023, a rookie cop faced a lot of heat after she was spotted dancing with a turnstile jumper while on the job. A turnstile jumper is someone who climbs over a turnstile to avoid paying the fare.
In another instance, as reported by the outlet, in 2022, a 22-year-old cop was transferred after she was spotted giving a lap dance to a married senior during an office party.