GONZALES – Officers of the Gonzales Police Department are among the law enforcement agents taking part in a viral sensation – a lip-sync battle that puts departments against departments.

Officers in Gonzales hope their video will raise money for The Arc of Ascension.

Officer Brandon Moran posted the clip of he and his colleagues singing the Oak Ridge Boys’ Elvira.

“Gonzales PD Squad 1 Lip Sync Challenge. We are challenging Ascension Sheriffs Chief Deputy, Bobby Weber and his deputies!#lipsyncchallenge,” Moran posted on Facebook and asked people to vote and donate money on the Arc’s website.

Click HERE to see the entire video - it does not allow for embedding.  A shorter clip is attached to this story. 

The lip-sync battle has gained momentum among law enforcement since a deputy in Bexar County, Texas, made a video on June 19.

Across the country, departments are using the videos as a way to show a positive side of law enforcement.

As a “challenge,” officers who participate propose the next department who should participate. In Gonzales, officers “challenged” members of the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The 2-minute, 40-second video starts with officers being discouraged from the “battle” by their sergeant but gathering in the squad room to sing anyway.

It’s a message most agencies are happy to send.

But, not necessarily all.

In a bizarre rant, the sheriff of Acadia Parish – just west of Lafayette – said his deputies will not do such a thing.

“This email is to advise everyone that our agency will not participate in this challenge. I feel that when a deputy puts on our uniform, they are representing the public by doing everything within our power to deter, stop and fight criminal activity,” Sheriff K.P. Gibson told a Lafayette-area TV station.

Though, many departments believe a lighter visualization of officers can help to deter crime or make people who have information about crime more trusting of law enforcement.

As of lunch Wednesday, the Gonzales video had been viewed almost 30,000 times.

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