A few months back, my friend Sarah Jessica (no, not that one, though my friend Sarah Jessica should have her own TV show, too) shared a Facebook post from a faraway police department that in and of itself should have zero practical interest for me.
But the post was so entertaining – droll, sarcastic, clever, sincere – that I immediately “liked” the Bangor PD page so I could read more. Its posts, written by Sergeant Tim Cotton, have become one of my favorite social media reading pleasures.
What’s so great about it?
It’s unexpected.
It’s well-written.
It’s real and human and conversational (all of the qualities I stand on my writer/editor soapbox and plead for so often).
And Sgt. Cotton’s excellent posts have plenty of variety, too. The weekly “Got Warrants?” feature, in which he hilariously recounts the most entertaining incidents that the Bangor PD has dealt with during the previous week, seems to be the fan favorite. His Duck of Justice posts have inspired fans from around the world (truly) to stop by the Bangor PD to say hello and get their picture taken with the "DOJ," which is the department’s mascot.
Screenshot from the Bangor PD Facebook page
You can read more about Sgt. Cotton in this great piece by Kara Sassone for Link: the Journal of Higher Education Web Professionals. Sassone explains the Duck of Justice:
The taxidermied duck that had been in the county’s District Attorney’s office was destined for the trash when Cotton salvaged him and started introducing new officers with interviews with the DOJ. Over time, the DOJ has become a permanent fixture on the Facebook page and in the station. Cotton expanded the pictures from just new officers to special visitors, and now people from all over the world come into the station to have their picture taken with the duck.
(The article features a photo of Sassone and her family posing with the DOJ.)
Heart, soul and humor
I could pull many examples to show you why I’m a fan of Sgt. Cotton’s posts, but here are two that show his impressive range as a writer.
First, a tribute to a hero named Bernie:
Saturday shout out to Bernard Skarda from all of us at the Bangor Police Department and the fine folks at the Bangor City Hall.
Bernie is an employee of River City Cleaning Service but has been assigned to our city hall for the past 19 years.
Bernie was just doing his job last week when he discovered someone in medical distress in one of the restrooms. It was after hours and with most of the building inaccessible at that time, Bernie summoned help and aided the individual until help arrived.
Bernie made it possible for Officer David Farrar to get inside and render medical aid until the paramedics from the finest fire department in Maine showed up to get the individual out and to the hospital.
It is not lost on us that the person could have lost their life if it were not for Bernie's quick action.
I say it all the time, but it bears repeating, take an opportunity to notice the people that take care of our facilities and do the tough jobs all around you. The importance of a person should not be determined by the floor they work on or that they have their own parking space.
Instead of spending our time trying to impress the bigwigs, maybe we should take a moment to notice the people that get it done. Bernie is one of those people. He also wears a cowboy hat.
That is awesome.
(Screenshot from the Bangor PD Facebook page)
Officer Farrar presented a Bangor Police Department challenge coin to Bernie this week. It is merely a token of how we feel about what he did.
We think it will be a good weekend at Bernie’s.
Keep your hands to yourself, leave other people's things alone and be kind to one another.
Take time to notice everyone's contribution to your life.
We will be here.
TC
Got warrants?
Here’s a recent example of the popular weekly feature that made me laugh:
Officer Zach Carey (former boy band member) asked me to help identify this young lady. She was "partially" shopping at Walmart on the 17th and missed one step in the process, stopping at the register to pay for the selected beauty products.
Officer Carey requests that you send him an email if you know the lady or can direct him to someone that does know the woman.
… Officer Carey is new here and needs to solve just three more cases to get the BPD-blender/toaster combo for his kitchenette.
The post also features surveillance camera footage of the young lady who “partially shopped.”
I highly recommend that you visit the page itself and scroll through past posts, especially if you're in dire need of a dose of humor and humanity. As noted above, I am far from the first person to discover and write about the Bangor, Maine, Facebook page, so you can read more at the links below:
How the Bangor Maine Police Department Changed the Rules for Facebook
Meet the officer behind the Bangor Maine Police Department’s viral Facebook page
Meanwhile, think about Sgt. Cotton and his masterful command of storytelling the next time you’re getting ready to post to your accounts. The bar has been set high.
Carla Atkinson writes blogs and social media posts for clients as part of her writing and editing work. (Need help with yours? Get in touch.)