OPINION: Those APD Videos Are Not Protecting or Serving Anyone

by JD Ellison What on earth is happening with the Asheville Police Department's social media? Have you seen their recent posts? There was a video celebrating a police dog’s birthday—Kora is her name—and it featured cinematic-quality shots, an original song, and a level of production value that made me pause. Who approved this? And Why? And why is the video so high quality? Like… I know how much videographers charge for this kind of content. Add in usage rights, time, and editing; this wasn’t a slapdash project. It was deliberate, came with a price tag, and took time, the people’s time. There’s another one for National Popcorn Day. Yep. Except in this ASMR-style video, officers tossed Poppy’s Handcrafted Popcorn into each other’s mouths while puns filled the captions. Do you think Poppy’s paid for that? Do you think they knew? More importantly, is this how APD thinks public trust is built?

It’s tempting to dismiss these videos as irrelevant fluff, but they reflect a deeper problem. This kind of content is meant to humanize the police and soften their image through humor and relatability. And yet, it falls flat. Worse, it’s cringeworthy. It reminds me of the discourse surrounding Jimmy Fallon’s infamous hair-ruffling moment with Donald Trump, a moment that attempted to normalize something that many argue - I’m not in the mood to - should have remained contested.

Today, the police strive for a rehabbed image through viral attempts at charm rather than the requested policy and reform. The problem is that their charm offensive misses the mark. It isn’t trust-building; it’s trust-eroding. These videos are not just a questionable use of public funds—they’re a misunderstanding of public need. If this is the police department’s version of “community engagement,” we should all be worried. The public isn’t asking for caramel popcorn and birthday songs. We asked for diversified community support mechanisms, harm reduction, de-escalation training, and accountability. 

The thing about humor and trust is that it only works when there’s already a foundation of goodwill. When people trust you, they’ll laugh with you. Firefighters don’t have to do this sort of schtick. They put on their uniforms, spray water around, and secure cats out of trees. At best, they have their calendars, but honestly, that’s more of a public service than a PR stunt, and we thank them. But when people don’t trust you, every joke becomes a punchline at your expense. 

The Asheville Police Department is getting clowned online because their efforts feel out of touch. By spending time making this content rather than apologizing or listening or changing, they prove to their naysayers that they fundamentally misunderstand the community they serve. Frankly, it just feels unserious. And in this context, unseriousness is dangerous and it makes the public question your very capacity to serve and protect.

In many ways, it feels appropriate to have this conversation today, on the most ironic of days: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which also happens to be Donald Trump’s second inauguration. The juxtaposition is sharp. Both men, in their own ways, had complicated relationships with the legal system and the social mores of their time. Dr. King was punished by a system that history has proven wrong. Donald Trump has been forgiven by that same system, shielded by the presumption of innocence even when evidence suggests otherwise, simply because he embodies the social and political power structures of the moment. This duality colors my view of something as seemingly trivial as a small-town police department’s Instagram page. 

Asheville, a blue dot in a sea of red, is known for its reputation as a haven for peace, elderly retirees, and happy-go-lucky queers. Yet, our law enforcement has a reputation for being aggressive. APD has made national headlines for the sheer tension they bring to social conversations. Rumors of heavy surveillance, both on foot and through technology, are well-documented. And now we have to worry about their marketing tactics? I’m tired. 

It’s unfortunate, but we have to ask: what are the real consequences of wasting public money and embarrassing the law? And more to the point, how does this keep our community safe? At what point do we, as a public, get to demand more than just technical proficiency from the people we’ve tasked with our safety? And when do we get to scrutinize the efficacy of their efforts?

Because, let’s be clear: the inability to read the room, to engage with people in a way that feels human, isn’t a minor flaw. It directly correlates to their ability to do the job we hired them for. What may seem like a frivolous critique—popcorn videos, Instagram antics—is actually a window into something much bigger: the lack of understanding, the failure to build trust, the very things that allow institutions to function in a way that benefits no one but the powerful. And if the energy, time, and resources they put into these distractions aren’t leading to the safety, accountability, or trust that the community deserves, then the problem isn’t just in their Instagram strategy or how they’re spending our money. The problem is with their understanding of the job. And if they can’t do the job, at some point, someone is going to ask… "should they have it?"