- The Miami Beach PD posted a video of a 2012 Rolls-Royce Ghost with a cop car livery and lights.
- The vehicle, which was paid for by a local dealership, was supposed to be a recruitment tool to attract new officers to the force.
- However, comments responding to the video suggest that the stunt has angered many followers.
There are many police departments around the world who like to show off their fancy new vehicles, so you can understand why the Miami Beach Police Department thought posting about its new Rolls-Royce Ghost would earn it some positive attention online. However, the car has mostly angered followers who ask what the luxury vehicle says about the force’s priorities.
The department posted a short video of a 2012 Rolls-Royce Ghost covered in a police livery, and equipped with red and blue flashing lights. Although the post notes that the car belongs to Braman Motors, and that the dealer covered the cost of the project, commenters were quick to criticize the Miami Beach PD for the move.
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“What is this they will come arrest you with a bottle of champagne?” one Instagram user wrote, while another stated that “this is where all the money goes to huh.” Even users who read the police department’s note about the car being paid for by a third-party company were unhappy, with one asking “is there nothing else that could have been sponsored by business partners that would actually help the community?”
For its part, the Miami Beach Police Department said that the project, for which taxpayers “didn’t pay anything,” was aimed at promoting recruitment. In a statement to the Miami Herald, Police Chief Wayne Jones said the Rolls-Royce “represents our commitment to innovation and our dedication to recruiting the best and brightest individuals to serve our community.”
According to the Miami Beach Police Department’s public information officer, Christopher Bess, traditional recruitment methods are “no longer sufficient in addressing the diverse needs and aspirations of the next generation of law enforcement professionals.” He added that the force’s use of innovative and creative recruitment tools “can attract individuals who embody the values of integrity, service, and excellence that are central to our profession.”
While the car didn’t cost taxpayers anything to create, they may be on the hook if any damage incurred while the MBPD is in possession of it, and the city drafted a certificate of insurance for the Rolls-Royce.