Lincolnshire police chief defends officers for dancing the Macarena at Lincoln Pride

Officers danced the Macarena at Lincoln Pride Credit: Twitter

Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable, Chris Haward, has defended officers who have come under fire for dancing the Macarena at Lincoln Pride.

A clip, which was shared by Lincoln Police on Twitter, showed officers performing the Macarena routine on Saturday 20 August at the Tentercroft Street Car Park in Lincoln.

The officers were seen holding LGBTQ+ flags and enjoying the pride festivities as onlookers cheered them on.

Their involvement in the festivities immediately sparked outrage online from locals who condemned them for "prancing around" instead of "catching criminals."

Around 50,000 people celebrate Hull Pride 2022

Responding to the criticism, Mr Haward said he supported the officers who engaged with people at the event.

Explaining why he encouraged their behaviour, Mr Haward said: "Policing is not just about enforcement and patrol but about engagement, understanding and being part of the community."

The video of the officers received thousands of retweets on Twitter from viewers who mostly disapproved of the officers actions.

One person said: "Should be ashamed of yourselves instead of prancing around catch criminals that's what we pay our taxes for."

Another tweeted: "Please stop this. It reflects badly on you and the people you think you’re supporting. Do your jobs without favour. That’s all we ask."

Mr Howard, however, stood up for the officers saying their behaviour reflected the type of inclusivity and fairness he hopes to foster and encourage.

"We want everyone attending Lincoln Pride to know that we are there for them and that our service to Lincolnshire communities is truly inclusive; we aim to treat every member of the public we serve with fairness and impartiality," he said.

"Pride is one of the many wonderful community events in the county that we are there to police but also to allow people to look behind the uniform and see who we are."

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