While some people like to separate work and play, the NYPD is not as lenient. You may have heard the viral story of Melissa Mercado, a New York police officer who twerked and shocked fans as part of a pole-dancing performance for Hempstead rapper S-Quire's "Doin That" music video. According to an exclusive report from The Post, she stepped back from her position in the Special Victims Division and was pulled from her sex crimes cases. This allegedly comes from a direct claim from a spokesperson for the police department. However, the alleged source did not answer questions on whether or not Mercado violated specific rules, policies, or regulations within the organization.
Furthermore, the music video's director – Pitch Perfect – reportedly told TMZ that he and S-Quire hired Melissa Mercado through a casting agency and did not know anything about her seven years of work with the NYPD. We will see in the near future whether or not the department issues a stronger statement on the matter. For now, though, it just seems like a viral moment that inspired plenty of funny jokes on social media.
NYPD Sources On Melissa Mercado
Still, we can't imagine that everyone within the NYPD, especially those close to Melissa Mercado, feel the same way about this situation. For example, Michael Osgood, a reportedly retired NYPD Special Victims Division Chief, told The New York Post that this is an embarrassing moment. "There’s a line of thinking that what you do off duty, you do off duty," he remarked. "But I think this conduct is unbecoming a police officer. I find it wrong morally if you’re a special victims detective."
On the other hand, other alleged NYPD officers reportedly don't see the big deal about Melissa Mercado's side hustle. "[She's] made some good collars... [and is] respected by her peers," one supposed source posited, defending her merits based on her detective work and not her extracurriculars. "What she’s doing really has nothing to do with her as an employee," another source chimed in, believing that this is none of the department's business. "She’s not wearing NYPD paraphernalia. Nothing in the video says she’s a detective."
