How 2 cops are using their singing to unite a community
Buffalo, N.Y. — A lesson in how to unite a city comes a capella-style. One is a former college basketball player. The other a gospel singer. When they came together as cops — something clicked.
After Michael Norwood and Moe Badger were recorded singing inside a restaurant in Buffalo, their musical partnership became a sensation.
"People are always saying, 'When are you guys ever gonna start working?'" Norwood told CBS News. "And it's like — we are working, this is how we work."
We need more officers like them💯💙
Posted by Chelsea Kelley on Friday, February 15, 2019
"When people see us, people demand us to sing now," Norwood explained. "They won't take no for an answer. They don't care what's goin' on. Like, I remember we had somebody pulled over. He goes, 'You're the singin' cops. I want a song right now,'" Norwood laughed. "I'm like, 'Sir, what about your license?'"
On a serious note, Norwood and Badger are using their music to connect with the community.
And they started a program called "COPSS" — which stands for Children Overcoming Police Stereotypes through Sports.
They run basketball games for kids all over Buffalo.
Norwood and Badger said their program changes the opinion people have of police officers.
"It definitely changes the narrative of what we've seen," Badger said. "Through building these relationships in these schools — now, these same kids are not only embracing — police officers, but now they're coming to us saying, 'Hey, I wanna be like you.' And you know, in our community, that's kind of taboo, to be honest with you. There's definitely been a divide between our community and the police officers. And our whole mission has to been to mend that divide. It's working."
When you listen, it's not hard to see why.
Their go-to song lately has been "My Girl" by the Temptations and they held nothing back during their interview.
"You know, 'cause everybody knows 'My Girl,'" Badger said.