TAVARES, Fla. – Four months ago, three officers at the Tavares Police Department decided to step it up on Facebook.
With the chief's blessing, they started posting attention-getting pictures, clever comments and began engaging with commenters.
"Pigs In A Blanket" is one of their most-viewed posts, generating more than 19,000 hits.
"Well, it was National Pigs in a Blanket Day," Cpl. Sarah Coursey said. "And we said let's put ourselves in a blanket and take a picture and put us there. That was shared so many times."
Coursey, Melissa Robinson, and Jared Blessing are the officers behind the edgy postings.
"You have an idea in your head from TV that cops are not approachable," Coursey said. "We are. This is how we are all the time."
Another popular post was when the Tavares PD patrol boat sank during Saturday's rainfall. Coursey posted the pictures and added the hashtag #SinkemSaturday.
"Our boat sunk and we're making light of this," police Chief Stoney Lubins said. "Everyone's had a car with a flat tire, we had a mechanical failure, rain came in and sunk our boat. We're not going to whitewash and say let's not talk about it and only show good things."
Coursey and her team regularly photograph "5-0 the piggy," a pink stuffed animal, around Tavares. Coursey said they don't find the slang terms offensive.
"I really don't think it bothers any officers anymore," Coursey said. "I really don't think we're offended by things like that. We've been called worse."
Coursey said their posts get tens of thousands of hits, much more than the number of residents in Tavares. The most popular post generated more than 90,000 hits.
Often, citizens are surprised that Tavares police comment so often and so candidly. Coursey said they often post at home, on their own time.
"Y'all better not come for the Tavares Police Department, they comment back and all," Shante Gay wrote.
Aaliyah Hodges wrote, "Read the comments! The police responding & not holding back at all!"
"They need an award. Coolest cops," Elizabeth Carr wrote.
When Scott Harrison offered to "chill wit y'all" and asked officers if they were buying drinks, Coursey responded, "We get fountain drinks at the 7-11 and we can hook you up with a Junior police badge sticker!"
"We have those, we mostly give 'em out to kids to be playful," Coursey said. "A lot of it is they see us as human and it's relatable."
But not everyone is amused.
"I expected more from Tavares Police Department... I'm disappointed. I'll be sharing my concerns with the chief via email tonight and phone call Monday morning," Andrew Sayles wrote.
Lubins said he has not received a single complaint.
"I think if an officer can take a humorous approach to life and they're not so authoritative and can poke a little fun at and not take offense, I think that's a great thing," Lubins said. "We don't take ourselves seriously because at the end of the day we're people."
Lubins stands behinds his officers and their postings 100 percent.
"They make very, very tough decisions sometimes in a split second," Lubins said. "I have faith all my officers will make the right decision from a good heart. I have a lot of faith they can handle a Facebook page equally well."
Lubins said because of the community engagement, there are no fugitives in Tavares.
"And it's getting results because we put up pictures of wanted people and everyone of those has either been arrested or identified to their location," Lubins said.
Lubins said before his team started engaging the community on Facebook, a posting of a fugitive would get only a handful of views and generate few tips.
"If we can say 'pigs in a blanket' and make it a little lighthearted, I don't see a problem with that at all," Lubins said. "That shows humility. We're no different than anyone else. I never got offended by being called a pig, I've been called a lot worse than that, but I don't get offended by that and I don't think the officers do either."