Video: Dancing WSSU police officer steals the show
Selena Ligons, an officer with the Winston-Salem State University Police Department, has all the right moves.
A video of Ligons taking a moment from her policing duties during a WSSU home basketball game to dance the Shoot, by BlocBoy JB has captured more than a few hearts. Since it was posted on Twitter on Feb. 10, the video has over 30,000 views and more than 1,000 likes.
Ligons, who joined WSSU's police in 2016, says she was happy but surprised when the video went viral. But it's not all fun and games for Ligons.
"Personal interactions between the students and me build mutual trust, which is essential to addressing problems and reducing crime on WSSU’s campus," she says. "Engaging in activities with the students, encourages them to feel at ease to approach me at any given moment."
What message does she hope that the video will send about law enforcement?
"Transparency is essential to positive police-community relationships. The media, social media, etc., can paint a falsely negative and many times unfair picture of law enforcement, leading to a misplaced loss of trust by the public,” says Ligons. “I hope my videos let the students and the community know that police officers can have a positive impact in the community. Police officers can have fun, too."
Ligons says being a WSSU police officer has built her confidence interacting with the community.
"I did not get to experience the college life while attending college," she says. "Therefore, being a campus police officer has kept me involved with the students, engaging in activities with the students on campus, and observing what it is like living on campus."
Basketball season may be over, but Officer Ligons continues to remain visible around campus, and supports WSSU Police and Public Safety Department’s community policing initiatives that gives students the opportunity to interact with campus law enforcement.
For more information about joining WSSU’s Police Department, visit the Become a WSSU Public Safety Officer website.
