A Police Department in Illinois has issued an apology after using Call of Duty imagery of cops holding weapons in a recruitment poster.
Residents of Peoria, Illinois were baffled by a recent Call of Duty-style recruiting ad that they say promotes violence.
The ad, which was posted on the Peoria Police Department’s social media, showed officers in tactical gear holding guns and the tagline, “stop playing games and answer the Call of Duty.” The text used the same font as the popular FPS title.
Images of the recruitment ad soon spread to Reddit where residents voiced their displeasure, calling the poster “tone deaf.” Others even took issue with the fact the ad only featured white men.
As the backlash spread, the police department folded and issued a statement apologizing for the ad, which they admitted was aimed at younger audiences and gamers.
Police department’s Call of Duty ad sparks backlash
Police Chief Eric Echevarria told the Journal Star that he believed the images on the poster would help connect to a younger generation.
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“I want to apologize, sincerely apologize, if somebody was offended or if we offended anybody,” he said. “That’s on me.”
“It was never my intention to offend any of our community members with the recruitment flyer that was posted on our Facebook page yesterday,” he added. “It was simply a recruitment image I thought would appeal and connect to a younger generation. I take ownership of this, and I sincerely apologize.”
A Police Department in Illinois has apologized after people claimed they were glorifying police work by using "Call of Duty" on its recruitment poster. The poster said "Stop playing games and answer the Call of Duty." Source: https://t.co/ITR2hCE45d pic.twitter.com/BgTnIWBV84
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) February 29, 2024
The police chief further noted that the department’s goal is to find the best, most qualified officers in the “most caring and respectful way.”
Echevarria claimed that in the future, he and the rest of the department will be more careful with their recruitment strategies and look at things from a community perspective.
This isn’t the first time police have found themselves in hot water over a video game. In 2022, two officers were fired after they ignored a robbery in progress to catch a Snorlax in Pokemon Go.
