Bengaluru Police are known for their quirky and effective social media presence after experimenting with memes and pop culture references in 2017. Now, the city police has debuted on another social media platform - TikTok.
The first video uploaded by Bengaluru police highlighted safety with messages like " If you jump the signal, someone may never be able to jump again".
The TikTok page also showed a video of Bengaluru South East DCP Isha Pant singing the popular Kannada song 'Jotheyali'.
The Bengaluru Police's entry into TikTok comes after other state and city police departments such as Kerala Police, Uttarakhand Police, Durg Police joined the platform to connect with its citizens.
@blrcitypolice Talent hits a target no one else can hit! Our intention to be with city and citizens! This melody interprets the same... Jotheyali Jothe Jotheyali...
♬ original sound - BENGALURUCITYPOLICE
Speaking on the development, Bhaskar Rao, Bengaluru Police Commissioner said, “Bengaluru Police has always believed in the power of social media to build a connect with citizens. We were one of the first city police departments to come onto social media to create fun and informative content. TikTok is the latest platform and has immense potential for us to communicate about social issues in short, creative and engaging videos.“
@blrcitypolice Bengaluru City Police now Officially on TikTok . Follow us Right now. #followtrafficrules
♬ original sound - BENGALURUCITYPOLICE
An official from TikTok stated that they were delighted with the news of Bengaluru police joining the platform. “We are delighted to have Bengaluru City Police on TikTok. TikTok as a platform allows for creation of hyper-local content, thus helping law enforcement agencies stay local and relevant in their communication with citizens. In the coming time, we look forward to welcoming more such agencies onto our platform and harnessing the positive impact the platform can have on society,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
In 2017, Bengaluru police's other social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter became popular after a marketing company Crowd Kart took over the pages. The social media pages turned Game of Thrones theories into safety tips to reach out to the young audience between the ages of 18 and 30 in the city.