Baltimore earned two nods of recognition in the most recent airing of Saturday Night Live, but one of those references is drawing some ire from the local police officers’ union.
Baltimore native Ego Nwodim made her most prominent appearance yet on the show, staring alongside Leslie Jones in sketch where the two played police officers a little too eager to question a man they pulled over.
The uniforms these “Thirsty Cops” wore, though, were adorned with Baltimore Police Department badges.
In response to the department’s uniforms being used in jest, the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 President Gene Ryan penned a letter to Saturday Night Live’s creator Lorne Micheals, airing grievances with what they saw as an unflattering portrayal of city officers.
“We believe that humor, and the laugher that results, is necessary in all our lives and we know that the iconic Saturday Night Live has long been a source of that requirement. We must, however, take exception with the grossly inapt portrayal of our members during this particular sketch. As you are most likely aware, the Baltimore Police Department is currently a very beleaguered agency in the throes of massive amounts of criticism and disrespect. Many of our members, especially our young ones, are struggling with their choice of career and we are losing good and credible members daily. It is a difficult time in Baltimore and to portray our brave, hard-working members with such an inappropriate manner is very unfortunate.
“The Baltimore Police patches that were attached to the shirts of your case are worn by each and every member of our agency during their careers. They are worn with extreme pride because, to us, they represent the best that law enforcement has to offer.”
The full statement from Ryan can be read in the tweet below.
We have sent the following letter to Mr. Lorne Michaels, producer of Saturday Night Live, on behalf of our members. pic.twitter.com/sceWejrLJI
— Baltimore City FOP (@FOP3) October 17, 2018
The sketch can be scene here:
