Two comic-book-loving police officers have taken an animated approach to traditional crime prevention messages, producing and acting in an anti-violence short film.
York Regional Police constables Tony Cedrone and Doug MacRae made a six-minute superhero film called "United," meant to shed light on the need for community members to work with police to fight crime.
"Police are a little bit dry sometimes. These kids are either falling asleep or they're playing on their phones," MacRae told CTV's Canada AM on Monday.
"We wanted to come up with some way to deliver the age-old messages but in a more exciting way, speaking their language on their level."
The short film, posted to YouTube on Friday, features a Batman-like hero wearing a mask with a York Regional Police crest on the forehead as he fights a group of six villains dressed in red.
Just when it looks like the hero has been defeated, a police dispatcher requests backup over the radio. Help arrives in the form of a crowd of community members, including children and teens.
The film was released as part of the York Regional Police Film Fest, a contest that challenged high school students to create their own films.
