A detective from the New York Police Department, who has recently drawn criticism for her extracurricular activities as a video performer, has been retracted from all live investigations involving sex-related offences. This information was relayed by the New York Post, identifying the officer as Melissa Mercado, a seasoned professional with seven years on the force. Mercado, prior to the controversy, had been an integral part of the Special Victims Division, responsible for looking into serious crimes like sexual assault, rape, and child abuse.
The revelation of Mercado’s secondary career as a model in rap music videos came to light when a particular track called ‘Doin That’ by Hempstead rapper S-Quire started circulating widely on the internet, largely due to a posting on the widely followed media platform, WorldStarHipHop. Although Mercado’s appearance in the video – characterized by seductive dance moves, her full-figured physique, and attractive facial features – has received much praise, it has also triggered a negative response, alongside calls for punitive measures, from certain quarters within the NYPD.
‘The kind of behavior on display here doesn’t befit a police officer,’ voiced a critic about Mercado’s actions. ‘For someone who is a special victims detective, this seems morally incorrect.’ Similar thoughts were echoed by another detractor who went a step further to undermine Mercado’s integrity as a law enforcement officer. ‘Her professional conduct needs to be corrected,’ declared the adversary. ‘What she has done goes against the ethos that police officers must uphold. Police work is a venerable job and needs to be perceived that way.’
Mercado, who carries the rank of a third-grade detective, was inducted into the NYPD back in 2018 and subsequently assigned to the specialized unit for victims in Bronx. She is reputed to have an annual salary of around $144,000. She adopts the pseudonym ‘Honeybee’ on social media platforms where she has shared several personal snapshots.
As of now, it is not apparent if Mercado’s controversial participation in the music video is in breach of any established NYPD directives or regulations. The director behind the video for ‘Doin That’ claimed to be completely unaware of Mercado’s law enforcement background until the video started trending. ‘We were none the wiser about her primary occupation,’ confessed the director.
However, the revelation about her day job seemed to have little bearing on the public’s positive reaction to Mercado’s feature in the ‘Doin That’ video. In fact, the video has racked up an impressive two million views on YouTube alone. The director has further revealed a spike in demand for Mercado’s appearance in music videos from different artists following the release of ‘Doin That’.
According to him, ‘ I’ve been inundated with requests from numerous artists wanting to feature her in their videos.’ He concluded, ‘Given this perspective, this could signify a big break for her. I believe it’s her victory.’