Police department under fire for viral GTA-style TikTok videos

The Metropolitan Police has sparked backlash for posting TikTok videos inspired by the video game Grand Theft Auto.

Britain’s largest police force, the Metropolitan Police, has faced backlash for its use of TikTok, with critics accusing it of “wasting time and money” on social media content instead of addressing crime.

The Met’s official TikTok account, boasting over 175,000 followers, regularly posts videos featuring serving officers.

A clip uploaded on February 20 showed the arrest of a shoplifting suspect using a font and aesthetic inspired by the video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA). The post, which included the hashtag #GTA, sparked outrage for referencing a game infamous for its violent portrayal of police.

While some of the Met’s TikToks highlight law enforcement processes, such as explaining what happens after a suspect is arrested, others show officers in lighthearted scenarios. These include playing basketball, partaking in a viral trend, or asking followers to name their favorite police horse.

One particularly popular video, viewed over 476,000 times, features an officer participating in the ‘ring trend,’ where instead of revealing a wedding ring, the officer showed off his police car keys.

The top comment reads: “Dude go arrest some criminals instead of making TikToks.” Another clip, captioned “Benny-Hill style chase,” adds comedic music to footage of officers pursuing a criminal on a bicycle.

Retired Met officer Dominic voiced his concerns to MailOnline: “These videos are embarrassing, it’s just ridiculous. Old-fashioned policing methods, like going and talking to young people, are still the best method of fighting crime amongst youth.”

Critics also questioned the decision to promote GTA, with one TikTok user commenting, “Ain’t no goddamn way the police posted this.” Others argued that the content “made a farce” of the forces and detracted from its focus on street crime.

However, a spokesman for the Met defended its strategy, telling MailOnline: “We are reaching millions of young people on TikTok – showing them the amazing work of our officers and offering insights into the world of policing.

“This adds to traditional methods of engagement rather than replacing them, and will help us to recruit the police officers of the future.”