Baltimore Police Union Slams ‘SNL’ for ‘Thirsty Cops’ Sketch

The president of the Baltimore, Maryland police union blasted last week’s Saturday Night Live skit about a pair of female police officers sexually harassing a man after pulling him over for missing a stop sign.

Lt. Gene Ryan, president of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, wrote a two-page letter to SNL creator Lorne Michaels, expressing his “great disappointment” in the “Thirsty Cops” sketch.

“We feel very strongly that the comedy that was attempted … fell short of being humorous and felt, instead, like a sharp jab at a group of people,” Ryan wrote in the letter, posted on Twitter Wednesday.

In the sketch, Leslie Jones and Ego Nwodim played two Baltimore police officers who pulled over host Seth Meyers. At first, he thought it was for driving through a stop sign, but was still confused as to why the officers asked him to get out of his car.

“Do you know why we asked you out of your car?” Jones asked.

“Not really,” Meyers replied.

“Because you fine as hell. That’s why,” Nowidm said.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Meyers said.

“What my partner is trying to say is you are zaty and you can get it,” Jones said while the two officers laugh.

Then, the jingle for “Thirsty Cops” played, with voices singing “They’ll fight crime but if the perp is fine, they’ll take their time.”

Later, Jones tells Meyers he has “he right to remain silent and anything you say or do may be held … against my body.”

Kate McKinnon also joined the sketch as another officer who helps Jones and Nwodim after they ask Meyers to bend over in front of them.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to look at it,” Nwodim said as Meyers bent over with his hands on his knees. This inspires catcalls from the women.

“If I was a car, how would you ride me?” Jones asked Meyers at the end of the sketch.

The sketch inspired a two-page letter from the Baltimore union, supported by 4,300 members who were not happy with it.

“We believe that humor, and the laughter that results, is necessary in all of our lives and we know that the iconic Saturday Night Live has long been a source of that requirement,” Ryan wrote. “We must, however, take exception with the grossly inapt portrayal of our members during this particular sketch.”

Ryan continued, “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 union did not find much sympathy from Twitter followers, many of whom accused the department of not being able to take a joke. Some wondered why they bothered commenting on a comedy sketch, but not many of the controversies the Baltimore Police Department has faced in recent years.

The next new SNL episode airs on Nov. 3 with Jonah Hill hosting and Maggie Rogers performing.

Photo credit: NBC