VIDEO: Glasgow's "Singing Sergeant" back in the spotlight
The so-called "Singing Sergeant" whose karaoke appearance in a Glasgow pub's been seen by millions around the world is back in the spotlight.
Sergeant Jon Harris is helping publicise a Police Scotland online public consultation called "Your View Counts".
You can see the video here:
It comes a week after the married dad-of-one stunned the crowd in the Waterloo Bar by belting out the Gloria Gaynor classic, "I Will Survive" - the American singer later tweeted to applaud him for smoothing tensions following a bar fight.
He told the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, he was neither afraid nor petrified when he stepped on stage.
His performance has been seen by millions of people around the world.
“I am completely overwhelmed by it,” said Sgt Harris, who has been a police officer for 10 years.
“We’re always encouraged by our managers to engage with the public as much as possible. Police officers are very much a part of the community and we are approachable and friendly. If a bit of singing and dancing can push that message across then that’s got to be a good thing.
It was the evening of Wednesday 1 June when Sgt Harris, a community policing sergeant for the City Centre of Glasgow, and his colleagues were attending a road accident near the Waterloo Bar – when “a member of the public flagged us down and said that an assault was taking place just inside the pub.”
Sgt Harris and his colleagues attended the incident and he was later persuaded to go on stage.
“We were discussing karaoke songs and I was effectively challenged to go and sing my song,” he recalls. “She didn’t believe that I looked like a Gloria Gaynor man… the people in the pub had been so positive in helping us with our enquiries, if there was anything I could do to cheer them up and lighten the mood I thought it would be a good chance to do that. So up I went.”
The officer has been praised rather than pilloried by his bosses. Chief Inspector Mark Sutherland, area commander for Glasgow City Centre, said: “Once the inquiry had concluded and the victim’s safety ensured, Sgt Jon Harris took to the stage, which helped to defuse any simmering tensions in the pub.
“I was pleased to see that once the incident had been professionally concluded, my officers were able to share a lighter moment with those who remained in the pub.”