Police departments around the world have been dealing with the rise of Pokemon Go. From bemused requests to not enter police headquarters to catch Pokemon to countless reports of police officers chatting with Pokemon Go players as they roam the streets at night, police officers are probably as knowledgeable about the new “augmented reality” app as the Pokemon trainers themselves.
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Last night, Kyle Campbell, a user on /r/PokemonGo, shared his experience with Long Beach Police officers during an impromptu Pokemon gathering. Around 200 people were playing the game at Shoreline Aquatic Park, as the area contains numerous PokeStops and gyms in a small space. As players set Lure Modules at PokeStops and battled over a gym, a Long Beach police car pulled into the park and positioned themselves at the center of the boardwalk.
After the police car turned on its loudspeaker, Campbell and many of the other players expected the police officers to order the crowd to disperse. Instead a familiar song began to play: the original Pokemon anime theme song. Another Pokemon trainer caught the scene and posted it on Facebook.
“Everyone started cheering and hooting and hollering,” Campbell wrote. “People were high-fiving…With all the insanity that’s been going on in my country regarding the police shootings and brutality… it’s things like this that give me hope.”
Impromptu Pokemon Go meetups are taking place in communities across the country. Be sure to check Facebook to see if your city has a Pokemon Go group or organization. If not, start one yourself! It’s a great way to meet fellow Pokemon Go trainers and catch a ton of new Pokemon.
Pokemon Go is available in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and select European countries.
