A Valentine’s Day-themed video from police in western Manitoba has received more than half a million views in just over 24 hours, but the reactions are varied.

Brandon police posted a 54-second tongue-in-cheek video to its social media platforms Wednesday encouraging people to contact the service if they want to make Valentine’s Day special for an ex-partner who often brags about getting away with crimes.

Christopher Schneider is a social media expert and sociology professor at Brandon University. He says the video is devoid of any sort of empathy, something he says has become a staple in police training since the 2020 police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“I think that the message is tone deaf. It falls flat and I think it’s a bit ghoulish,” he said Thursday on Up to Speed.