Tony Lepore (born October 17, 1947), popularly known as the Dancing Cop, is a retired
American police officer who danced while directing traffic in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
during the December holiday season. Lepore has also done stage performance
Lepore began dancing while directing traffic in 1984 as a way to relieve boredom. After he retired from the Providence Police Department, city leaders asked that him to return during the holiday season in 1992. He agreed to a contract to return as a
Auxiliary police, reserve police officer and continued the practice in ensuing years
In 2015, Providence officials elected to terminate Lepore's contract. Lepore alleged that they fired him for organizing an anti-
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police br ...
protest.
In 2019, Lepore announced his retirement and move to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
.
References
External links
ABC 6: The Dancing Cop is Retiring
1947 births
Living people
People from Providence, Rhode Island
American municipal police officers
Place of birth missing (living people)
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