"Armed & Famous" star La Toya Jackson debuted a song this week that has Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle laughing.
The song, "I Don't Play That," features lyrics about Jackson's time as a reserve police officer for the Muncie-based reality TV show "Armed & Famous."
"I didn't know she was a performer," Winkle said. "I didn't know she sang. I thought that was just her brothers and sisters."
Winkle said he didn't know about the song and hadn't heard it yet.
"As long as she's not saying anything negative about the city or the police department itself or any individuals, I don't see why I would care," he said.
After reading the lyrics, Winkle said they were pretty graphic in describing domestic violence and use of weapons.
The lyrics talk about a woman's husband giving her black eyes and cracking open her skull.
Winkle said Jackson was a big advocate of victims' rights against domestic violence before she came to Muncie. If the song brought awareness to that issue, it would be positive, he said.
"[Domestic violence] is a problem here just like it's a problem everywhere," Winkle said. "It's that topic no one wants to talk about or admit that it's a problem."
Some students thought the song was misleading in its perception of Jackson and Muncie.
"I'm not saying that there is no violence here [in Muncie]," junior Justin Williams said. "It seems like she made it seem like the environment she was in was more dangerous and violent."
The song made Jackson seem much tougher than she really is, Williams said.
"I saw all the episodes that were aired, and I don't think the song has a lot to do with the show," he said. "It seems like this was made to sell."
Other students said the song was cheesy and amusing.
"It's funnier to me because I'm from Muncie, and they did the show here," freshman Julia Hovermale said.
In another part of the song, Jackson sings, "Get a call from the chief in the middle of the night/That's right, I'm on the next flight/If you want me, you need me, no matter where I may be."
Winkle said, "I don't know what she's referencing that to unless she's saying that if I called she'd come back to work."
Artists base their songs on life experiences, he said, which is what he thinks Jackson is doing in the song.
"It's her interpretation or her experience with the whole police life, and if that's how she wants to express herself that's OK," he said.
Deborah Barnett contributed to this story.
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