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New Westminister Police Station Visit

Date confirmed on signed oath (archived) (“18th day of November 1984”)

Ken McIntosh, police officer, “CTV News Vancouver” (July 3, 2009) (archived)

Michael Jackson was at the top of his game, fresh off his smash album Thriller, when he came to Vancouver in 1984.

He was in town for three sold-out concerts at B.C. Place -- but still made time to accept an invitation to the New Westminster police station.

"They were trying to keep it quite secret," retired police officer Ken McIntosh said. "He was such a public figure."

The King of Pop had the New Westminster police force don dark sunglasses and walk with him down the stairs of City Hall, with the intent of possibly using it in a music video.

Despite their best attempt at secrecy, when Jackson and the officers started walking up and down the stairs, people noticed.

"The cars started stopping and people started realizing that was Michael Jackson and started to come up," McIntosh said.

It was never used in a music video, but a photo of Jackson with the officers was featured in his 1988 autobiography Moonwalk.

The book is now on display at the New Westminster museum and archives - along with the uniform and sunglasses everyone wore that day, stamped with the name "Jacksons."

"He was made an honorary member of the New Westminster Police Department at that time, and he was given badge 49," McIntosh said.

He was pop music royalty, and Michael Jackson certainly left his mark on the Royal City.