Police conduct touching social experiment to recruit new officers

Police in New Zealand have taken an unusual, but heartwarming approach to recruiting new officers.

SEE ALSO: Little girl has touching response to finding out her father is trans

A child actor was hired to pose as a homeless boy on the streets of Auckland, as part of a social experiment that was used for a recruitment ad, according to Ad Week.

In one installment of the series called "Hungry Boy," the young actor was filmed eating out of trash cans on the street for approximately 35 minutes.

During the course of the video several pedestrians pass by the child and even throw things away while he lingers over the waste baskets.

Finally, towards the end of the video a few women try to provide the boy with assistance, which presents the perfect opportunity to drive home the message behind the whole experiment:

"Do you care enough to be a cop?"

The video is a clear illustration of how tough it can be to deal with vulnerable communities as an officer.

And while most people on the street that day didn't "care enough," the ad will surely pull on your heartstrings.

Related: See police officers help man stage a wedding proposal: