It's one of those videos where, as you start to watch it, you find yourself cocking your head to the side and raising an eyebrow.

You want to shut it off, but the quirkiness keeps you watching much longer than you know you should.

However the latest 5-minute video PSA that's been released by the LAPD does have a purpose.

The ultimate message is simple: if you have valuable items in your car and you don't stash them out of sight, bad guys are likely to pilfer your goods.

This "24" parody begins as, special agent "Jack", has been captured by narco cyber pirates (insert more confusion here) who have hatched a devious plot to wipe out the city's food trucks.

Jack is visibly shaken by the plot, because hey, "the food trucks are the glue that holds the city together".

From there, he gets a phone call from a woman at headquarters who says she has satellite eyes on a perp that's about to break into his car.

"You left your iPad on your front seat again, didn't you Jack?"

Spoiler Alert: of course he breaks free, pummels the pirates and even takes down an errant ninja as he runs to save his electronics.  And all along the way, HQ keeps telling him he'd better get there fast, because they remember how he completely lost it when thieves stole is Palm Pilot.

But don't worry. Jack gets there just in time to see police arresting the would-be auto burglar, and it wasn't a moment too soon.

At that very instant he receives a call from the President who wants to confirm which level of Candy Crush Jack is currently working through.

It eventually ends with some big explosion off in the distance (we didn't quite get that either, but it seems to be a blown up food truck).

All in all, the LAPD message is simple.  Lock it, hide it, keep it... and if you don't... you may need to fight ninjas to get it back.