BEMIDJI -- For more than a year, the Bemidji Police Department has given community members the opportunity to chat with officers and ask questions through “Coffee with a Cop” events. Wednesday’s get-together had a similar format, but a much younger target audience -- and replaced the caffeine with sugar.
“It's just another avenue or route to connect with all people in the community, not just adults,” Bemidji Police Chief Mike Mastin said of Wednesday's “Cone with a Cop” event, held at the lakeside McDonald’s. “Obviously kids don't typically like coffee, so if you can get some ice cream, it brings them out.”
About two dozen children congregated in the McDonald’s Playplace to talk with Mastin and other BPD officers. Police gave out stickers and fielded kids’ questions.
Natalie Werner, who took two of her young children to the event, said she wanted them to have a positive relationship with local law enforcement and realize police aren't as scary as they may seem.
“They were really excited to meet with more police officers,” Werner said. “I think it's really great in this case, two of my kids are foster kids and so they've had some kind of scary experiences with cops, so it's nice that they get a safe, happy, exciting experience with a cop, too, kind of gives them a different point of view.”
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Mastin hopes events such as “Cone with a Cop” will show children that police are a resource, rather than something to fear.
“It's an unfortunate thing, we're made to be the bogeyman and we're not. We want kids to know that we’re here to help them and that we’re a safe place,” Mastin said.
“This is an opportunity for them to get to know us, get to talk to us in a non-scary environment, and hopefully it pays off down the road.”
